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EventThe Motsuenyane Commission finds the African National Congress (ANC) guilty of abuse in its camps
Human rights abuses were common in South Africa during the apartheid era and the liberation struggle was aimed at bringing these abuses to an end. When…
EventSouth African artist, Gerard Sekoto, dies
… johans borman," Gerard Sekoto (1913 ”“ 1993) ",From: johans borman ,[Online],Available at: …
EventThe United Democratic Front (UDF) is dissolved
The United Democratic Front (UDF) was formed in August 1983, and was one of the most prominent anti-apartheid movements, comprising of over 400 workers',…
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…
PlaceAlexandra, Township in Johannesburg
A Township 13 kilometeres from North-East Johannesburg. The development of Alexandra Township dates back to 1912. Sometimes thought to be named in honour of…
EventNelson Rolihlahla Mandela passed away
The 5th of December marks the anniversary of the death of revolutionary anti-Apartheid liberation leader, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, whose vision and respect…
PlaceThe Queen’s Fort Military Museum, Bloemfontein
Also known as the Bloemfontein Fort. On 3 February 1848 the British declared the Orange River Sovereignty, covering a broad area of land over the Gariep River…
PlaceBoksburg, the Witwatersrand
The Town of Boksburg was founded in 1887 as the Administrative Centre of the East Rand. It is the second oldest Town on the Witwatersrand. Boksburg was an…
Document 3 - Letter from F. A. W. Lucas to James Ramsay MacDonald,
From: South Africa's Radical Tradition, a documentary history, Volume One 1907 - 1950, by Allison Drew Document 3 - Letter from F. A. W. Lucas7 to James Ramsay…
PlacePofadder, Northern Cape
Pofadder is a small town situated in the Northern Cape of South Africa. While pofadder means: 'Puff Adder'-(a type of snake). This town was named not for a…
International Boycott of Apartheid Sport by Mary Corrigall
With special reference to the campaigns in Britain by the Anti-Apartheid Movement Paper prepared for the United Nations Unit on Apartheid in 1971 1 The…
The people armed, 1984-1990
Introduction 1985, Desmond Tutu, armed only with the bible under his arm, confronts the SA forces during their attempts to break up a demonstration…
The trade union movement and the burden of the future by Monique Marks
This paper was submitted to the 1973 Durban Strikes Celebrating 50 Years Conference Progressive social movement organisations in South Africa, including…
EventSir John Robinson forms Natal's first ministry as Prime Minister
On 10 October 1893, Natal's first ministry was formed, with Sir John Robinson as Prime Minister, Minister of Education, and Colonial Secretary. Robinson, who…
PlaceHeidelberg, Gauteng
The Ueckermann family features prominently in the history of Heidelberg, Gauteng. Heinrich Julius Friedrich Christian Ueckermann (1827-1883) is widely regarded…
EventWendy Botha, South Africa’s world champion surfer is born
Wendy Botha was born in East London on 28 August 1965.[i] She began surfing at the age of 13, and won four consecutive South African National Championships…
Author uncovers Gandhi’s links with early ANC leaders by Anelisa Kubheka (Daily News), 02 March 2012, Durban
Research done by a New Delhi advocate and author has shown that Gandhi had close ties and friendships with some of the ANC’s early presidents when he was still…
PlaceAmandelboom, Town in Northern Cape
Original name being 'Willston', Afrikaans name for 'Almond tree'. These trees were found near the Rhenish Mission Station from which the Town developed. The…
PlaceAlberton, Germiston
Town 6 km West of Germiston and 11 km South of Johannesburg. It was laid out on the Farm, Elandsfontein in 1904. Named after General Hendrick Abraham Alberts,…
PlaceLodge de Goede Hoop, Stal Square, Cape Town
In 1772 the Masonic Order established its first lodge in the Cape under a warrant obtained from the Grand Lodge National of the Netherlands. Initially meetings…
PlaceOld Town House, Greenmarket Square, Cape Town.
As the town of Cape Town grew in size and sophistication, so then its management committee began to require a meeting place to discuss the affairs of the…
EventThe South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) introduces its first national news service
The history of broadcasting in South Africa can be traced back to 1923, when the first wireless broadcast was made in Johannesburg. By April 1927, an hour of…
PlaceOld Locomotive “Emil Kessler”, Johannesburg
It was declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 6 April 1936. (Note the National Monuments plaque on the side of the loco.) The engine weighs…
PlaceNZASM Station, George Norton Street, Krugersdorp
The building, with its richly decorated gable, was completed in 1896 and is one of the last surviving structures of the old Transvaal railway system. It was…
EventSouth African photojournalist and member of the Bang-Bang, Club Kevin Carter, commits suicide
Kevin Carter, a South African photojournalist and Pulitzer Prize winner, committed suicide just three months after winning the Pulitzer Award for feature…
Event90-Days Act comences
The General Laws Amendment Act of 1964 (passed in 1963) or the 90-Day Act, commences on this day. It is dubbed the 90-Day Act as it provides for any person to…
EventThe Republic of South Africa is established
Two years after taking office, Verwoerd realised his republican dream, when a White-only referendum supported his plea for a republic. This was also the first…
EventGeneral Barry Hertzog, former South African Prime Minister, dies
James Barry Munnick Hertzog was born into a German immigrant family in 1866. He attended school in Kimberly and Stellenbosch, and completed a Bachelor's degree…
EventMapungubwe is ‘discovered’
The ancient city of Mapungubwe (meaning 'hill of the jackal') is an Iron Age archaeological site in the Limpopo Province. It is on the border between South…
EventSouth African Communist Party leader Abram Fischer is sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of communism
During the 1940s, Bram Fischer served on the Johannesburg District Committee and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of South Africa (later SACP). In…