Theatre as social critique in the South African political context: the plays of Zakes Mda

In the past few years, especially after independence, South African theatre has not been as critical of the political process as one would have expected, given its critical attitude towards the apartheid system. Zakes Mda’s plays, however, have to an extent fulfilled this role. This article investigates the critical nature of some of Zakes Mda’s plays produced before and after independence.