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The Black Sash: a case study of liberalism in South Africa 1955-1990
Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Social Studies, Sub-Faculty of Politics, University of Oxford, for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Abstract: The…
PlaceJesser Point Lighthouse
Jesser Point Lighthouse is the most Northerly light on South Africa's East coast. This Lighthouse was established in 1986. It is situated within the Kwazulu…
Placem'Bashe Lighthouse
The m'Bashe lighthouse lies on the Wild Coast, part way between East London and Port St Johns. It was back in 1890's that the Cape Colonial Lighthouse…
PlaceOns Huisie, Bloubergstrand, Cape Town
The cottage was, for many years, the property of the Stadler family, and is a typical example of the type of vernacular building found on the coastal areas of…
PlaceNewington Road Victorian Houses, Port Elizabeth
This row of late Victorian double-storey, semi-detached dwellings forms a unique terrace erected in the late 19th century, and survives largely unaltered to…
PlaceHarbour Board Building, Port Elizabeth
Known popularly as the 'White Building'. The old Harbour Board Building was used for 70 years for harbor administration by the South African Railways and…
EventEllen Phyllis Hellmann, social anthropologist and executive member of the SAIRR, dies in Johannesburg
Ellen Phyllis Hellmann was born in Johannesburg in 1908. Her father had immigrated to South Africa from Germany in 1894. She studied Social Anthropology at the…
EventThabo Mbeki, former President of SA, is born in Idutywa, Transkei
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki was born in Idutywa in Transkei on June 18 1942. Both his parents were activists. His father, Govan Mbeki, was a prominent member of the…
Document 67 - Letter from the African Metal Trades Union, Johannesburg, to the Workers’ Party of South Africa, 21 February 1937
From: South Africa's Radical Tradition, a documentary history, Volume One 1907 - 1950, by Allison Drew Document 67 - Letter from the African Metal Trades Union…
EventMandela signs a law into bill creating the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) became an integral and restorative component in the advent of democracy in South Africa. Its role was primarily…
EventUN concerned about Fischer’s arrest
The United Nations (UN) Committee on the Policy of Apartheid of the Government of South Africa (Special Committee Against Apartheid) expressed very serious…
EventDr. Hendrik Verwoerd announces his plan to grant Transkei independence
On 23 January 1962, Dr Hendrik Verwoerd announced his plan to grant independence to the Transkei, a homeland proposed for Xhosa people under the apartheid…
EventUN report accuses Katangan President and Congo President of conspiracy to murder Patrice Lumumba
On 14 November 1961 Katangan President, Moise Tshombe, and Congo President, Joseph Kasavubu, were accused of conspiracy to murder ex-premier Patrice Lumumba in…
EventHendrik Verwoerd becomes Prime Minister
Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd assumed office as the Prime Minister of South Africa after the death of J.G. Strijdom. An ardent advocate of Apartheid, Verwoerd…
Event20 000 Women march to the Union Buildings in protest of pass laws
In one of the largest demonstrations staged in this country's history, 20 000 women of all races marched to Pretoria's Union Buildings on 9 August 1956, to…
EventOver 400 Kikuyu suspected to be part of the Mau Mau movement are arrested in Kenya
Mali was once part of the Great Songhay Empire, but came under French rule in 1892. After almost seventy years of colonial rule, Mali was renamed the Sudanese…
EventSimon Petros Matseke, prominent in African social and political life, dies in Pretoria
Peter Matseke was born in 1878 in Pretoria. When the Anglo-Boer War broke out, he was drafted as driver for Boer Commandos. Through that experience, he learnt…
EventBishop Desmond Tutu leaves for the USA to meet with American President Ronald Reagan
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is known around the world for his vigorous stand against injustice. More particularly, he is renowned for his involvement in the fight…
EventPercy Qoboza, editor of the Post, states that it is difficult to see how a credible newspaper for Blacks can be created in South Africa
Percy Qoboza was a journalist and outspoken critic of the apartheid regime. He initially studied in the field of theology, but became involved in journalism…
EventMinister announces compulsory education for Black children
The minister of (Black) education and training, Dr Ferdinand Hartzenberg, announced that compulsory education for Black children would be introduced in stages,…
EventWiehahn Commission Report tabled in parliament
On 1 May 1979, the first interim report of the Wiehahn Commission is tabled in Parliament. The Wiehahn Commission was set up by the government after the Durban…
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…
EventUS Secretary of State Cyrus Vance travels to South Africa to promote transition to black rule in Namibia
South Africa had seized the German territory (then known as South-West Africa) during World War I and retained it after the war under a League of Nations…
EventSouth Africa relinquishes sovereignty over Walvis Bay
Location: back to this day in history search archive Walvis Bay, from the Dutch for "Whale Bay", is situated in Namibia, along the west coast of southern…
EventUS House of Representatives approve Bill to impose stricter sanctions on Apartheid South Africa
On 18 June 1986, the House of Representatives of the United States of America approved a Bill that would impose stricter sanctions against South Africa. This…
EventWWI: battalion consisting of ‘Cape Coloured men’, called the Cape Corps, is established
On 20 September 1915 a new battalion consisting of Cape Coloured men, called the Cape Corps was established with the view of being dispatched to East Africa in…
EventFormation of the South African Native National Congress
The South African Native National Congress (SANNC), later known as the Africa National Congress (ANC) was founded on the 8 January 1912. At SANNC's inaugural…
SA artist Ernest Methuen Mancoba is born
South African artist Ernest Methuen Mancoba was born in Boksburg, Transvaal. He left for Paris to further his studies in 1938. Mancoba never returned to live…
EventBritish establish first ‘refugee’ camps during the South African War
The first 2 'refugee' camps were established in Pretoria and Bloemfontein during South African War (Second Anglo-Boer War) by a military notice. The initial…
EventC James reports that South Africa is a poor market for produce
In 1900, C James, an official of the British colonial administration, went on a voyage to South Africa to evaluate the market for produce. He undertook this…