Marshalling a Splintered Society: Censorship, Publicity and Propaganda in South Africa During the Second World War.

This article examines several important aspects of state propaganda in South Africa during the Second World War, the country’s participation in which was riddled by controversy. The wartime government of General J.C. Smuts lacked broad-based support and contested opposition which was shaped by Nazi influences. Latent South African socio-political friction surfaced, and anti-war violence ensued. In response, the Smuts administration adopted a multi-media publicity and propaganda campaign aimed at mobilising support for its war policy. The article focuses on subversive Nazi efforts within South Africa before and during the war, and on the impact of these on internal political divisions. These are significant because they formed the context for propaganda strategies formulated by the South African authorities. The article also analyses the ways in which the Smuts government deployed propaganda through its direction and censorship of radio, film and the print media, including the creation of a Bureau of Information. It argues that in the long run, state propaganda had limited effect and was ultimately a futile exercise as persistent realities, notably, racial prejudice, socio-economic privation and diverse political loyalties undermined the endeavour to achieve national cohesion and unity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierdie artikel stel ondersoek in na belangrike aspekte van staatspropaganda in SuidAfrika tydens die Tweede Wêreldoorlog. Die land se deelname aan dié oorlog is met stryd en omstredenheid belaai. Generaal J.C. Smuts se regering kon nie op ’n breë steunbasis reken nie, en het te kampe gehad met ’n opposisie wat deur Nazisme beïnvloed is. Suid-Afrika se sluimerende sosio-politiese spanning is na bowe gebring, wat anti-oorlogsgeweld tot gevolg gehad het. Daarop het die Smuts-regering ’n multi-media publisiteits- en propagandaveldtog van stapel gestuur wat daarop gemik was om steun vir sy oorlogsbeleid te mobiliseer. Hierdie artikel fokus op ondermynende Nazi-aktiwiteite binne Suid-Afrika voor- en tydens die oorlog, en die uitwerking daarvan op die land se interne politieke verdeeldheid. Dit is van belang, omdat dít die konteks vir die Suid-Afrikaanse regering se propagande-strategie gevorm het. Die artikel ontleed ook die wyse waarop die Smuts-regering propagande ontplooi het, deur voorskrifte en sensorskap wat radio, film en die pers betref; sowel as die stigting van ’n Buro van Inligting. Dit voer aan dat staatspropagande, op die lange duur, ’n beperkte uitwerking gehad het, en dat dit eintlik ’n vermorsing was, omdat voortslepende vraagstukke, veral wat betref rassevooroordele, sosioekonomiese gebrek en uiteenlopende politieke lojaliteit, die strewe na nasionale eenheid en samehang ondermyn het. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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