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EventPik Botha is born
Roelof Frederik "Pik" Botha, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of President F.W. de Klerk was born in Rustenburg, Transvaal (now North West…
EventArchbishop Mpilo Desmond Tutu, chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, is born in Klerksdorp, Transvaal
Archbishop Mpilo Desmond Tutu, chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, is born in Klerksdorp, Transvaal Archbishop Mpilo Desmond Tutu, former…
Burkina Faso: Key Facts and History by Angela Thompsell updated 13 February 2016
Key facts and history of Burkina Faso from the 2015 elections and coup attempt to independence in 1960. Overview: Burkina Faso's poor economic outlook and…
PlaceStone House, Parktown, Johannesburg
This dwelling, designed by Herbert Baker in 1902 as his own home, is an important component of Parktown's surviving architectural character. It makes use of…
ArticleGeneral South African History Timeline: 1980s
1980 is declared the Year of the Charter, marking the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom charter in 1955. 1980 SACTU declares the year as…
PlaceMossel Bay, (400 km From Cape Town)
It was named Aguada de Sao Bras, by Vasco de Gama in 1497, when He set off with 170 men on an expedition to find a sea Route to India. This was in order to…
PlaceRustenburg
The Magaliesberg range of Mountains dominates the Landscape that is now known as the Northwest Province. Rustenburg, the largest City in this Province, has…
PlaceCity Hall and Francis Farewell Gardens, Durban
Click on image to enlarge Declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 12 December 1975. Diagonally opposite - in West Street, corner of…
Segregationist Legislation Timeline 1950-1959
Immorality Amendment Act, Act No 21 of 1950 This Act was one of the most controversial pieces of Apartheid legislation. It prohibited adultery, attempted…
EventNelson Mandela condemns the Lockerbie bombing, the first mass killing of Americans by terrorists
Nelson Mandela issued a statement condemning the Lockerbie bombing and loss of life that occurred as a result. The bombing killed all 243 passengers, 16 crew…
EventJacob Abraham Uitenhage de Mist and his daughter Augusta leave on an exploration of the interior
On 9 October 1803, Jacob Abraham de Mist, Commissioner General, left Cape Town on a 167 day journey into the interior, accompanied by his daughter, Augusta, a…
ArticleA history of Apartheid in South Africa
Background and policy of apartheidBefore we can look at the history of the apartheid period it is necessary to understand what apartheid was and how it…
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…
ArticleAnti-Indian Legislation
Towards the end of the nineteenth century, Harry Escombe became one of the most prominent White politicians in the Colony of Natal. Initially he pursued a…
ArticleApartheid and reactions to it
In 1948, the National Party (NP), representing Afrikaners, won the national election on a platform of racism and segregation under the slogan of 'apartheid’…
The Broederbond by Norman Levy
This article was taken from the book The Final Prize by Norman Levy (Chapter 3) The Broederbond Just as it was the white man’s way to think and dream for the…
ArticleNelson Mandela: Father of the Nation
Nelson Mandela is considered by many to be the father of South Africa. Mandela was an anti-Apartheid activist, which means that fought for those who were…
Natal Performing Arts Council (NAPAC)
NAPAC was founded on 25 July 1963 under Chris Lombard as the first director. The first office premises were two small offices in Acutt Street, Durban. They…
Colonial history of Rustenburg
Origins of colonial settlement It is thought that Andries Hendrik Potgieter was one of the first Voortrekkers to settle in the Rustenburg area. David…
ArticleANC Women’s League (ANCWL)
When the African National Congress (ANC) was formed in 1912, it did not accept women as members. In 1918, the government threatened to reintroduce pass laws…
ArticlePartial State of Emergency, July 1985
On 20 July 1985 the government declared a State of Emergency in 36 magisterial districts in the Eastern Cape and PWV (now Gauteng) areas. This was the first…
ArticleAnti-pass campaigns, 1910s
By the turn of the century, despite the fact that women of all races were still virtually restricted to the home, migrant labour had already begun to forge…
ArchiveAppendix 5 Notes on Palestine and Israel by Denis Goldberg
I made notes in November 2002 for use in future speeches on Palestine and Israel, nearly 9 years later they are equally valid: We in SA know about racial…
Apartheid - The early 1980s
The early 1980s There was little change in the situation from the late 1970s to the early 1980s in South Africa. After the crisis of the early and mid-70s,…
ArticleA Spiral of Trials by Norman Levy
This article was taken from the book The Final Prize by Norman Levy (Chapter 6) A Spiral of Trials In the arrests, indictments and trials that occurred from…
ArticleTimeline Interim Constitution 1991 to 1993
1991 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…
ArticleThe Nelson Mandela Presidency - 1994 to 1999
In 1991, Nelson Mandela was elected the president of the African National Congress (ANC), and his friend and colleague, Oliver Tambo, was elected the ANC’s…
ArticleSouth Africa’s Key economic policies changes (1994 - 2013)
South Africa successfully held its first democratic elections in April 1994 and the African National Congress (ANC) won with a majority vote to head the…
Artist groups and educational facilities (1960-1980)
Due to the apartheid racial classification systems, many black artists were not allowed to further their education and attend formal learning facilities such…
ArticleAfrican Peoples Democratic Union of Southern Africa (APDUSA)
The African People’s Democratic Union of Southern Africa (APDUSA) was launched in Duncan Village outside East London in March 1961. The launch followed a…