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PlaceParsonage House Museum, Port Elizabeth
This is probably the oldest surviving house in Port Elizabeth and was built by Rev Francis McClelland of the Church of England, who arrived in 1820 with the…
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…
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…
ArticleCuba and the struggle for democracy in South Africa
The revolution in Cuba, culminating in Fidel Castro’s seizure of power on 1 January 1959, was from the beginning based on a non-racial ethos, and revolutionary…
BiographyPatric Tariq Mellet
Patric Tariq Mellet was born and grew up in the working class districts of old Cape Town – Salt River, Woodstock and District Six. His family were poor working…
BiographyIsaac Williams Wauchope
The esteemed teacher and journalist, Samuel E.K. Mqhayi described Isaac Williams Wauchope: “Rev Isaac Wauchope was truly handsome in appearance, a broad-faced…
EventCongo administration is handed to the Belgian government
From the beginning of colonialism in the 1880s following the 'scramble for Africa', Congo had been regarded as King Leopold II's personal fiefdom. Leopold's…
ArticleA Short History of ESKOM, Part 1 (1923-2001)
This short history of Electrical Supply Commission (ESKOM) aims to provide an overview of the history of the power utility over its first seventy-eight years…
ArticleThe effects of WW2 in Africa
Africans resisted colonial rule from the outset, trying to hold on to their land, but were not strong enough to defend themselves against European conquest…
ArticleHistory Grade 11 - Topic 3 Contextual Overview
Introduction In the previous section, we have learnt about the origins of capitalism, however, we paid cursory attention to the racial character of that…
Grade 12 - Topic 2 - Independent Africa
In 1884, at the Berlin Conference, the European powers carved up Africa amongst themselves. By 1914 all of Africa, except Liberia and Ethiopia, was under…
PlaceRichtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape, Northern Cape
The 1600 square kilometers in area is the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape. This is a dramatic Mountainous Desert in the Northern Cape of South…
PlaceLiberia
Liberia, which means ‘freedom’ formerly known as the Grain Coast, is one of the few African countries including Ethiopia that were not colonised by the…
PlaceFresnaye, Cape Town
Fresnaye is situated between Signal Hill and Sea Point, a few kilometer's to the West of Cape Town's Central Business District (CBD). Fresnaye was…
ArticleA history of prison labour in South Africa
Prison labour has a particularly debatable history in South Africa. Historically, South Africa operated on the understanding that prisons were places of…
Establishment of the Cape and its impact on Khoikhoi and Dutch
The formation of the VOC in Netherlands in 1602 increased Dutch dominance of the in the maritime trade. Acting on behalf of the Dutch government, the company…
Damon – The Malabar Slave (Historic Alleys)
Read this characterization of a Slave from Malabar (Walks & Sketches – Robert Semple) – He is in all respects the best of the household slaves. Without the…
EventThe first family at the Cape moves into the fort
On 4 June 1652, sick-comforter at the Cape, Willem Barentz Wijlant and his wife became the first people to move into the semi-completed fortress, the Fort de…
PlaceRosemount
Woodbrook Farm was established at about the same time as East London, and was located immediately south of the town. By the early 1900s it had been overtaken…
ArticleThe Sedition Trial 1946 - 1948
The history of the struggle against racial oppression and exclusion in South Africa is inextricably intertwined with the struggle of workers against…
The Dutch and the Khoisan
The Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) or Dutch East India Company came into being on 20 March 1602 and is seen as the first company that issued shares to…
EventSuppression of Communism Act, No. 44 of 1950 approved in Parliament
The Suppression of Communism Act, No. 44 of 1950, according to which the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) was declared an illegal organisation, was…
America, Spanish conquest
All the content in this America section was developed from 2003 lessons, namely; – America in the 1500s – The Slave TradeThe content below has been modified…
ArticleIndian Indentured Labour in Natal 1860-1911
The majority of Indian South Africans are the descendants of indentured workers brought to Natal between 1860 and 1911 to develop the sugar industry in this…
EventUnesco lists Robben Island as a World Heritage Site
Robben Island is located off the coast Cape Town and was named as such by Dutch explorers who encountered many seals on the island. It was however, discovered…
PlaceMatjiesfontein
A visit to Matjiesfontein is like stepping straight into the Victorian era. Established in the late 1800s, this tiny railway town boasts beautifully preserved…
PlaceRondebosch
In 1657 a group of four free burghers were granted land in an area south of Table Bay at the Cape of Good Hope. Jan van Riebeeck, the Dutch commander at the…
EventRenowned Nigerian writer, Chinua Achebe, is born in Ogidi, Nigeria
Chinua Achebe (1930-) is a prominent Igbo (Ibo) writer, famous for his novels describing the effects of Western customs and values on traditional African…
PlaceWagenaer's Reservoir, Sanlam Golden Acre-Cape Town
In the heart of the 'Mother City', Golden Acre Shopping Centre has been a key part of everyday life in Cape Town since 1979.This shopping-Centre on the site of…
PlaceGardens, Cape Town
Gardens is a residential suburb of Cape Town and was probably so named because it incorporated part of Van Riebeeck's original gardens. Lying sandwiched…