A KGB trained spy in Cold War South Africa (294)

South Africa in the 1980s is a brutal, racist regime. Those who oppose it risk their lives.

Sue Dobson, was a young white South African woman who was also a spy for the banned African National Congress. The ANC was a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid

In the 1980s she built a legend, a fake persona where she pretends to conform, moving easily through the echelons of the racist government in her work as a journalist, whilst concealing her espionage and military training in the Soviet Union, and her intelligence work.

We begin with her childhood and what life was like under apartheid. Sue then describes her journey to joining the African National Congress, her recruitment into the armed wing, and her training in the Soviet Union.

0:00 Introduction and brief history of apartheid

0:31 Sue Dobson: Life as a spy for the ANC

8:35 Geopolitical outlook of South Africa during the Cold War

15:40 Sue Dobson's initial contact with the ANC and her training

24:38 Living a lie permanently and returning to London

27:43 First impressions of the Soviet Union

32:57 Building strong bonds with the training team

39:55 Shocking news upon return to South Africa and becoming a spy

44:31 End of part one and preview for next week

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