On 20th August 1983, the United Democratic Front was launched at the Rockland Civic Centre in Cape Town. It was a broad coalition of anti apartheid organizations that opposed the government's constitutional reform proposals. On the other side of town the all white governing Nationalist Party was trying to drum up support for a New Constitution that wanted to exclude the black majority. The right wing Herstigte Nationale Party was doing the same. They were both backing a New Deal that was doomed to fail. This is a video of that time and was Tony Bensusan's response as a media activist
It was initially made without credits to protect the filmmakers; it was shown in the townships by comrades
It has been remastered from the original 16mm film.
archiveREF R-0120547Revised
Archive record
New Deal? South Africa 1983
- Updated
- 26 Jun 2019
South African History Online. (2016, February 22). New Deal? South Africa 1983. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0120547
South African History Online (2016) 'New Deal? South Africa 1983', South African History Online, 22 February. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0120547 (Accessed: 1 September 2026).
South African History Online, New Deal? South Africa 1983 [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0120547, (accessed 1 September 2026).
"New Deal? South Africa 1983." South African History Online, 22 Feb. 2016, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0120547. Accessed 1 Sept. 2026.
South African History Online. "New Deal? South Africa 1983." South African History Online. February 22, 2016. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0120547.
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