Border Literature is a genre that emerged in South Africa, gaining prominence between roughly 1980 and 2010. It reflects the experiences of white South Africans grappling with their involvement in the South African border wars from 1970 to 1990. As a conscript during this period and now an author, I share my personal experiences through this genre. Some scholars interpret these works as an attempt by white South Africans to either apologise for or absolve themselves of guilt. I do neither. I simply tell the stories that live in my mind. This is my way of processing a difficult chapter in my life.

In the Military section of this blog, you'll find a few articles within this genre. Additionally, there are two pieces in the Afrikaans section, also part of Border Literature: En Ekke vir Jou and Stoffie. These are written in Afrikaans because the cultural and idiomatic nuances are best captured in the language.

— JFB

I was a soldier once

J. Francois Barnard – September 2016

I was a soldier once
Fighting for a cause
The sense of it all was so clear then
But now I have to pause

Military

Nooit, Corporal!

J. Francois Barnard – October 2016

After my first year in the South African Army, I was well-versed in Army Lingo. My first language is Afrikaans. But having been in an English church since my tenth birthday, I could manage myself well in English, too. Add to that the Army Fanagalo and a little bit of an English accent, and you can even fool a hardened Red Neck from Bez Valley.

Military

The Godless Recruit

J. Francois Barnard - 5 June 2002

It was January 1983, and I was a new arrival in the South African Army in Tempe, Bloemfontein. It was my first church parade, and I had no idea what such an event would entail. I was following orders like a good recruit should do.

Military