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ArticleSouth African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU)
In the 1930s various trade unions from different backgrounds ranging from conservative craft unions, white racist industrial unions, white dominated racially…
ArticleArts and Cultural Organisations
South Africa History Online has embarked, with the support of the NIHSS, on researching the role of the arts under apartheid. We hope that our work will…
ArticleLife in Sophiatown
As population in the freehold townships swelled, overcrowding and rack renting became the order of the day. Black property owners in Sophiatown were themselves…
ArticleSouth African Defence Force (SADF)
Early years The history of the South African Defence Force (SADF) can be traced to the 1660s. When Jan van Riebeeck landed at the Cape in 1652, he had with…
ArticleThe Congress of the People, Kliptown 1955
The adoption of the Freedom Charter by the Congress of the People was widely recognised both in South Africa and internationally as an event of major political…
ArticleNewspaper article: "The Coolies Here from the Natal Mercury", Thursday, November 22, 1860
"The past week will long be memorable amongst Anglo Natalians. At last, after the discussion of years and the extinction of hopes innumerable, the planters'…
ArticleDavid Goldblatt Timeline
1930 Born in Randfontein, South Africa, in 1930, the third son of Eli Goldblatt and Olga Light, both of whom came to South Africa as children with their…
ArticleJohannesburg the Segregated city
Contents Town & regional planning in Johannesburg Residential development in Johannesburg <a data-cke-saved-href="#Black residential development in…
ArticleIndian South Africans: 1924-1948 Legislation and Segregation
Contents Introduction The concept of segregation Discriminatory legislation up to 1924 Political Legislation Economic Legislation Legislation regarding…
ArticleBureau of State Security (BOSS)
The telling of the history of South African Intelligence Agencies is somewhat hamstrung by the fact that people from these agencies do not want their stories…
Kingdoms of southern Africa: Thulamela
The city of Thulamela from the air. It has walled areas like the ruins at Great Zimbabwe, which separate royalty from commoners. Source: www.chico.mweb.co.za …
Polokwane the Segregated city
Contents The Segregated City, 1910-1948 The Apartheid City A decade of Turbulence, 1976-86 Ructions within Afrikaner Politics Forced removals in the…
ArticleMohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) - Timeline: 1890-1899
1890 - 1899 1890 January 13-18, Gandhi took Matriculation examination. January 23-30, Attended Vegetarian Congress at Ventor. February 19, Result of…
Zulu Community
Late nineteenth century postcard of Zulu Warriors. Note the Europeans in the background. Source: Frescura Collection The pre-1994 apartheid system of…
ArticleA Charge of Treason by Norman Levy
This article was taken from the book The Final Prize by Norman Levy (Chapter 12) A Charge of Treason When detectives invaded the Congress of the People on 26…
ArticleSouth African Student Organisation (SASO)
The Origins and formation: The South African Student Organisation (SASO) was formed in 1968 after some members of the University of Natal’s Black Campus…
ArticleHighlights for 2013
South African History Online believes that history is made every day and to that effect we have compiled what we feel are the key historical events of 2013. We…
ArticleThe Bambatha Rebellion begins
The first sign of open resistance against payment of the tax came when a magistrate called A.W. Leslie went to collect taxes from the Hlongwa and Cele clans in…
ArticleTransport on water
Transport on water Ships and boats are as old as the desire to travel over and across water, and to fish. Boats are smaller than ships. They can be powered by…
Article‘Liberated’ Slaves? by Joline Young
While the abolition of the slave trade by Britain in 1808 was haled as a victory by abolitionists like Granville Scott and William Wilberforce,[i] for the…
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…
ArticleSita’s story
My Childhood at Phoenix Settlement I was born on 19th of October 1928 on my grandfather’s farm, which was fifteen miles away from the city, and in those days…
ArticleuMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Timeline 1961-1990
uMkhonto weSizwe (Spear of the Nation or MK), the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC), was jointly formed by leading members of the banned ANC…
Griqua
Introduction The arrival of the Boers and the colonial masters to the area known as Griqualand West, denied the Griquas the opportunity of following their…
Griqua community
The Griqua people’s history is not directly intertwined with that of Bloemfontein, however their history had an important influence on the history and…
Yusuf Dadoo Timeline: 1970 - 1979
1970 Early in 1970, the South African Communist Party (SACP) convenes a special meeting. Apart from members of the Central Committee, leading activists of…
ArticleSALDRU Newspaper Clippings Archive 1974 - 2000
The clippings collection built up by the Southern Africa Labour & Development Research Unit (Saldru) in the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town…
ArticleKKNK – Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees
The Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (abbreviated to KKNK) is a national arts festival with a primary focus on Afrikaans language in performing arts held…
ArticleThe 52nd ANC National Conference - Polokwane 2007
The 52nd African National Congress (ANC) National Conference took place from 16 – 20 December 2007 at the University of Limpopo in Polokwane. This conference…
ArticleCato Manor timeline 1650-2007
1650 Earliest known history - the Nqondo clan occupy the land now known as Cato Manor 1730 They are replaced by the Ntuli clan - it is unclear what…