My Children!
My Africa!
English FAL
Summaries
Grade 12
© 2026 Knap Opsommings
All notes, summaries, and study materials are owned by Knap Opsommings. Please use them only for your personal school learning. Do not copy,
share, or sell our content without permission.
, MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA! by Athol Fugard
BACKGROUND
My Children! My Africa! was first performed on 27 June 1989, just before the end of apartheid. The
play explores the rising tensions between Black people and the apartheid government, and more
generally between Blacks and Whites near the end of apartheid. There are three main characters in
the play and all of them are thoughtful, clever and admirable, and each wins our love and our
loyalty.
Township schools were at the forefront of violent resistance to apartheid and Zolile High School was
amongst those schools. Apartheid was about to end in South Africa and Fugard attacks the ANC’s
decision to boycott schools and as a result initiate damage that would negatively affect
generations of Africans.
The play shows the suffering that Black South Africans went through during the apartheid era. It
does this by telling the story of the friendship of two people – Isabel Dyson, a girl of 18 years from a
White school (Camdeboo Girls High) and Thami Mbikwana, a 19 year old Black boy from a Black
school (Zolile High).The third main character is Mr M, is a teacher from Zolile High school. The
meeting between Isabel and Thami occurs when Mr M organises an inter-school debate between
Camdeboo and Zolile high schools. It is through Thami and Isabel’s relation that we come to
understand the cruelty of apartheid and the violence of the struggle against Apartheid.
The play is also about Mr M’s ideology that education cannot be sacrificed for political gains. He is a
proponent of education as the most powerful tool in the struggle for freedom and equality. ‘Thami
feels constrained by the education system under apartheid, causing him to clash with his teacher
Mr. M who has more traditional views about life in South Africa.’
By the end of the play, Mr M is killed, Thami goes into exile and Isabel makes a promise to the spirit
of Mr. M that she will make her life useful.
The author, Athol Fugard.
© 2026 Knap Opsommings
All notes, summaries, and study materials are owned by Knap Opsommings. Please use them only for your personal school learning. Do not copy, share, or sell our content without permission.
, TITLE
EXCLAMATION MARKS:
The exclamation marks in the title shows that the title is a lament (a passionate
expression of grief and sorrow).
It shows emotions of Mr. Myalatya (Mr. M) about the wasted future of the children in the
whole of Africa. It is an expression of grief and sorrow especially at the waste of human
life and potential.
THE TITLE ITSELF: MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA!
Mr M calls for the restoration of the country so that the children born in it are assured of
a better future. Apartheid dehumanises people (and the children) so that they care less
about their future, their survival or survival of other people.
Oppression breeds violence and violence breeds hatred.
Who are these children that Mr M talks about? He is talking about learners, especially
the Black children who are suffering double oppression – from apartheid as well as
taken advantage of by politicians and those that have ulterior motives.
THE TITLE AS AN OUTCRY
Mr. M feels helpless and frustrated about the children leaving school and joining
boycotts. He pities the youth of Africa especially the South African youth, where Bantu
Education was still in place.
He feels that the world is wasting its children through wars, hunger, starvation and
famine.
Hence Mr. M says, “What is wrong with this world that it wants to waste you all like that...
My Children...my Africa!”(p 96).
© 2026 Knap Opsommings
All notes, summaries, and study materials are owned by Knap Opsommings. Please use them only for your personal school learning. Do not copy, share, or sell our content without permission.
My Africa!
English FAL
Summaries
Grade 12
© 2026 Knap Opsommings
All notes, summaries, and study materials are owned by Knap Opsommings. Please use them only for your personal school learning. Do not copy,
share, or sell our content without permission.
, MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA! by Athol Fugard
BACKGROUND
My Children! My Africa! was first performed on 27 June 1989, just before the end of apartheid. The
play explores the rising tensions between Black people and the apartheid government, and more
generally between Blacks and Whites near the end of apartheid. There are three main characters in
the play and all of them are thoughtful, clever and admirable, and each wins our love and our
loyalty.
Township schools were at the forefront of violent resistance to apartheid and Zolile High School was
amongst those schools. Apartheid was about to end in South Africa and Fugard attacks the ANC’s
decision to boycott schools and as a result initiate damage that would negatively affect
generations of Africans.
The play shows the suffering that Black South Africans went through during the apartheid era. It
does this by telling the story of the friendship of two people – Isabel Dyson, a girl of 18 years from a
White school (Camdeboo Girls High) and Thami Mbikwana, a 19 year old Black boy from a Black
school (Zolile High).The third main character is Mr M, is a teacher from Zolile High school. The
meeting between Isabel and Thami occurs when Mr M organises an inter-school debate between
Camdeboo and Zolile high schools. It is through Thami and Isabel’s relation that we come to
understand the cruelty of apartheid and the violence of the struggle against Apartheid.
The play is also about Mr M’s ideology that education cannot be sacrificed for political gains. He is a
proponent of education as the most powerful tool in the struggle for freedom and equality. ‘Thami
feels constrained by the education system under apartheid, causing him to clash with his teacher
Mr. M who has more traditional views about life in South Africa.’
By the end of the play, Mr M is killed, Thami goes into exile and Isabel makes a promise to the spirit
of Mr. M that she will make her life useful.
The author, Athol Fugard.
© 2026 Knap Opsommings
All notes, summaries, and study materials are owned by Knap Opsommings. Please use them only for your personal school learning. Do not copy, share, or sell our content without permission.
, TITLE
EXCLAMATION MARKS:
The exclamation marks in the title shows that the title is a lament (a passionate
expression of grief and sorrow).
It shows emotions of Mr. Myalatya (Mr. M) about the wasted future of the children in the
whole of Africa. It is an expression of grief and sorrow especially at the waste of human
life and potential.
THE TITLE ITSELF: MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA!
Mr M calls for the restoration of the country so that the children born in it are assured of
a better future. Apartheid dehumanises people (and the children) so that they care less
about their future, their survival or survival of other people.
Oppression breeds violence and violence breeds hatred.
Who are these children that Mr M talks about? He is talking about learners, especially
the Black children who are suffering double oppression – from apartheid as well as
taken advantage of by politicians and those that have ulterior motives.
THE TITLE AS AN OUTCRY
Mr. M feels helpless and frustrated about the children leaving school and joining
boycotts. He pities the youth of Africa especially the South African youth, where Bantu
Education was still in place.
He feels that the world is wasting its children through wars, hunger, starvation and
famine.
Hence Mr. M says, “What is wrong with this world that it wants to waste you all like that...
My Children...my Africa!”(p 96).
© 2026 Knap Opsommings
All notes, summaries, and study materials are owned by Knap Opsommings. Please use them only for your personal school learning. Do not copy, share, or sell our content without permission.
