Rape, murder and mass arrests - Flo Masebe's Twitter thread highlights apartheid atrocities

'Incredible amount of evil prevailed at that time'

04 February 2020 - 05:56 By Cebelihle Bhengu

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Veteran actress Florence Masebe turned the spotlight on life under the apartheid regime.
Image: Via Florence Masebe Instagram

Veteran actress Florence Masebe has made horrific revelations about living under the apartheid regime.

She took to Twitter to share threads that highlighted the crimes and injustice to which black people were subjected during apartheid, focusing specifically on the state of emergency in the 1980s.

Scores of people observed the 30th anniversary since former president FW de Klerk lifted the ban on black-led political parties, announced the commencement of power transfer negotiations and called for the release of political prisoners in February 1990.

Masebe shared how she lived in constant fear of apartheid police who went door-to-door, raping black women and arresting young black men, often without a reason.

Her thread has gone viral as many chimed in with their own horror stories.

Are you old enough to remember the State of Emergency we had in South Africa in the 1980s?
— Mme a Masakona (@FloMasebe) February 2, 2020

Here are some of the responses:

Curfews and teens being detained... Some who go missing and you don't know whether they've fled into exile or have been killed by the security police.
— Nadia Goetham (@NGoetham) February 2, 2020

I remember there was chaos in my hood parents running teargas all over they hid me in a coal steel tank n ran 😢😭I could hear boots 🥾 passing ...I was like 5 or 6
I still dream about soldiers to this day the trauma was 🤯🤯was told not to make noise
— SphiweM (@SphiweMokoena4) February 2, 2020

The thing is black people are still struggling to date. The apartheid regime has fulfilled its mandate. We are still economically struggling , At work we still feel that racial inequality. Employment is hearsay to us. Not yet uhuru.
— nkholi_mido (@Nkholi_Mido) February 2, 2020

My cousin and I were standing at the gate the other day when a yellow police van drove by. The bastards just decided to throw a tear gas at us by then I was about 7 years old and my cousin about 3 years old. We battled to breathe for some time 😢😢
— Events Safety Officer (@mothibikoketso2) February 2, 2020

Yes! 1985 was a scary year. Incredible amount of evil prevailed at that time. SADF was totally brutal, white Biker Gangs esp on Sundays would come beat people with chains in Alex. It was a time and a half. A confident evil terrorised us.
— PML ™️ (@kgeremolla) February 2, 2020

I remember the chaos in 88 and early 90s, the 'hippos', the "mellow yellows", di stay away. Soshanguve high burning, later Central Secondary also burning...
— 🌈Nokuthula Mavuso (@NoxNonozi) February 2, 2020

My mom told me how she had to block the door while my sister cut her hair in the bathroom cause the police only had a description of a girl with long hair that was causing trouble. Vaal was hectic.
— Mellow_Mo (@cinenhlanhla) February 2, 2020

In my area things turned upside down when Peter Nchabeleng was killed. The place was turned to ashes. The military rained down on us. Billowing smoke and helicopters scouting the mountains were a common sight. Stones were weapons of choice against the assault rifles.
— Benny (@Benny_HlakoleSA) February 2, 2020

Having to be hidden inside clothing baskets because they would raid looking for boys during the night. I was 12 years old in Soweto
— Mulweli (@mulweli35) February 2, 2020

Yeah. '87 school riots, I was 6 in sub A. I remember one protest, people ran into the school running away from the police. They didn't hesitate with the teargas. A neighbour saw me and helped me over the fence. I still can't remember how I got home that day...
— Nelisa Ngqulana (@Neli_Ngqulana) February 2, 2020