SAHO global search

1922-1985

John Nyathi Pokela

Pokela was one of the Africanist in the African National Congress Youth League who broke off to found Pan Africanist Congress in 1959. In 1966 he was sentenced…

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Siva Pillay

Siva Pillay was a B.Sc. student at university in Durban, Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal), when he joined uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the African National Congress’s…

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1869-1948

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

*Note: The focus of this biography is on Gandhi's life and times in South Africa. Early life and education Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born to a…

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1918-2016

Kobera Manual

Aunty Kobera Manual of Ocean View died at the age of 98 on Wednesday 27 July 2016. In 2009 I interviewed her at her home in Ocean View, when she shared some…

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1639-1712

Simon van der Stel

Simon van der Stel was born on 14 October 1639 to parents Adrian van der Stel and Maria Leviens. The couple were en route to Mauritius when Maria gave birth to…

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1898-1967

Chief Albert John Mvumbi Luthuli

Chief Albert John Mvumbi Luthuli, Africa’s first Nobel Peace Prize Laureate in 1960, was President-General of the African National Congress (ANC) from December…

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1922-2001

Christiaan Neethling Barnard

Professor Chris Barnard led the team which performed the first human-to-human heart transplantation operation at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town. The son of…

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1943-2009

Jan van Eck

Van Eck was born in Holland on 18 December 1943, the first born of five children.  He came to South Africa when he was five years old with his mother and…

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1827-1903

Janet Burnside Soga

Janet Burnside Soga was born on 18 March 1827 in Hutchesontown, Glasgow. She was the eldest daughter of Alan Burnside and Isabelle Kirkland. The 1851 Scots…

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1940-1990

Ernest Cole

Ernest Cole was born on 21 March 1940 as Ernest Levi Tsoloane Kole, in Eersterust, Pretoria. He left school when Bantu Education was introduced, and…

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Vella Pillay

This is a short autobiography of Vella Pillay written for his 80th birthday party held on 18th October 2003 at Lauderdale House, Highgate, London. Vella…

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1941-1971

Ahmed Timol

Ahmed Timol was born in Breyton, Transvaal on 3 November 1941 to Haji Yusuf Ahmed Timol and Hawa Ismail Dindar. His father came to South Africa in 1918, at the…

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1942

Pitika Ntuli

Born in Springs, situated east of Johannesburg, Pitika Ntuli grew up with a keen interest in art. As a young man, he got involved in politics, and he was an…

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1942

Ali Bacher

If Ali Bacher's commitment to cricket had ended after his playing days, he would have had a proud place on the sport's roll of honour. It was Ali Bacher, the…

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1881-1969

Daniël Francois Malherbe

Daniël Francois Malherbe was born on 28 May 1881 in Dal Josafat in the Cape Colony, to P. J. Malherbe, a founder of the Genootskap vir Regte Afrikaners …

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1911-1991

Taubie Kushlick

Rarely in realms beyond the scope of politics does one encounter personalities of the stature of Taubie Kushlick. In South Africa they are most likely to exert…

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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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1900-1984

Princess Magogo

Princess Magogo was born in 1900, the daughter of the Zulu King, Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo (1868 – 1913) and Queen Silomo. In 1926 she married King Mathole…

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1938

Noria Mabasa

Noria Mabasa was born May 10, 1938 in Xigalo in the Limpopo Province in South Africa. She received formal education for only one year, having to walk three…

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1960

Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi

Geraldine Fraser was born in 1960 in Lansdowne, Cape Town. She received her primary education in Wynberg and matriculated at Livingstone High School in…

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1960-2015

Ohm Collins Chabane

Ohm Collins Chabane was born on 15 April 1960 in Xikundu Village, in Limpopo (then Northern Transvaal). He attended Shingwedzi High School, and at the age of…

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1953

Jeannette Ndhlovu

Jeannette Ndhlovu was born on 2nd October 1953 in Johannesburg, Transvaal (now Gauteng Province). Ndhlovu obtained her primary and secondary education in South…

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1850s-1911

Pambani Jeremiah Mzimba

Pambani Jeremiah Mzimba was born in the 1850s at Ngqakayi in the Eastern Cape. His father, Ntibane Mzimba, was educated in Lovedale and became a deacon in the…

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1926-2009

Gerrit Viljoen

Gerrit Viljoen was born in Cape Town on 11 September 1926 to Helena and Hendrik Geldenhuys Viljoen. At the time of his birth his father was the editor of…

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1941-1989

Maggie Mikula

Maggie Mikula was born in Durban on 19 August 1941. She attended St Mary’s School in Durban and matriculated in 1959.  She then went on to study for a Diploma…

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1987

Mads Nørgaard

Danish documentary photographer and open source software developer who has spent a decade documenting and capturing the Mother City and her people. His work…

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1976

Wellington Mlungisi Tshazibane

Mr Wellington Tshazibane,aged 30,an employee of the De Beers-Lesotho Mining Company,was detained on 9th December 1976 at Rand Airport,Johannesburg.He was held…

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1926

Gerrit Van Niekerk Viljoen

Gerrit Viljoen was born in Cape Town on 11 September 1926 to Helena and Hendrik Geldenhuys Viljoen. At the time of his birth his father was the editor of…

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1921-1995

Jo Thorpe

Jo Thorpe was born in 1921, in Fishoek in Cape Town. She grew up in Mooi River and completed her high school education at Pietermaritzburg Girls High School…

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