The ‘soft vengeance’ of Albie Sachs takes centre stage in exhibition at Zeitz Mocaa

At 90 years old, Albie Sachs remains a towering figure in South Africa’s journey from apartheid to democracy — a celebrated advocate, freedom fighter, writer and retired judge of the country’s first Constitutional Court.

His life, a tapestry of struggle and transformation, is being celebrated in the “Spring Is Rebellious: The Art & Life of Albie Sachs” exhibition at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Mocaa) in Cape Town.

“I’m not actually very talented. I can’t paint, I can’t draw, I can’t sculpt, I can’t play music. I sing a bit and I write. Singing helped me very much when I was in prison, just to hear my own voice and sometimes to play with words,” said Sachs.

The exhibition, curated by Dr Phokeng Setai, delves into the intertwined artistic and political histories of Mozambique and South Africa, using Sachs’ experiences of these nations as a lens to explore collective memory and the ongoing pursuit of freedom through creativity, joy and beauty.

A central concept defining Sachs’ philosophy, and a powerful theme explored in the exhibition, is that of “soft vengeance”, described by Sachs in his book “The Soft Vengeance of a Freedom Fighter” as the rejection of retribution in favour of justice, healing and the transformative power of art.

“For those of us who lived through the freedom struggles in southern Africa, art was never a luxury; it was part of our survival. A mural, a poem, a song, a sculpture, a dance — they carried our defiance, our memory, our dreams,” said Sachs.

What is clear from the exhibition is how Sachs’ vengeance hasn’t manifested in bitterness or rage but in continuing to experience the beauty and joy of life.

The exhibition draws on three main collections: the UWC-Robben Island Mayibuye Archives (featuring works Sachs collected in Mozambique), the Constitutional Court Art Collection and Sachs’ personal collection.

Solitary confinement and the power of narrative 

Sachs was, in his own words, “born into struggle”. He was named after the trade unionist and SA Communist Party General Secretary Albert Nzula and grew up immersed in the fight against racial oppression, participating in campaigns and, as an advocate, defending people charged under racist laws.

His commitment led to prolonged periods of solitary confinement, a brutal experience that forged his resilience. He described the isolation of “just being alone, staring at your toes, at the wall, no human beings around”.

To cope, he kept his mind active.

“Singing helped keep me going. And the idea that I’ll write a book about my jail experience gave me courage. If something horrible happened to me, I said, ‘Great, I’ll put it in the book… They’re in charge of my body, but I’ll be in charge of the narrative of the story.’”

This narrative runs throughout the exhibition.

In the first room of the exhibition are artworks and histories from Mozambique, largely from the UWC-Robben Island Mayibuye Archives, featuring artworks that Sachs collected in Mozambique from 1977-1988.

Setai said these artworks shed light on the thoughts and concerns of Mozambican artists after independence.

One of the artworks is “Requiem in Wood”, a sculpture by Augusto Carlos Ferreira, also known as Govane, a prominent Mozambican sculptor whose work reflects themes of suffering and war.

He contributed “Requiem in Wood” to a short film with Sachs and filmmaker Sol de Carvalho, which is also in the first room of the exhibition.

Speaking at a media preview ahead of the opening of the exhibition, Sachs reflected on the 11 years he spent in exile in Mozambique.

“My spirit was down when I got there. I’d been twice in solitary confinement in South Africa,” said Sachs.

He was initially a legal researcher and professor at Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo and later became the director of research in the Mozambican Ministry of Justice.

“I got my courage back in Mozambique. And it had a lot to do with the energy and spirit of internationalism and cooperation… We were people from all over the world; many [who had] been under dictatorships,” said Sachs.

A bombing and the birth of soft vengeance 

Sachs’ concept of “soft vengeance” took shape after he survived a targeted car bomb attack by South African security police in Maputo in 1988, losing his right arm and the sight in his left eye.

This traumatic event is vividly portrayed in a section of the exhibition where, sheltered behind a white-blue veil, is a small, secluded room containing two artworks and a recording of Sachs recounting the assassination attempt that nearly ended his life.

During his recovery, Sachs received a letter that would assist in shaping his philosophy.

“I get a letter ... and the letter says, ‘Don’t worry, comrade Albi, we will avenge you.’ And it’s signed by comrade Bobby Naidoo, who’d been 10 years on Robben Island,” Sachs recalled.

His response to this promise of vengeance? “If we get freedom, if we get democracy, that would be my soft vengeance.”

This rejection of violent retaliation for violence was a deeply principled stance.

Sachs referenced an instance where one of the bombers was arrested in Mozambique. His desire was not for revenge, but for due process.

“If he’s put on trial, and the evidence is not enough to convict him beyond a reasonable doubt, and he’s acquitted, that will be my soft vengeance, because then we’re living under the rule of law,” he said.

This view, he explained, came from being “a pacifist at heart, who got caught up in a revolutionary struggle,” influenced by leaders like Oliver Tambo, who, despite heading the armed struggle, “hated the idea that ... apartheid has … [made] our young people who would want to grow up to be doctors and nurses and farmers and teachers, to become killers”.

For Sachs, soft vengeance is the “triumph of your goals and your ideals”.

Constitutional justice and soft vengeance in action 

On his return to South Africa in 1990, Sachs played a crucial role in shaping the country’s post-apartheid Constitution and was appointed by Nelson Mandela to the Constitutional Court in 1994.

This is featured towards the end of the exhibition with artworks from the Constitutional Court Art Collection, an attempt at curating constitutionalism where the question is asked, “What if justice was not only fair, but also beautiful?”

This work, for Sachs, was the ultimate act of soft vengeance.

“Wow, that’s what we were fighting for. Soft vengeance. Being put on the Constitutional Court to defend the values you were fighting for,” he said.

The very establishment of the Constitutional Court, designed to safeguard a new value system based on inclusivity and diversity, embodying a “South Africa belonging to all”, became a living testament to this philosophy, said Sachs.

He said that perhaps one of the most compelling examples of soft vengeance in action was the Constitutional Court building itself.

Erected on the site of the Old Fort prison, Sachs said the building transformed a symbol of oppression into a beacon of justice. He described this as a deliberate act of profound symbolism: “Putting up a beautiful building on the site of an old prison. That’s soft vengeance.

“And then fill it with wonderful art. That’s soft vengeance. It’s humanity shining through and coming through and [it] inspires people, encourages people.”

Sachs and Justice Yvonne Mokgoro initiated the Constitutional Court Art Collection with a modest budget. Sachs said that filling the court with art was not a luxury but an essential component of justice.

He said it was the poor and vulnerable, perhaps more than anyone, who deserve access to beauty and imagination, and that art can remind judges that they are working in a country with “human beings with pains, patience, hopes, hurt, imagination, laughter — the full range of emotions that make law rich.”

Even at 90, Sachs maintains an unwavering optimism about South Africa, despite acknowledging persistent challenges in the country like unemployment, racism and corruption.

He said that South Africa was an open society, with hard-won rights, a Constitution and institutions that protect freedom of expression.

He sees the exhibition as a continuation of this legacy, showing how art and culture are integral to law and justice, politics and nation-building.

The exhibition serves as a powerful reminder, said Sachs, that “The struggle isn’t over — and neither is the dreaming.”

Setai said, “We hope you come away with a deeper understanding that the realms of art and intellectual expression are not peripheral but central to building free and just societies.” DM

“Spring Is Rebellious” runs at Zeitz Mocaa in Cape Town until 23 August 2026. South African citizens can enter for free every Wednesday between 10am and 1pm by showing a valid ID, and South Africans under the age of 18 can enter for free throughout the year.