Khotso Pudumo participated in the 20th Annual National Oral History Conference (Ohasa) held at the Maropeng Cradle of Humankind Visitor Center in Mogale City, Gauteng, from 9 to 13 October.
During the conference, he presented a research paper titled “The Impact of Controlled and Uncontrolled Trauma upon Mangaung Political Activists by State Agents: An Oral History Review”, aligning with the conference theme, ‘Liberation, Transformation, Commissions, and Community Narrative.’
In his presentation, Pudumo shared insights from oral history interviews conducted with political activists who revealed their experiences of mistreatment by State Agents both within holding cells and outside detention facilities. To enrich his research, he incorporated transcriptions of oral history interviews sourced from the Free State Archives specifically for this paper.
Through his meticulous examination, Pudumo explored the varying effects of trauma inflicted upon political activists in Mangaung by State Agents, highlighting the crucial distinction between controlled and uncontrolled settings. His research emphasised how the nature of trauma differed based on the circumstances under which the political activists were exposed to such distressing events.
Compiled by Warren Hawkins
