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EventWriter J.M. Coetzee is awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize for Literature
Born in South Africa in 1940, JM Coetzee has had a successful literary career. He is the only author ever to win the Booker prize twice, but the publicity-shy…
EventRebels take control of Kinshasa, Zaire
On 18 May 1997, Laurent Kabila, at the head of a rebel army, overthrew the despotic regime of Mobutu Se se Seko. For the people of the Democratic Republic of…
Event523 people die in the Black concentration camps of the Second Anglo Boer War
On 11 October 1899 war was officially declared between Britain and the Boers. In March 1901 Lord Kitchener, the commander of the British forces, decided to cut…
EventVoortrekkers are defeated during the Battle of Boomplaats
The Voortrekkers under Commandant Andries W. Pretorius were defeated during the Battle of Boomplaats (near Bloemfontein) by the British under Cape Governor…
EventSouth Africa signs SADC treaty
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) was originally known as the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference (SADCC). It was formed in 1…
EventBophuthatswana is granted independence by the South African government
Thirty-four years ago, on 6 December 1977, Bophuthatswana was granted ‘independence' by the South African government. The region became the second Bantustan to…
EventOlive Shisana was born on this day
Prominent South African academic, Dr Olive Shisana was born in the town of Pietersburg, South Africa, on the 27th of November 1950. [1] She holds a BA degree…
EventImperial German Forces forced to unconditional surrender by Union of South Africa Forces during World War I
On 9 July 1915 the Imperial German Forces officially surrendered to General Louis Botha’s troops at the Khorab Memorial. This followed the outbreak of the…
EventMK hero cadre Solomon Kalushi (Khala) Mahlangu is executed
Solomon Kalushi (Khala) Mahlangu was executed by the Apartheid regime for being part of an abortive attempt by African National Congress (ANC) members to…
EventWinnie Mandela is banished to Brandfort
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, wife of imprisoned ANC leader, Nelson Mandela, was banished to the dusty Afrikaner dominated town of Brandfort in the Free State…
EventAn international measure is adopted in Antwerp to block rebel groups from trading conflict diamonds
The sale of diamonds in some African countries has been linked to the funding of African rebel groups, which have in turn funded some of Africa's most vicious…
EventMuziwendoda Mdluli, National Intelligence Agency (NIA) security chief is found dead
Muziwendoda Mdluli, National Intelligence Agency (NIA) security chief, was found dead in his car parked near the Botanical Gardens in Pretoria, with a bullet…
EventWilliam Brown becomes the first South African officer killed during World War I
The 1st South African Infantry Brigade was recruited at Potchefstroom in August and September 1915 for service overseas. It was comprised of four battalions …
EventSA colonies meet to consider and adopt the South Africa Act, which leads to the Union of South Africa
In the aftermath of the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902), Britain annexed the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, two hitherto independent Afrikaner…
EventFearon Fallows, the first Astronomer Royal at the Cape, is born
Fearon Fallows, the first Astronomer Royal at the Cape, was born to John and Rebecca Fallows on 4 July 1789 in Cockermouth, Cumberland, in England. He spent…
EventScientists uncover possible reason for SS Waratah’s disappearance 100 years later
The SS Waratah was a luxury steamer, en route from Cape Town to Durban, South Africa, on 26 July 1909. The ship, built in Scotland, was meant to serve as a…
ArticleThe National Council of Trade Unions (NACTU)
Introduction The National Council of Trade Unions (NACTU) is South Africa's second largest trade union federation with more than 400 000 members. Its largest…
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 110 of 1983
Background Before P W Botha came to power in 1978, the government of John Vorster had begun a process for constitutional reforms. A commission headed by…
ArticleKora
The Korana or Kora were a nomadic Khoikhoi group that probably derived their name from a chief called Kora (or Gora), who was originally a leader of the…
ANC NEC meets (30th November, - 2 December 2001), 29 November 2001
The African National Congress National Executive Committee Meeting will take place at an undisclosed venue around Johannesburg from Friday, the 30th November…
EventArthur Robert Ashe Jr, prominent African American tennis player and vocal protester of apartheid, dies
Arthur Robert Ashe, a prominent African American tennis player who was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia died on 6 February 1993. He died of complications…
EventJean van der Poel dies in Cape Town.
Jean Van der Poel was a historian and teacher who played an important role in the South African Teachers' Association and undertook several major historical…
EventNamibian artist, John Ndevasia Muafangejo, dies
On 27 November 1987, Namibian artist John Ndevasia Muafangejo died suddenly of a heart attack at his home in Katutura Township, Windhoek. He was 44 years old…
How a mysterious ghost ship brought cosmic disco to Cape Verde: A new compilation documents the strange history of the African country’s groove-laden sound, formed following the discovery of a boatload of synths(The Guardian), 24 May 2016
In a calm morning in March 1968, a shipment carrying the latest Korgs, Moogs and Hammond organs set off from Baltimore harbour, heading for an exhibition in…
EventBeverly Palesa Ditsie is the first out lesbian woman to address the United Nations about LGBT rights
On 13 September 1995, Beverley Palesa Ditsie made a statement at the Beijing Women’s Conference about the importance of including lesbian rights in discussions…
EventLlewellyn Herbert was born on this day
Llewellyn George Herbert was born on 21 July 1977 in Bethal, Mpumalanga.[i] Herbert was the South African 400 metre hurdle champion from 1996 to 2003.[ii] He…
EventJoyce Mashamba passed away
Happy Joyce Mashamba passed away at the age of 67 after battling with a long illness, the details of which have not yet been disclosed to the public. [i] Born…
EventSt James Church massacre
Azanian Peoples' Liberation Army (APLA - the armed wing of the Pan-Africanist Congress) operatives attack St. James Church in the Cape Town suburb of…
EventKaunda calls for Thatcher’s exclusion from talks on South African sanctions
In protest of the system of apartheid, economic sanctions against South Africa had been advocated from the 1960s onwards. However, it was only in the 1980s…
EventMother Teresa is buried
Mother Teresa, the nun who captured the world's attention and accolades with her selfless devotion to the poor, was buried on 13 September 1997 in Culcutta,…