What happens when violence is no longer only something imposed from outside, but becomes part of how a society sees itself? This is the question at the heart of Mbuyiseni Ndlozi’s debut book, “Love and Violence: The Revolt against Permanent Juniority”.
The author became well-known for his time with the Economic Freedom Fighters. He represented the party in the National Assembly, as a member of Parliament, from 2014 until his resignation in January 2025.
He is currently a radio host and political activist, who hosts the Thabo Mbeki Foundation "African Renaissance Podcast" which is dedicated to promoting the rebirth of the African continent and inspire its people to take charge of their destiny as they build a free and dignified continent.
In his debut book, Ndlozi brings together personal history, political analysis and historical research to examine how colonialism and apartheid shaped the lives of black people and how some of that violence continues to manifest in post-apartheid South Africa.
Ndlozi begins with a deeply personal story.
He writes about growing up without his father and how, after excelling at school, his father attempted to claim him.
Ndlozi rejected the relationship, believing that he had no father other than God.
Years later, while researching the 1984 Vaal Uprising for his doctoral work, Ndlozi encountered his father’s name in historical records. His father had been a taxi owner in Sebokeng during a period marked by violence. The discovery eventually led Ndlozi to interview him.
This personal thread gives the book a human entry point into a much larger examination of violence.
Ndlozi explores colonial violence and its consequences, including what is often described as black-on-black violence and black self-hatred. Rather than treating these as isolated social problems, he considers how historical systems of domination can influence relationships within communities.
A central idea is what Ndlozi calls “permanent juniority”, a condition in which black people were denied full adulthood and agency under apartheid. Black youth were expected to remain subordinate, even as they grew older and participated in resistance.
The 1980s youth revolt becomes an important part of this argument. Ndlozi examines how young people challenged the system and fought to reclaim their humanity. The struggle was not simply political. It was also about refusing a social order that continually told black people that they were not entitled to determine their own futures.
Readers familiar with Steve Biko’s “I Write What I Like” may recognise some of these questions around psychological liberation and black dignity. Rekgotsofetse Chikane’s “Breaking a Rainbow, Building a Nation" also offers a useful comparison through its examination of contemporary student movements and youth resistance.
Sizwe Mpofu Walsh’s “The New Apartheid” similarly questions what changed after 1994 and what remained embedded in South African society.
Ndlozi, however, takes the discussion into his personal history, connecting it to broader questions about violence, politics and freedom.
The book also asks whether politics can move beyond confrontation towards what Ndlozi describes as the politics of love. It is a challenging proposition in a country still grappling with inequality, violence and the unfinished business of liberation.
“Love and Violence” is therefore not simply a book about apartheid or the history of South African youth. It is an attempt to understand how the past continues to shape the present and what genuine emancipation could require.
For readers interested in South Africa’s political history, Black Consciousness and the ongoing struggle for freedom, Ndlozi’s debut offers plenty to question, debate and reflect on.
lutho.pasiya@nationalmg.co.za