Silverton Siege NEW!

It is inspired by one of the most sensational events in anti-apartheid history: the Silverton siege in 1980. It is hard to imagine that cliches and contrivances would have been pumped into this story, but some might argue that it was that incident which made America wake up to the fact that violent black militancy was not going away. Certainly, it would be an interesting film project for someone.

Silverton Siege

The siege was a desperate act to escape after the trio had to abandon their original operation, to sabotage an oil plant. That operation had descended into chaos because an informant had betrayed them to the authorities. This group considered themselves freedom fighters who were trying to make the country ungovernable and so destroy white rule.

The siege is set during apartheid so contains the language and the prejudice of those times. Much of the dialogue is in Afrikaans, the tongue of the oppressors. In contrast, the black actors speak in English or indigenous languages (the cast were encouraged to use the regular polyglot fluidity of their real lives).

On the day that the real Silvertone Siege took place, MK members stormed the Volkskas Bank sometime in the noon hour. Eyewitness testimony varies. The MK members remained focused on the ground floor of the bank, and many people on upper floors managed to escape. The Police Anti-Terrorist Unit was soon on the scene. Shortly thereafter, negotiations began between MK members and the police. By roughly 7 p.m., police made their move. Three MK members as well as two hostages were killed. The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, according to South African History Online. The siege was over; MK demands were never met. 041b061a72