The State, The Citizen and Power

Two decades ago, a cohort of key historians made an important intervention into understanding the workings of political violence and coercion in southern Africa. The essay col-

lection was published on the cusp of the democratic transition in South Africa in 1992.2 They focused on coercion and paternalism in the labour market and cults of violence in Mozambique; violence on the gold mines in South Africa; political and masculinist domestic violence in the armed struggle; protests in informal settlements in South Africa; and,

finally, they offered a look at war and the potential for social healing in Zimbabwe. Now, in this Special Issue, a new generation of historians make their mark.