WITS – A University in the Apartheid Era by Mervyn Shear (Inscribed Paperback)

WITS: A University in the Apartheid Era by Mervyn Shear is an insightful and historically significant examination of the University of the Witwatersrand during one of the most turbulent periods in South African history. Published in 1996 by Wits University Press, this important work explores the political, social, and academic pressures faced by the institution throughout the apartheid years, documenting how the university navigated censorship, protest movements, state intervention, and the broader struggle for academic freedom.

Drawing on firsthand experience and institutional knowledge, Shear provides readers with a detailed account of student activism, clashes with authorities, the role of staff and administration, and the wider impact of apartheid policies on tertiary education in South Africa. WITS: A University in the Apartheid Era places Wits within the broader national context while also comparing its experiences with other English-language universities in the country. It remains a valuable resource for historians, researchers, academics, and collectors of Africana and South African political history.

This particular 1996 paperback edition is made especially desirable by the warm author inscription on the title page, adding a personal and collectible element to an already important historical publication. Signed and inscribed South African academic and political works such as WITS: A University in the Apartheid Era from this era are increasingly sought after by collectors interested in apartheid-era documentation and university history.

An excellent addition to collections focusing on South African politics, educational history, liberation struggle material, and institutional history.

Condition – Near Fine

1996 paperback edition inscribed by the author on the title page. Covers remain clean and bright with only minimal shelf wear. Binding is tight and internally clean. A very well-preserved collectible copy.