A JACANA POCKET HISTORY: THE ANC YOUTH LEAGUE IN SOUTH AFRICA

The Youth League's foundation in 1944 by Ashley Peter Mda, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo marked the rise of a new generation of leadership of South Africa's black African population. Clive Glaser's The ANC Youth League presents the first overview of the ANC Youth League from its origins in the 1940s to the controversies of the present Malema era, providing implicit and explicit comparisons between earlier Youth League and contemporary Youth League. It analyses the ideology and tactics of its founders, some of whom (notably Mandela and Tambo) later became iconic figures in South African history. It also shows how the early Youth League gave birth not only to the modern ANC but also to its rival, the Pan African Congress. Dormant for many years, the Youth League, infused with the tradition of the militant youth politics of the 1980s, re-emerged in the transition era under the leadership of Peter Mokaba. Throughout its history the Youth League tried to 'dynamise' and criticise the ANC from within while remaining devoted to, and dependent on, the mother body. Very little scholarly work has been written on the post-1990 Youth League; The ANC Youth League showcases that throughout its history the Youth League has struggled to find a balance between loyalty and rebellion. About the Author Clive Glaser  lectures in History at Wits University. He has published widely on the history of youth politics, youth culture, crime and sexuality in South Africa. He is the author of  Bo-Tsotsi: The Youth Gangs of Soweto 1935-1976  and co-author of volume 6 in the series From Protest to Challenge, entitled  Challenge and Victory, 1980-1990. Author Clive Glaser ISBN 9781431404933 Format Paperback Pages 172p.