The Role of Documentary Photography in Apartheid and Post Apartheid
The research study on “The “Truth” Role of Documentary Photography in Apartheid and Post Apartheid” has been designed to explore the role of documentary photography as an active tool for outlining the “Truth” on atrocities and social-political ills that were being committed by the apartheid regime in South Africa. The thesis starts by outlining the oppressions, injustices, killings, and relocations that South Africans faced under the regime. It then goes ahead to explore the role of documentary photography during the apartheid era and how it became a visual evidence based platform to capture the attention of the international world on the atrocities being run by the South African colonial government.
Photography under the Afrapix Agency
The thesis goes ahead to present various images that were captured by South African photographers under the Afrapix Agency which spearheaded the quest for abolition of apartheid and the demand for freedom. It also outlined the struggles, oppressions, and detaining that the photographers went through as a way of silencing them. The research study goes ahead to explore photography in post-apartheid era and the change of its use from a visual evidenced “Truth” championing for end of apartheid and freedom, to a modernized use of photography as an art and fictional tool in the recreation of historical injustices that were not captured by Documentary photography during the apartheid era.
The Use of Documentary Photography as a Tool
The thesis makes an emphasis on the use of documentary photography as a tool of presenting visually evidenced “Truth” unlike the propaganda used by the colonialists. It also outlined the changing roles of photography from the “Truth” mission, to an alternative way of using it as a modern artistic platform that can recreate the stories that were told during Truth and Reconciliation process after South Africa gained freedom. Photography has also been used as depiction South African cultural aspects in inter-racial community that was once separated but now exists as one.
