SAHO global search

1874-1959

Daniel Francois Malan

D.F. Malan was born in 1874 in Riebeeck West in the Cape. He completed his doctorate of divinity at the University of Utrecht in 1905 and was ordained as a…

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Ramnie Dinat

Ramnie Naidoo, the daughter of Ama and Narainsamy Thambi Naidoo, worked in the Transvaal Indian Youth Congress (TIYC) since her childhood. At the age of nine,…

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1929-2000

Esme Bodenstein

Esme Bodenstein was born on 6 July 1929 in Johannesburg. She trained as a physiotherapist at St Mary’s Hospital in London before moving to Cape Town. There…

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1930-2012

Alfred Khumalo

Alfred "Alf" Khumalo was born in Johannesburg and matriculated at the WiIberforce Institute in Evaton. Khumalo began his working career as a journalist in…

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1812-1917

Sir George Grey

George Grey was the only son of Lieutenant-Colonel Grey of the 30th Foot. His father was killed at the sack of Badajoz in the Peninsula War, eight days before…

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1905-1994

Advocate Israel “Isie” Aaron Maisels

Advocate Israel “Isie” Aaron Maisels was born on 19 November 1905 in Johannesburg, Transvaal (now Gauteng), South Africa. His father, Henry Maisels, had come…

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1885-1970

Kerr Alexander

Early Life: Alexander Kerr was the first of six children born to William and Elizabeth Findlay Kerr. When he was six years old the Kerr family moved to…

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1937

Adriaan Vlok

Adriaan Vlok was born on 11 December 1937 in Sutherland, Cape Province to Betty Oliver and Nicolaas Vlok. He grew up on a smallholding close to the Orange…

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1936-2012

Dr. 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…

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Fani Mkhize

Fanio (also documented as Fanozi and called Chicken Man) Mkize was born in 1950. When Mkize was retrenched from Clover Dairies he earned a living dealing in…

B-0068769

1973

Mary Margaret Ngalo

Mary Margaret Ngalo was born in Cradock, Transkei (now Eastern Cape Province) to Tom and Leah Plaatjie. As the niece of Reverend Canon James A. Calata, who was…

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1951

Judus Mahlangu

Judus Mahlangu was born on 14 January 1951 in Brakpan, Transvaal. Mahlangu matriculated at KwaPhakama High School in Springs in 1969 where he first studied art…

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1881-1963

Frank Wiles

Frank Wiles was born in Cambridge, England, 1881. Frank Wiles was the son of sculptor Henry Wiles and the brother or W. G. Wiles. Prior to his arrival in SA…

B-0009226

1941

Jonas Mosa Gwangwa

Jonas Mosa  Gwangwa  was born in 1941 in Orlando East, Soweto. The young Gwanga was one of many musicians mentored by Alto Saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi. He then…

B-0095443

1910-2001

Govan Mbeki

Govan Mbeki (Oom Gov) joined the South African Communist Party (SACP) in the 1950's and remained a communist and a firm believer in the superior morality of…

B-0008515

1944

Kaizer Motaung

Kaizer Motaung was born on 16 October 1944 in Orlando East, Soweto, a township South West of Johannesburg. Motaung began playing soccer at a young age and…

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1929-2005

Isaac Bokala

Isaac Bokala was born in 1929 in Newclare, Johannesburg. Bokala qualified as a teacher at the Wilberforce Institute, and in 1950 he began working at Total, the…

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1918-1982

Bartholomew Hlapane

Bartholomew  Moru Hlapane was born in 1918 in in the Ficksburg distric of the Orange Free State. Hlapane was a factory worker. A traitor to the African…

B-0008160

1949

Bee Berman

Bee Berman was born in 1949 in Cape Town, Western Province (now Western Cape).After her schooling, Berman worked as a stage designer and actress at The Space…

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2012

Janeveke Raphael Liau

Janeveke Raphael Liau (47) was from Likolobeng Ha Monyane, Maseru in Lesotho. He started working for Lonmin in 2003. On 16 August 2012 Janeveke was killed at…

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1919-1976

Dr James Lowell Zwelinzima Njongwe

James Lowell Zwelinzima Njongwe was one of the most dynamic leaders of the African National Congress(ANC) after its turn to mass action in the 1950s, Njongwe…

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1928-1986

Paramount Chief Sabata Dalindyebo

Paramount Chief Sabata Dalindyebo was born on 25 November 1928. His father died suddenly some five months earlier before marrying his official Great Wife. He…

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1930-2018

David Goldblatt

David Goldblatt, one of South Africa’s most famous documentary photographers, is internationally acclaimed for his work. The grandson of Lithuanian-Jewish…

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1910-1977

Percy John "Jack" Hodgson

Percy John ‘Jack’ Hodgson born on 17 August 1910 in Roodepoort, was the eldest son of three children born to Jessy (nee Turner) and Percy John Hodgson. An…

B-0008166

1949

Linda Komape

Linda Komape was born in Gauteng (then Transvaal) in 1949. She did not enter politics at an early stage in her life, but went through a difficult time with her…

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1927-2005

Rev. Helenard Joe (Allan) Hendrickse

Helenard Joe Hendrickse (better known as Allan) was born on 22 October 1927 in Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, as the fifth of the seven children of Maria and Charles…

B-0008153

1924-1968

Canodoise (Can) Themba

Canodoise Daniel Themba (Can Themba) was born in 1924, in Marabastad, Pretoria, Transvaal (now Gauteng),South Africa. He attended the University of Fort Hare,…

B-0009138

1942

Letta Mbulu

Letta Mbulu was born in Soweto and, during her teens, she toured South Africa and then England with the musical King Kong. She returned to South Africa at the…

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1921-2001

Athol Edwin Thorne

Athol Thorne was born in Springs, South Africa on 15th October 1921. His family soon moved to Durban where he attended school and university. His parents were…

B-0125363

1880

Sir Ernest Oppenheimer

Ernest Oppenheimer was born on 22 May 1880 in Friedberg, Germany. He was the son of Edward Oppenheimer, a cigar merchant. Oppenheimer began his working life at…

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