| Edition 187: 30 July 2010 |
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In this Issue |
History in the Headlines
South African innovations make history
The SACP in the headlines 2010
Bonani Africa 2010: Festival of Photography
Beyond the Racial Lens: The Politics of South African Documentary Photography, Past and Present: A Conference and Exhibition
History archive
This week in History
This Week in History
31 July 2004
- The Nigerian state of Kano resumes polio vaccination after an eleven-month ban
read more
1 August 1818 - The 'Hospital and Lunatic Asylum', the first civilian hospital in Cape Town, is opened read more
2 August 1799 - Karl Ludwig Phillip Zeyher, SA botanist and collector of plants, is born in Germany read more
3 August 1956 - Ghana demands independence from Britain read more
4 August 2000 - Queen Mother Elizabeth celebrates her centenary
read more
5 August 1963 - Nuclear Test Ban Treaty signed read more
6 August 1945 - The crime that changed the world read more
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History in the Headlines
South African innovations make history.
In the past several months, some interesting developments have taken place in South Africa, which are set to have a huge impact.
Last week, news of an anti-HIV gel made headlines. This microbicidal vaginal gel is said to prevent HIV infection by up to 54%, if used within 12 hours before intercourse, and again afterwards. Researchers Salim and Quarraisha Abdool Karim said in an article in The Times, that the trials yielded positive results, and they hope to have an improved version available in about three years.
In the field of science, Prof. Ed Jacobs of the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Sciences at Stellenbosch University has recently developed a capillary ultrafiltration water purification system. According to Stellenbosch University’s News Blog, this project was a collaborative effort between Prof. Jacobs and Prof. Pillay of the Durban University of Technology, a significant partnership due to previous segregation.
This water purification system is inexpensive and reliable, and filters out all dangerous pathogens, such as E.Coli and cholera from contaminated water. This is an important innovation, as it means that drinking water can now be made available to those living in peri-urban areas, where water provision is an issue.
These developments are highly significant because they will both considerably reduce the incidence of prevalent diseases, in Africa and the rest of the world.
The SACP in the headlines 2010
60 years ago, the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) was declared an illegal organisation according to the 'Suppression of Communism Act, No. 44 of 1950'. This apartheid act was approved on 26 June in parliament and came into force on 17 July 1950.
The Suppression of Communism Act banned the CPSA, and gave the government the power to ban publications that promoted the objectives of communism, and the power to 'name' people who could be barred from holding office, practicing as lawyers or attending meetings.
The Act, later extended through the Internal Security Act, sanctioned the banning/punishment of any group or individual intending to bring about 'any political, industrial, social or economic change in the Union by the promotion of disturbances or disorder, by unlawful acts or omissions or by the threat of such acts and omissions'.
This definition of communism was so broad and crude that its liberal opponents suspected it was seeking also to trap liberals in its net. In 1953, the party was renamed the South African Communist Party (SACP) at a national conference, where it was decided that the organisation would operate underground.
It was no accident that the apartheid regime saw communism as its foremost enemy. The Communist Party had been the first to advocate non-racism, and to open its ranks to people of all races and cultures. It had pioneered progressive trade unionism, and supported rural struggles. It had run night schools, and worked on developing its cadres.
The Act was progressively tightened up in 1951, 1954, and yearly from 1962 to 1968. Between 1948 and 1991, the apartheid government banned more than 1,600 men and women. Banned persons endured severe restrictions on their movement, political activities, and associations intended to silence their opposition to the government’s apartheid policies and stop their political activity.
In addition, the Act facilitated the government’s take down of liberation organizations such as the ANC. The Act forced these groups to go underground with their activism. Ironically, because of this act, groups such as Umkhonto we Sizwe (armed and ‘underground’ wing of the ANC) did seek support from Communist parties for financial aid. Liberation struggle leaders like Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Govan Mbeki all received life sentences in prison partly because of this Act (Rivonia Trail).
In celebration of this 60 year commemoration we have updated our SACP timeline, as well as our biography of key SACP figure, Chris Hani ....visit feature
Bonani Africa 2010: Festival of Photography
Beyond the Racial Lens: The Politics of South African Documentary Photography, Past and Present.
We have published the full Bonani festival programme on the SAHO website, this includes the programme for the conference 'Beyond the Racial Lens: The Politics of South African Documentary Photography, Past and Present'. While the conference is open to all, booking is essential, as spaces are running out!
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