Amin Yousefi, 02 May 2025
In Under Surveillance, Thero Makepe presents a visual dialogue between personal history and collective memory. The photograph shows his mother, Pinkie Mothopeng-Makepe, standing outside a chapel, a significant site where his maternal grandparents are laid to rest. Photographed in Phomolong Memorial Park in Gaborone, Botswana, Makepe honours his family’s legacy and reflects on the enduring impact of history, showing how the personal and the political are forever connected in the fight for freedom.
Though Makepe’s grandparents lived in Botswana, they were involved in the South African anti-apartheid movement. They offered refuge to exiled members of the Pan African Congress (PAC) and soldiers passing through Gaborone on their way to Tanzania, the PAC’s headquarters. As children, Makepe’s mother and her two brothers often witnessed resistance fighters in their home, individuals who had dedicated their lives to the liberation of South Africa. On June 14, 1985, the South African Defence Force (SADF) crossed into Botswana, violating international law to hound South African exiles who were supporting the armed struggle against Apartheid. Twelve lives were tragically lost, including women and children. However, since the SADF was targeting individuals connected to the African National Congress (ANC), Makepe’s family, though indirectly affected, was spared. The title Under Surveillance refers to the constant surveillance imposed by the South African government on its exiles, encapsulating the fear and uncertainty that marked this period of resistance.
As the woman’s figure extends her arm, the shadow responds, reaching outward as though it seeks to communicate or embody the history embedded in her gesture. The wall, which might otherwise appear solid and impervious, becomes a vital partner in the dialogue between past and present. Together, the shadow and the wall create an imposing visual rhythm that speaks of persistence, struggle, and the stories that refuse to fade. The interplay invites the viewer to reflect on the lingering presence of history in our lives, reinforcing the themes of resistance and survival that define Makepe’s work.
Makepe makes images on his family’s role in the fight for justice and explores the broader implications of resistance in the face of systemic oppression. The photograph is a testament to the resilience of those who continue to struggle for freedom, offering an evocative commentary on the intersection of personal and political histories.
Makepe explains; “When taking this portrait of my mother, I was using her as a conduit to explore feelings of retribution and revenge that African people harbour for the centuries of slavery and colonialism that we have had to endure and continue to suffer from today. In the portrait, my mother would be pointing her gun at the broad systems of neo-colonialism and capitalism that affect African people today. Taking the photograph outside a chapel was also intentional, reflecting on the ancestors who passed away in the fight to liberate Africa and contextualising the African church’s role in unifying Africans and providing spaces for collectively during Apartheid.”
Under Surveillance is a photograph from the ongoing project We Didn’t Choose to Be Born Here by Thero Makepe.
Thero Makepe is an artist born and raised in Gaborone, Botswana. He currently works between Gaborone, Cape Town and Johannesburg. Makepe completed his Bachelor of Fine Art with distinction at the University of Cape Town, majoring in photography.
