This volume of the Road to Democracy in South Africa Abridged Edition series tells the history of international solidarity with the liberation struggle. In other words, how other countries of the world (those outside the African continent) helped the oppressed majority in South Africa to gain their freedom.

Unlike the bulky academic versions, the Abridged Edition series is much shorter; it is quicker and easier to read. The footnotes, the lengthy quotations, and overwhelmingly intricate detail have been removed. What has been left is the nitty-gritty: the story of how the people of other countries around the world not only sympathised with the struggle of the oppressed majority in apartheid South Africa but took action to show their support.

In some countries, the governments gave the ANC (African National Congress) funds to organise armed resistance; others helped to train MK cadres; or sent military equipment, food, clothes and a wide range of other much-needed goods. Some applied sanctions on the regime, cutting off trade and stopping bank loans to Pretoria. Boycotting sporting ties with South Africa was another way of isolating the regime.

The names of authors of the Road to Democracy in South Africa Abridged Edition series have been removed from each chapter but theirs is the credit for researching and creating them. SADET acknowledges the sterling work by all these international scholars. Many of them wrote their chapters in their own languages and had them specially translated for this ‘united nations’ volume 3 of the series.

This Abridged Edition series should be read by every South African. Some western governments such as those in the United States of America and the United Kingdom did not support the struggle of the national liberation in South Africa and viewed the liberation movements as enemies. However, the hope is that others on the African continent and elsewhere in the world will find much of interest in its pages. After all, the history of the liberation struggle in South Africa is one of Africa’s greatest historical narratives.