Sinzwe Banzi is Dead

Racism plays an important role (and is an important theme) in Sizwe Banzi is Dead. Since Fugard's play is set during the Apartheid era, racism plays an important role in the lives of Sizwe and Styles, both of whom are Black men. The play is an exploration of the ills of racism and the effects racism has on disenfranchised people.

Inequality is another important theme in Sizwe Banzi is Dead. Because of apartheid, Black people in South Africa are often marginalized. And as a result, Black people in South Africa were financially (and physically) inequal to their white counterparts. Like Sizwe, Styles suffers because of the inequality and struggles to survive financially because of the lack of opportunities for Black people. Wealth cannot be accumulated by the Black people in South Africa because of racial, economic, and inequality of opportunity.