Cold War Conversations

South Africa in the 1980s is a brutal, racist regime. Those who oppose it risk their lives. Sue Dobson, was a young white South African woman who was also a spy for the banned African National Congress. The ANC was a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid In the 1980s she built a legend, a fake persona where she pretends to conform, moving easily through the echelons of the racist government in her work as a journalist, whilst concealing her espionage and military training in the Soviet Union, and her intelligence work. We begin with her childhood and what life was like under apartheid. Sue then describes her journey to joining the African National Congress, her recruitment into the armed wing, and her training in the Soviet Union. 0:00 Introduction and brief history of apartheid 0:31 Sue Dobson: Life as a spy for the ANC 8:35 Geopolitical outlook of South Africa during the Cold War 15:40 Sue Dobson's initial contact with the ANC and her training 24:38 Living a lie permanently and returning