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ArticleHistory of slavery and early colonisation in South Africa
With colonialism, which began in South Africa in 1652, came the Slavery and Forced Labour Model. This was the original model of colonialism brought by the…
Prehistory of the Polokwane/Pietersburg area
Prehistory of Southern Africa Two places are of particular heritage interest in the Polokwane area: the BaKoni Malapa Museum south of the stadium and…
BiographyChauke Family
The Chaukes live in Blinkwater, near Msengi in the Limpopo Province, but very little is known about this family of carvers. They have neither been prolific nor…
BiographyMichael Gagashe Zondi
Michael Zondi was born on 10 March 1926 in Msinga in Greytown, Natal. Zondi spent his childhood at a Swedish Lutheran mission station at Mtulwa, Natal. He…
ArchiveRemembering the Blue Notes: South Africa’s first generation of free jazz by Gwen Ansell, 11 September 2017
“We were all kind of rebels,” drummer Louis Tebogo Moholo-Moholo recalls, “so, like birds of a feather, [we] flocked together.” He’s talking about the Blue…
Tribute to Prof Meer on her 80th birthday by Ari Sitas, 23 August 2008
South African History Online Tribute to Prof Meer on her 80th birthday by Ari Sitas 23 August 2008 Fatima Meer's career at Natal University spanned…
PlaceSaldanha Bay
Saldanha is a seaside village that lies in the Northern most corner of Saldanha bay - the largest and deepest natural bay in the Country. The Saldanha…
PlaceOranjezicht
Oranjezicht is a charming suburb located in the heart of Cape Town’s City Bowl, offering a unique blend of natural beauty, vibrant culture, and stylish living…
ArticleSouth Africa and the Olympic Games
BackgroundWhat is today referred to as the “Ancient Olympic Games”, was a sports festival celebrated in honour of the Greek god Zeus in the town of Olympia. As…
ArticleThe Seriti Commission
Background Terry Crawford-Brown petitioned the Constitutional Court in 2011 to compel former president Jacob Zuma to establish a commission of inquiry into…
Colonial conquest and resistance, Pre 1900
Several factors seemed to pave the way to apartheid, among them a colonial conquest, land dispossession, economic impoverishment, and exclusion from…
ArticleGeneral South African History Timeline: 1700s
1700 The first "placaat" (ordinance or statute) restricting the importation of Asian slaves is promulgated. Dlamini chiefdoms move south from Delagoa Bay…
ArticleNatal Workers’ Theatre in the 1980s
Introduction Starting in the late 1970’s and reaching its height in the 1980’s, the South African province of Natal (now known as KwaZulu Natal – KZN) saw a…
ArticleBritain takes control of the Cape
The arrival of the British at the Cape changed the lives of the people that were already living there. Initially British control was aimed to protect the trade…
BiographyNerine Constantia Desmond Fial
Nerine Constantia Desmond Fial was born in Constantia, Cape, 1908. She studied graphics at London's Central School of Art in 1938, but was otherwise largely…
BiographyGrace Naledi Mandisa Pandor
Naledi Pandor was born on 7th of December, in 1953 Durban. She received most of her education in exile and matriculated at Gaborone Secondary School in…
ArticleAfrica, Portugal
Portuguese trading stations in West Africa and the slave trade Portuguese expansion into Africa began with the desire of King John I to gain access to the…
ArticlePopular struggles in the early years of Apartheid, 1948-1960
Historians recognise the significance of popular struggles over the past 100 years. But debates among historians about their relationship to formal political…
ArticleBlack Consciousness and 16 June – The birth of a new generation
The Black Consciousness philosophy gained most of its support in the secondary schools and universities. The role played by the Black Consciousness Movement …
The Atlantic slave trade
Causes and results of slavery A main cause of the trade was the colonies that European countries were starting to develop. In America, for instance, which was…
ArticleGeneral South African History Timeline: 1600s
European's settle in South Africa for the first time and begin to further colonize and trade with the Khoikhoi at the cape, by the middle this century the…
ArticleColonial history of Bloemfontein
The area between the Orange and Vaal rivers, originally known as Transoranje, with its abundance of permanent water sources, was the hunting grounds of the San…
ArticleHow Unique was Slavery at the Cape?
The first slaves arrived at the Cape in 1658, despite Jan van Riebeeck's several prior attempts at requesting slaves for the settlement from the Heren XVII. On…
ArticleSimon van der Stel Timeline
14 October 1639: Simon van der Stel is born to parents Adrian van der Stel and Maria Leviens aboard le Cappel on route to Mauritius. 25 May 1646: His father,…
ArchiveFrom eNcome over Bloedrivier to eNcome and Beyond by Ben Khumalo-Seegelken
FROM eNCOME OVER „BLOEDRIVIER“ TO eNCOME AND BEYOND Ben Khumalo-Seegelken, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany Conference …
BiographyEric Miller
Eric Miller was born 19th of May 1955 in Cape Town. He grew up in Johannesburg. After graduating with a BA (Hons) in psychology from UNISA in 1981 he entered…
ArticleAnti-Pass Campaign
In the latter part of 1959, PAC membership was still below expectations, and it became clear to the leadership that the movement would have to produce some…
ArticleGrey Street Complex timeline 1800-1999
1854 15 May, The proclamation of the settlement of Durban into a Borough. The European population stands at 1,204. 1858 The Umzinto Sugar Company…
ArticleMessage of the National Executive Committee of the ANC, delivered by Mr. Tambo, at the funeral of Dr. Yusuf M. Dadoo
1 September 1983, London We are gathered here to pay homage to an outstanding leader of the African liberatory struggle, a comrade and friend who devoted…
ArchiveSurvey shows ignorance about big moments in South Africa’s history – like the Sharpeville massacre (TheConversation.com)
The yearly Human Rights Day public holiday in South Africa in late March commemorates the Sharpeville Massacre, when police opened fire on a crowd of unarmed…