Cadet training consisted primarily of physical fitness, military drills, and musketry. Of these activities rifle shooting is the most technical and useful military skill, with cadet participation signalling the youth's wilful and deliberate self-militarisation. When South Africa declared war on Germany on 6 September 1939, the Union Defence Force (UDF) expanded the cadet quotas substantially in anticipation for future mobilisation. Shooting competitions took on a new urgency and significance. Teams from cadet detachments and rifle associations regularly competed in provincial, national and international shooting competitions. In South Africa, many cadet rifle competitions trace their origins to before union in 1910. The Watts Cup and Empire League Challenge (ELC) originated as challenges for cadet detachments in the Cape Colony, with cadet detachments competing in the same format from 1939 to 1960. The article presents data from the complete results of the Watts Cup and Empire League Challenge from 1941 until 1960, and data relating to support for the war among cadet officers. Analysis of this data reveals fault lines in the response of the white youth of the Cape Province from mobilisation for war to the aftermath of the pivotal 1948 elections.

As democratic South Africa continues to reflect on its apartheid past, the number of political biographies about individuals who shaped this historical period is growing, especially about those who fought against apartheid. Much of this work is focused on men and women whose contributions can be linked to a particular resistance movement and whose legacies are free from significant controversy. Yet, there are many anti-apartheid activists whose narratives fit awkwardly into democratic South Africa's new-nationalist history or the official histories of specific liberation movements. One individual who falls into the latter category is Nana Mahomo. Up to now, Mahomo's contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle in the historiography has been tangential and fragmented. This article constructs a comprehensive overview of Mahomo's anti-apartheid work and explores how exile shaped the development of his political activism. His story illustrates how access to support networks defined the political trajectories of individuals in exile and how such trajectories interacted with peoples' own political convictions. This was especially true for activists like Mahomo, much of whose anti-apartheid work was not tied to a South African liberation movement. Finally, the controversial nature of some of Mahomo's antiapartheid work strengthens our historiographical understanding of the struggle against apartheid by moving beyond a two-dimensional narrative of heroes versus sellouts.

Book Reviews.

This article explores Alan Paton's efforts towards turning a prison into a school, the task which he was given by the Union Education Department following numerous debates in parliament in 1934. The aim was to transfer all reformatory institutions for juveniles run by the Department of Prisons, to the Union Education Department. Equally important, this article focuses on Paton's journey and experiences as the principal of Diepkloof Reformatory School from 1935 to 1948. The focus is on African juvenile offenders since Diepkloof Reformatory was the only reformatory for African boys in the Union and the continent of Africa until the 1960s. The account delves into the day-to-day lives of pupils who were sent to the Reformatory School by the Children's Courts. Paton, driven by a vision of rehabilitation over punishment, introduced reforms emphasising education, skills training, and self-discipline. The article explores the day-to-day lives of the youth incarcerated at Diepkloof Reformatory, an angle that has received limited attention from historians and reformists. It also extends beyond the reformatory, addressing the release conditions, home suitability, and the struggles some boys experienced in reintegrating into society. Paton's vision to make Diepkloof a place of justice and opportunity faced setbacks, yet his influence left a lasting impact on others who found success after rehabilitation. The article studies primary sources and correspondence to provide an understanding of the rehabilitation efforts Paton made to turn this prison into a school and the recommendations made by the Board of Management towards smooth administration to ensure an effective rehabilitation process for the boys.