A Literary and Rhetorical Analysis of Selected Anti-Apartheid Discourses: Plan’s The Combatant, SWAPO’s Pre-independence Revolutionary Magazine

​The Combatant, was the official voice of the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), the military wing of South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO). As a communication organ that served to disseminate information, educating PLAN fighters, motivating those that were in combat, and exposing the cruelty of the then apartheid regime. The Combatant was a monthly production whose circulation was during the early 80s. It was published and printed in Lubango, Angola by the PLAN commissariat and the language of publication was English. The University of Namibia’s Archives section has not more than 20 of the publications that are available in print form. As a revolutionary paper, The Combatant sought to explore through various means inclusive of the literary, stylistic, and rhetorical as cultural and aesthetic tools to shape, define and project a collective ‘identity’ as well as an indefatigable stance against oppression. This paper therefore argues that as an anti-colonial tool The Combatant utilised these various forms to enhance, sharpen and deepen the appeal of publication by using literary and stylistic means, as well as rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos and logos, especially through visual rhetoric. The paper focuses specifically on one volume (Vol 4, no. 3 of 1982) to allow for closer and in-depth scrutiny. The specific volume was purposively selected because of how it features the iconic name Namibian anti-apartheid struggles (Hendrik Witbooi), as well as and international icon, Che Guevara.