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ArticleAlbertina Sisulu Timeline 1918 - 2011
1918 21 October Nontsikelelo Thethiwe was born in the village Camama in the Tsomo district of the Transkei to a very large family. Circa 1926 Albertina…
ArticleApartheid and reactions to it
In 1948, the National Party (NP), representing Afrikaners, won the national election on a platform of racism and segregation under the slogan of 'apartheid’…
EventViolence erupts in Bophuthatswana Townships and Kathlehong
Violence erupted when 50 000 (or 100 000 according to police) residents from GaRankuwa, Mabopane, Soshanguve and areas in the Odi district presented a petition…
EventThe National Union of Mineworkers start South Africa’s longest wage strike
South Africa's longest and biggest strike was organised by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), led by Cyril Ramaphosa. At the time it was the second…
PlaceBonteheuwel
Bonteheuwel is a coloured Township situated North of Cape Town. It was created in the 1960's as a "Dumping Site" for coloured people, who had been forced to…
ArticlePass Laws and Sharpeville Massacre
Pass laws in South Africa were met with fierce resistance during the 20th century. But earlier forms of passes, had in fact been used in various instances…
Document 10 - Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union of Africa, Flyer announcing Third Annual Conference, 17 January 1923
From: South Africa's Radical Tradition, a documentary history, Volume One 1907 - 1950, by Allison Drew Document 10 - Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union…
EventFake versions of the new South African banknotes hit the streets
On 7 February 2005, reports were issued of the use of fake versions of the then new South African banknotes. These came hardly a week after the latest currency…
EventThe National Union of Mineworkers start South Africa's longest wage strike
South Africa's longest and biggest strike was organised by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), led by Cyril Ramaphosa. At the time it was the second…
BiographyCecil John Rhodes
The Early Years Cecil John Rhodes was born on 5 July 1853 in the small hamlet of Bishops Stortford, England. He was the fifth son of Francis William Rhodes…
Why General Smuts won on 4 September 1939
F. D. Tothill Even now, almost half a century after it collapsed, any conclusions about the working of Fusion and its chances of long-term success if…
The role of Cecil John Rhodes' British South African Company in the Conquest of Matabeleland
Introduction European interest in Zimbabwe can be traced to the 18th century. This began with the arrival of Christian missionaries in 1858, who befriended…
Document 66 - Letter from the Workers’ Party of South Africa, Johannesburg, to the Cape Town branch, 21 February 1937
From: South Africa's Radical Tradition, a documentary history, Volume One 1907 - 1950, by Allison Drew Document 66 - Letter from the Workers' Party of South…
A short history of Port Elizabeth's famous Campanile
One of the most striking buildings in Port Elizabeth is the famous Campanile. In the article below, Tennyson Smith Bodill reveals the history behind the…
PlaceStilfontein
Stilfontein is a town located in the North West Province of South Africa, with 17,942 inhabitants (2025). It is situated about 120 km northwest of Johannesburg…
Indian Community
2010 marks 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Indian indentured workers and the birth of this community in South Africa. Durban is home to the largest…
EventVaal Uprising Begins as Sharpeville Residents Resist Rent Increases
On this day, residents of Sharpeville and surrounding Vaal Triangle townships rose up against a R5.90 rent increase imposed by the Lekoa Town Council. The…
BiographyJomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyatta was born Kamau to parents Moigoi and Wamboi ”” his father was the chief of a small agricultural village in Gatundu Division, Kiambu District ””…
Poonoosamy Ruthnam Pather
Poonoosamy Ruthnam Pather (PR) was born in Mauritius in 1895. His grandfather settled in that country after emigrating from Tanjore in India in the 1840s. PR…
BiographyDimitri Tsafendas
Dimitri Tsafendas was the parliamentary messenger who assassinated Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd on 06 September 1966 by stabbing him four times with a…
ArticleSophiatown in Literature
An Invaluable Historical Source The literature on "life in Sophiatown" by a generation of prose writers, novelists, playwrights and poets is recognized as…
PlaceJagersfontein
Jagersfontein is home to one of the oldest and largest, diamond Mine holes in the World. This Town is located South-West of Bloemfontein. A 50-carat diamond…
PlaceHamburg Village
Hamburg is a small Town, with about 1000 inhabitants, in the Eastern Cape Province. It is located on the coast between the East London and the Town of Port…
The Triumph of the Radicals, 1939-1946
< Menu page < 6. The Moderates' Eclipse | Conclusion > CHAPTER IV The Struggle for Power: The Triumph of the Radicals, 1939-1946 7. Events leading up…
EventThe Korean War ends
The undeclared Korean War ended after three years of fighting between North Korean and Chinese Communists against the United Nations (UN) forces (mainly South…
ArticleRuth First timeline 1925-2012
1925 4 May, Ruth Herloise First is born in Johannesburg to Julius and Matilda First, Jewish immigrants (from Latvia and Lithuania, respectively) who helped…
BiographyPoonoosamy Ruthnam Pather
Poonoosamy Ruthnam Pather (PR) was born in Mauritius in 1895. His grandfather settled in that country after emigrating from Tanjore in India in the 1840s. PR…
BiographyMattheus Uys Krige
Mattheus Uys Krige and his contribution to the Second World War Mattheus Uys Krige (1910-1987) can certainly be counted among the most dynamic literary…
ArticleDrum Magazine
The establishment of Drum Magazine in the 1950s, notwithstanding the newly-elected Nationalist Party’s policy of Apartheid, reflected the dynamic changes that…
ArticleOvercoming Adversity from All Angles: The Struggle of the Domestic Worker during Apartheid by Bennett Gwynn
This article was written by Bennett Gwynn and forms part of the SAHO and Southern Methodist University partnership project Overcoming Adversity from All…