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BiographyDr Alfred Bitini Xuma
Alfred Bitini Xuma was born on 8 March 1893, in Manzana, Ngcobo District, in the Eastern Province (now Eastern Cape). Xuma was the seventh child of Abraham…
BiographyDimitri Tsafendas
Dimitri Tsafendas was the parliamentary messenger who assassinated Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd on 06 September 1966 by stabbing him four times with a…
BiographyCecil John Rhodes
The Early Years Cecil John Rhodes was born on 5 July 1853 in the small hamlet of Bishops Stortford, England. He was the fifth son of Francis William Rhodes…
ArticleThe legacy of the French Revolution
A legacy is the long-term effect of something. A person or an event or a piece of writing from the past may still shape what people believe and how they live…
ArticleCongress of the People and the Freedom Charter
As the struggle for freedom reached a new intensity in the early fifties, the ANC saw the need for a clear statement on the future of South Africa. The idea of…
ArticleSouth Africa’s Academic and Cultural Boycott - Timeline
22 June 1946 —The Government of India requested that the question of the treatment of Indians in the Union of South Africa be included in the agenda of second…
BiographyDr. Neville Edward Alexander
Neville Edward Alexander was the first of six children of Dimbiti Bisho Alexander, a primary-school teacher, and David James Alexander, a carpenter. It was in…
ArchiveSouth Africa’s Radical Tradition, a documentary history, Volume One 1907 - 1950, by Allison Drew
Introduction Part One - South African Socialists and the radically-divided working class Document 1 - Keir Hardie, "Stoned in South Africa", 1907 …
BiographyMafika Pascal Gwala
Mafika Pascal Gwala was born on 5 October 1946 in the town of Verulam, a region predominantly inhabited by Zulus and Indians, in what was then Natal province …
BiographyIsaac Williams Wauchope
The esteemed teacher and journalist, Samuel E.K. Mqhayi described Isaac Williams Wauchope: “Rev Isaac Wauchope was truly handsome in appearance, a broad-faced…
ArticleANC and the early development of apartheid 1948-1950s
In 1948 the Nationalist Party (NP) won the election, and began to introduce the policy of apartheid. The African National Congress (ANC) reacted immediately to…
ArchiveSouth Africa’s Radical Tradition, a documentary history, Volume Two 1943 - 1964, by Allison Drew
Introduction Introduction Part 1 - Building The National Movement Document 1 - Harry Snitcher , Unite Against Segregation! Condemn the C.A.C. [1943] …
South Africa Communists Speak Documents from the history of the South African Communist Party 1915 - 1980
Contents Introduction by Dr Yusuf M. Dadoo (South African Communists speak 1915 - 1980) Section 1 Socialist and Internationalists: Introduction …
BiographyDr Yusuf Mohamed Dadoo
Dr Yusuf Mohamed Dadoo played an outstanding role in the South African liberation movement for over half a century - in persuading the Indian community to link…
ArchiveSouth Africa and the Communist International : A Documentary History, Volume 2 : Bolshevik Footsoldiers to Victims of Bolshevisation 1931-1939 edited by A. Davidson, I. Filatova, V. Gorodnov and S. Johns
Introduction Documents In Volume 2 Document 1 Letter from Negro Bureau to Eastern Secretariat, 1931 Document 2 Letter from J. Gumede to International…
ArchiveSouth Africa and the Communist International : A Documentary History, Volume 1 : Socialist Pilgrims to Bolshevik Footsoldiers 1919-1930 edited by A. Davidson, I. Filatova, V. Gorodnov and S. Johns
Introduction Socialist Ideals and Bolshevik Realities South Africa and the Archives of the Communist International Document 1 Report of M. Wolberg to…
BiographyLouis Botha
Louis Botha was born near Greytown in Natal in 1862. He was the son of Voortrekker parents and was brought up on a farm in the Free State, and was educated at…
ArchiveSPRO-CAS Occasional Publication Number 10: So
Report of the Political Commission of the Study Project on Christianity in Apartheid Society. Content include: The ethical framework; The basic ethical…
EventNP demands apology from TRC
In a letter to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), lawyers for the National Party (NP) demand an unconditional apology from chairman Archbishop…
EventApartheid bomb kills Zimbabwean and injures six ANC members
On 10 January 1988, Mr Obed Amon Mwanza, a Zimbabwean, was killed and six African National Congress (ANC) members were injured when the truck in which Mwanza…
ArticleThe African Students Association (ASA)
The African Students Association (ASA) was established on 17 December 1961 in Durban under the auspices of the banned African National Congress (ANC). At the…
The historical significance of COSATU’s Workers’ Charter Campaign
Introduction During the late 1970s and early 1980s the issue of drawing up a Workers’ Charter became a leading item on the agenda of the South African labour…
Document 36 - The first hearing on certification: a summary of the judgment of the Constitutional Court
The COSATU Executive Committee met on Friday, 24 May 1996 in its second ordinary meeting of the year. Below are some of the decisions taken by the Executive…
2012 ANC National Policy Conference: Statement by the head of the ANC NEC policy sub-committee on the release of Policy Discussion documents, 05 March 2012
We welcome senior political editors and editors of the South African media and the international media. The ANC is launching its discussion documents, which…
ArticleAfrican National Congress Timeline 2000 -2010
During this period the ANC consolidated its hold on power but also faced both internal and external challenges. Significantly, the National Party, which was…
Document 11 - Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union of Africa, Annual Conference Agenda, St Phillips School, Chapel Street. District 6, Cape Town, 18 January 1923
From: South Africa's Radical Tradition, a documentary history, Volume One 1907 - 1950, by Allison Drew Document 11 - Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union…
ArticleThe Interim South African Constitution 1993
On 13 November 1991, Nelson Mandela announced that the first constitutional talks would take place on 29 and 30 November at the World Trade Centre in Kempton…
ArticleThe South African Communist Party and May Day – Some Key Moments
May Day celebrated on 1 May annually, is a celebration of workers and their work. It has a long history, being a day of commemoration and celebration of the…
ArticleThe Drafting and Acceptance of the Constitution
On 2 February 1990, the National Party government unbanned political parties, released many political prisoners and detainees, and unbanned many people,…
2007 ANC National Policy Conference: Report of the Commission on Strategy and Tactics, 30 June 2007, Gallagher Estate
Introduction 1. All the 12 Commissions had comprehensive and quite lively debate on the major conceptual issues that were identified for discussion. These are…