Resistance, struggle and protest against genocide and incarceration : The case of Talitha Koum – Someone lied! and 1983 – Years Before and After

Abstract

This article positions theatre as a site for victims and activists to action their resistance against Gukurahundi related incarceration and human rights abuse perpetrated in the 1980s. Through case studying Talitha Koum and 1983, we examine resistance strategies deployed through theatre performance to expose Gukurahundi violence, invigorate debate and hold public officials accountable. We submit that theatre performance offers a ‘liberation’ of cultural memory from state regimes of censorship and suppression. We observe that performances served as a form of agentic resistance against the original acts of violence perpetrated during the genocide, and the subsequent ‘psychological incarceration’ experienced by victims.