Anti-apartheid campaigner Terry Bell has died at the age of 84. A lifelong activist, journalist, and educator, Bell’s life was defined by his unwavering commitment to justice and democracy.
His early journalism career spanned several South African newspapers, where he also helped found the non-racial South African Journalists’ Union.
Bell was deeply involved in underground activism, editing the clandestine publication Combat. Detained under the 90-day law in 1964, he fled into exile in Zambia the following year. There, he worked as chief reporter for the Times of Zambia before being granted asylum in the UK.
In London, he studied international affairs, edited Anti-Apartheid News, and worked at the Daily Worker.
Bell’s activism took him across continents, from Zambia to New Zealand, where he helped launch the Anti-Apartheid Movement in 1972.
In 1979, he and his wife, Barbara, established the primary division of Somafco in Tanzania, drafting the ANC’s first primary school curriculum. Disillusioned by abuses within the ANC, the Bells resigned in 1982 and later supported striking miners in Britain.
Returning to South Africa in 1991, Bell settled in Cape Town, choosing not to rejoin the ANC. Instead, he advocated for democratic socialism, urging citizens to “Vote ANC, but build a socialist alternative”.
From 1992, he edited Africa Analysis and contributed incisive labour columns to Business Report, Fin24, and City Press.
He was also a regular contributor to Radio 786’s programming, and was a staunch voice advocating for the rights of Palestinians.
His writing combined sharp analysis with a deep empathy for workers and marginalised communities. Bell remained a freelance journalist and commentator until his final years, never ceasing to challenge injustice.
Terry Bell’s life reminds us that resistance, even in exile, can shape nations and inspire generations.
Republished from Radio 786 in Cape Town, South Africa.
