About this episode

The episode discusses Mary Manning's refusal to sell South African grapefruit in 1984 and the broader implications for the anti-Apartheid movement.

It's 1984, and in Dublin, Ireland, 21 year old shop assistant Mary Manning refuses to sell a South African grapefruit. Her action draws world attention to the campaign to hit Apartheid where it hurts, by crippling the South African economy. At the same time a young Australian seaman starts a global ban on shipping oil to South Africa. How South Africans won their freedom from the racist Apartheid regime, and the Australians who helped them fight for it.

Topics covered

• Apartheid
• activism
• economic boycott
• history
• Australia
• freedom struggle

Keywords

• Mary Manning
• Apartheid
• Dublin
• South Africa
• economic boycott
• freedom
• activism
• 1984

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: South African economy, Australia

Places: Dublin, Ireland, South Africa

More episodes of ABC Rewind

• 06 | Boycott! | Homecoming · April 23, 2026
• 05 | Boycott! | The streets are burning · April 16, 2026
• 03 | Boycott! | Uprising · March 26, 2026 · 36 min
• 02 | Boycott! | Blood Sport · March 19, 2026
• 01 | Boycott! | Spear of the Nation · March 12, 2026
• Introducing: Boycott! The fight to end apartheid · March 3, 2026

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the ABC Rewind podcast page.