This Study Work Guide has been compiled according to the requirements of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement of the Department of Basic Education for the prescribed text My Children! My Africa! for Grade 12 First Additional Language.

This guide will assist learners in their understanding of the text and their preparation for examinations. It assumes that learners have a copy of the prescribed text at hand as it refers to this text and supplements it with additional literary concepts applicable to the genre and more contextual questions according to cognitive levels.

It comprises in-depth discussions and contextual questions of each of the following:

• Section A: Background information

• About My Children! My Africa!
• About Athol Fugard
• What is a drama?
• The drama script
• The drama performance
• Important dramatic features of My Children! My Africa!
• Historical background to My Children! My Africa!
• The State of Emergency
• The dawn of democracy
• The education crisis of the eighties
• Extract 1: Revealing Mr M’s opinion
• Extract 2: Revealing Thami’s opinion
• The newspaper report that served as the inspiration for the play
• Fugard’s motivation for writing the play

Section B: Character summary

• Mr Anela Myalata + extra notes
• Thami Mbikwana + extra notes
• Isabel Dyson + extra notes

Section C: Scene-by-scene summary of the play

• Act 1 Scene 1: The great debate
• Act 1 Scene 2: Isabel’s first monologue
• Act 1 Scene 3: Invitation to the quiz
• Act 1 Scene 4: Mr M’s first monologue
• Act 1 Scene 5: Thami and Isabel practise for the quiz
• Act 1 Scene 6: Thami’s monologue
• Act 2 Scene 1: Thami decides to join the boycott
• Act 2 Scene 2: Mr M’s second monologue
• Act 2 Scene 3: Mr M is killed
• Act 2 Scene 4: Isabel confronts Thami
• Act 2 Scene 5: Isabel’s second monologue

Section D: Plot summary revision

Section E: Literature examination

Planning and organising an essay 

The memorandum is available to download here:
Best Books Study Work Guide My Children My Africa memoranda