The 1980s and 1990s have been perhaps the most turbulent and exciting period
in the history of South Africa, and Exeter University Library, UK,
has been fortunate in acquiring a collection that reflects some of the
passion and anguish of those who lived through the period
of apartheid and beyond.
Mervyn Bennun, former lecturer in
the Faculty of Law at
Exeter, was active in the ANC during its period of exile in
the UK; he amassed a rich collection of books, newspapers, newspaper indexes
and digests, pamphlets and manuscripts, much
of it - and this is perhaps the Collection's greatest strength - produced by
the ANC itself. To this generous gift of Mr Bennun's
has been added the smaller collection of the records and memorabilia of the
Exeter Anti-Apartheid Group, which was one of
the longest established and most active in the UK anti-apartheid movement.
It offers a fascinating profile of a local political
pressure group. The Collections are housed together in the locked section of
the Old Library in the University of Exeter. If you want to consult them, or make some
other enquiry, please email
Stuart Macwilliam.
The Library is in the process of listing the material on the Web. The
arrangement is by
SJM - 28/5/97