Apartheid Must Die (English Edition) Author: Prof. W.P. Esterhuyse (Willem Petrus Esterhuyse)
Apartheid Must Die
The Groundbreaking, Award-Winning Critique of Racial Segregation That Shook the Foundations of the Afrikaner Establishment
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Apartheid Must Die (English Edition)
- Author: Prof. W.P. Esterhuyse (Willem Petrus Esterhuyse)
- Publisher: Tafelberg Publishers, Cape Town
- Publication Date: 1981 (First English Translation / Edition)
- ISBN-10: 062401519X
- ISBN-13: 9780624015192
- Edition Details: First English Edition (Following the 1979 Afrikaans release, Afskeid van Apartheid).
- Binding: Original publisher's premium full-cloth hardcover boards with its matching matching pictorial paper dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 92 pages. Structured as a systemic philosophical and sociopolitical treatise outlining the structural failure of racial segregation.
- Language: English text.
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good Overall Condition (VG)
- Exterior / Boards: The original publisher's cloth boards are beautifully square, clean, and structurally rigid. Minimal shelf rubbing along the lower extremities and very light corner wear consistent with safe storage. The spine remains uncracked, robust, completely unbroken, and firmly attached to the inner hinges with sharp text.
- Interior: The text block is exceptionally tight and securely attached to the hinges. Internal pages are crisp, clean, and beautifully preserved. Completely free from user highlighting, aggressive pen underlining, ink annotations, dog-ears, or institutional library attachments.
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The Dust Jacket: Used - Very Good (VG)
- Condition details: The original pictorial paper dust jacket remains visually complete and structurally sound. It exhibits minor, standard edge wear, including some small nicks concentrated on the bottom spine section. Free of large open tears or prominent face scuffing.
- Preservation: The dust jacket has now been professionally fitted with a brand-new, archival-grade clear plastic cover. This protective sleeve effectively stabilizes the small nicks on the spine section and safeguards the jacket beautifully against future handling friction.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Originally published in Afrikaans in 1979 as Afskeid van Apartheid and translated into English in 1981, Apartheid Must Die is an extraordinarily vital historical treatise written by the renowned philosopher Prof. Willie Esterhuyse. At a time when minority rule was heavily entrenched, Esterhuyse—long a pillar of the Afrikaner academic and socio-religious establishment—shook the foundations of the National Party by systematically outlining the absolute, inevitable moral and practical failure of apartheid.
Esterhuyse approaches the topic with rigorous philosophical precision, challenging the ideological indoctrination of white South Africans and analyzing the structural necessity of urgent, deep reform. The book’s immense cultural and historical impact was cemented in 1982 when it was awarded the prestigious Sunday Times Award for Political Writing. Beyond its textual brilliance, this specific work established Esterhuyse's reputation as a progressive, trusted thinker, directly positioning him to serve later as the critical secret intermediary in the historic Track Two secret talks with the ANC in London that led to the release of Nelson Mandela. It stands as a scarce, highly sought-after collectible book for collectors of vintage civil rights literature and modern South African political history.
Author Profile: Prof. Willie Esterhuyse
Professor Willem Petrus "Willie" Esterhuyse (1936–2024) was a highly distinguished South African philosopher, intellectual, author, and political negotiator. Serving for decades as the esteemed Professor of Philosophy at Stellenbosch University—the historical hub of Afrikaner intellectualism—Esterhuyse built an immense legacy bridging the divides of a fractured nation. Though deeply embedded within the establishment as an official in the Dutch Reformed Church and a member of the Afrikaner Broederbond, he became one of the system's most articulate internal critics. His prolific bibliography includes Die pad van hervorming, Endgame, and Anton Rupert: A Biography. For his immense, brave contributions to racial reconciliation and his clandestine, high-stakes diplomatic work that helped pave the way for a peaceful transition to democracy, he was honored by the state with the Order of the Baobab in Silver.
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