The Borderlands

Since 2007 Jo Ractliffe's photography has focused on the aftermath of the war in Angola. Ractliffe writes: 'For most South Africans, Angola was perceived as a distant elsewhere - 'the border' - where brothers and boyfriends were sent as part of their military service. Now, over two decades since Namibia's independence and the withdrawal of SADF troops from the region, the 'Border War' remains something with which much ignorance and shame - for some, even betrayal - are associated. During the making of As Terras do Fim do Mundo, I became curious about whether traces of the war could be found within South Africa's borders. I was interested in exploring the idea of a militarised landscape. But rather than spaces connected with the usual apparatus of South Africa's military, I wanted to search out sites that were intricately connected to that war.'