Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
5-minute read
29 August 2025 | 18:30 CAT

📸 MK, trials, and courage revealed. Discover Attacking the Heart of Apartheid by Yunus Carrim.

The painful yet powerful legacy of South Africa’s liberation struggle has been brought into sharper focus with the release of Attacking the Heart of Apartheid, a new book by historian and activist Yunus Ismail Carrim.

Carrim’s work delves into the political trials of the 1980s, an era marked by heightened state repression and fierce resistance. While much attention has been given to leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Chris Hani, and Steve Biko, Carrim sheds light on lesser-known figures and trials that, he argues, are central to understanding South Africa’s path to democracy.

“These trials were not simply about applying the law,” Carrim explained in an interview with Radio Islam International. “They were instruments of apartheid power designed to delegitimise the liberation movement. Yet, paradoxically, the courtroom also became a space where the moral bankruptcy of the regime was exposed, and the courage of activists was made visible.”

Among the cases revisited in the book are the Pietermaritzburg Treason Trial and the Pietermaritzburg 13, where community leaders, teachers, and students faced trumped-up charges of treason and terrorism. Carrim reconstructs the testimonies, the atmosphere in court, and the lived experiences of the accused and their families. “What emerges,” he noted, “is not just a legal record, but a story of ordinary South Africans who risked everything for justice.”

The book also highlights the role of MK (Umkhonto we Sizwe), the ANC’s armed wing, in the broader struggle for freedom. Carrim draws attention to the Special Operations Unit, a highly trained, non-racial group tasked with strategic military and economic operations. “MK’s contribution was intertwined with mass mobilisation, legal resistance, and underground operations,” he explains. “It reminds us that the fight against apartheid took many forms and involved extraordinary sacrifices.”

In many instances, accused activists used the stand to articulate visions of a free South Africa, challenging the legitimacy of apartheid in front of both local and international audiences. For Carrim, these defiant moments underscore that resistance was multidimensional, from mass mobilisation to legal defence to armed struggle.

Importantly, Carrim draws parallels between the past and the present. He cautions that the ideals fought for under apartheid remain under threat. “Our democracy was not gifted. It was fought for through prison bars, through bullets, and yes, through legal trials. Today, when we see corruption, inequality, and the erosion of accountability, we must remember the sacrifices that were made and the vigilance required to defend those gains.”

Beyond its historical detail, Attacking the Heart of Apartheid is a meditation on memory and justice. Carrim urges readers not to treat these events as distant relics but as living lessons. “History is not only about looking back. It is about asking: what are we doing with the freedom that was won, and how do we honour those who stood in the dock so that we could stand free?”

The publication has already generated conversation among educators, activists, and community leaders, who see it as a resource for both academic study and civic education. Some have described it as essential reading for young South Africans navigating a society still marked by economic exclusion and political mistrust.

Attacking the Heart of Apartheid is available in bookstores and on online platforms such as Takealot and Amazon.

For Carrim, the project is deeply personal: “This book is about reclaiming voices that were silenced. It is about ensuring that the blood, sweat, and dignity of those who resisted are never forgotten. South Africa’s unfinished journey toward justice demands that we keep telling these stories.”

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Yunus Carrim.