Ikhamera yakhe wayisebenzisa ekuphikiseni inkohlakalo yorhulumente wengcinezelo ye-apartheid ngokufota iziganeko zemihla ngemihla nemizabalazo yabantu abamnyama baseMzantsi Afrika. Le mifanekiso yadandalazisa kumaziko eendaba amazwe jikelele intswela-bulungisa nokunyhashwa kwamalungelo abantu eMzantsi Afrika. Eli libali le ndoda enkulu eyayi khathazwa kukuba ngamanye amaxesha ilizwe lali ngeno kuyibona imifanekiso yayo ngenxa yokuba inyanzelwe ngamapolisa ukuba yonakalise ifilim yekhamera yayo ngokuyiveza ekukhanyeni ukuze imifanekiso yonakale ingakwazi ukukhutshwa ezindabeni, ngaphezu kokuba impumlo yayo yophulwa lipolisa phambi kokumnyanzela ukuba onakalise ifilim ngokukhanya.
Ukushicilela Umzabalazo Wenkululeko Emzantsi Afrika
Ubuchwepheshe bukaGqirha Peter Magubane Magubane ekufoteni baphuhla ukufumana kwakhe umsebenzi woku qhuba nokuba sisthunywa (messenger) kwiDrum magazine ngo1955.Mva koko wafumana umsebenzi wokuba ngumncedisi kwi darkroom kaJurgen Schadeberg. Umsebenzi wakhe wokuqala omkhulu yayi bubuntanteli nomfoti kwingqungquthela (convention) yeANC ka1955. Saku ngavunywa isicelo sakhe sobulungu kumbutho wabafoti abamhlophe, iPhotographic Society of South Africa, abafoti beDrum basungula umbutho wabafoti ovuleleke kwintlanga zonke, i-Progressive Photographic Society. Ngo 1961 waba ngumfoti omnyama wokuqala ukuba nowakhe unomboniso (exhibition).
Ugqirha Magubane ushicilele iziganeko ezahlukileyo kwiminyaka ye apartheid. Washicilela uqhanqalazo lokulwa imithetho yamapasi, ukukhula koMkhonto Wesizwe, ukubanjwa kuka Nelson Mandela, ityala laseRivonia, ukuvalwa umlomo kweANC, izixholo-xholo zaseSharpville, ukuvela kwombutho kaSteve Biko i-Black Consciousness Movement kunye novukelo / uqhanqalazo lwabafundi base Soweto, nalapho wabaxelela abafundi ukuba "umzabalazo ongashicilelwanga ayinguwo umzabalazo tu / kwaphela." Emva kwezi xholo-xholo zase Soweto, umzi wakhe watshatyalaliswa ngumlilo waza yena nezinye iintatheli ezimnyama wavalelwa iintsuku ezilikhulu elinamashumi amabini anesithathu - enye yendlela ezininzi awahlawula ngazo ngomsebenzi wakhe. Ukuchasa kwakhe urhulumente wengcinezelo welo xesha kwakhokelela ekubeni azakhele i-darkroom eyeyakhe kwii-ofisi zeRand Daily Mail yexesha apho kwaku ngavumelekanga ngoko mthetho ukuba asebenzise idarkroom ndawonye noogxa bakhe ababemhlophe. Ukuqeshwa kwakhe ngo1967, waba ngumfoti omnyama wokuqala kweli phepha-ndaba, apho axelenge ukuyo kutsho ku1980, nangona wathintelwa ukuba athathe imifanekiso iminyala emihlanu ukuyo kutsho ku1975. Oku kuquka ukuvalelwa yedwa (solitary confinement) iintsuku izingamashumi asithoba anesibhozo nokugwetywa iinyanga ezintandathu entolongweni.
Idabi Lika Magubane Lokulwa Ingcinezelo
Ngeminyaka yengcinezelo, Ugqirha Peter Magubane wanyamezela ungcikivo, ukubethwa, ukudutyulwa, ukuvalelwa isidala kaninzi nokugoca-gocwa ngemibuzo. Wadutyulwa izihlandlo izilishumi elinesixhenxe (17) emngcwabeni womfundi eNatalspruit. Kodwa oku akufiki ekuvalelweni yedwa iintsuku ezingamakhulu amahlanu namashumi asibhozo anesithandathu (586) ngo 1969.Ugqirha Magubane ude waqweba amaqhinga obuchule bokuqhatha amapolisa amabhulu ngeendlela awaye fihla ikhamera yakhe ukuze afote engazelelwa: wayi fihla kwibhayibhile egrunjwe umphakathi ze afote ngoku cofa ucingo epokothweni yakhe.
Maxa wambi waye fota ikhamera eyifihle phantsi kwebhatyi; kwikhathoni yobisi okanye kwi hafu yelofu yesonka esenza ngathi uyasitya lo gama efota.