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Statement by Oliver Tambo on the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress on the 25th Anniversary of the formation of Umkhonto We Sizwe, 16 December 1986
Umkhonto We Sizwe - "Born of the people" This day 25 years ago bomb blasts in several main centres rocked South Africa. Thus was born Umkhonto we Sizwe, the…
"Umkhonto we Sizwe - Born of the People": Statement of the National Executive Comittee of the ANC on the 25th Anniversary of the Formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe by O. R. Tambo, 16 December 1986
This day 25 years ago bomb blasts in several main centres rocked South Africa. Thus was born Umkhonto we Sizwe, the People's Army of our country. By…
ArticleSouth African Film
Feature Films are the long format, fictional (non-factual) films you see in cinemas. They are called long format because they are longer than most other forms…
Launch of The Eye of the Needle by Richard Turner
Described by Nelson Mandela as a source of inspiration, Richard Turner was a central figure in the white South African student movement and key in its…
EventNatal is formally separated from the Cape Colony
On 15 July 1856, Natal Colony (now known as Kwazulu Natal) was formally separated from the Cape Colony by means of the Charter of Natal. The Cape Governor…
EventBanned PAC Leader, Robert Sobukwe, is refused an exit permit to leave SA
On 22 June 1971 a Pretoria court ruled that the former leader of the banned Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Robert Sobukwe, would not be allowed to use his…
EventErfdeel farm in Orange Free State becomes SA’s richest gold deposit
On 3 June 1954, a mining engineer at the Erfdeel farm in the Orange Free State pulled up a drill-core laden with ore from nearly 6,000-feet. The Essayists…
Imijondolo
Published in 1985, Imijondolo, (the isi Zulu word for a shack or informal housing), is Omar Badsha's second book of photographs. Badsha's groundbreaking book…
EventThe Liquor Laws Amendment Bill comes into effect
Location: back to this day in history search archive The Liquor Act, which was passed on 23 June 1927, prohibited Africans and Indians from serving liquor,…
EventThe Cato Manor riots begin due to the ‘beer issue’ and looming forced removals
In terms of the notorious Group Areas Act (1950), the following proclamation was made in June 1958: 'In Cato Manor, Natal; 25,798 Indians, 2,107 Coloureds and…
EventThe African National Congress (ANC) calls a meeting to chart a way forward for the Defiance Campaign
On 29 July 1951 the African National Congress (ANC) called a meeting in Johannesburg. Executives from the South African Indian Congress (SAIC), the African…
EventANC adopts the Programme of Action
The adoption of a Programme of Action by the African National Congress (ANC) at the December conference marked one of the most important turning points in the…
EventBhekisani Manyoni, artist, is born in Greytown
On 6 September 1945, Bhekisani Manyoni was born in Greytown, Natal (now KwaZulu Natal). He later moved with his family to the Dundee area, near Rorke's Drift,…
EventTreason Trial of 16 UDF members resumes
Thirty years after the first Treason trial in 1956, 16 members of the United Democratic Front (UDF) were accused of treason in the Pietermaritzburg Supreme…
EventThe South African security police bombed two houses in Manzini, Swaziland
In response to attacks on the Sasol oil refinery in Secunda, the South African security police bombed two houses in Manzini, Swaziland. The attacks claimed the…
EventThe National President of the Black People’s Convention, Kenneth Hlaku Rachidi, declares that riots have lead to a new era of political consciousness
On 27 June 1976, almost two weeks after the Soweto Uprising on 16 June, Kenneth Hlaku Rachidi, the National President of the Black People's Convention (BPC),…
EventKaunda announces nationalisation of Copper mines
Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda announces nationalisation of copper mining companies, key to Zambia's economy contributing over 50 percent of government…
EventA South African spy is released from jail
Location: back to this day in history search archive Odile Harrington, a South African convicted and imprisoned for espionage in Zimbabwe in 1987, was…
PlaceReitz
An agricultural town in the Orange Free State province, Reitz is 51km from Bethlehem. At an altitude of 1622 metres, Reitz has an annual rainfall of about…
EventGermany declares South West Africa a German protectorate
Deutsch-Südwestafrika (German South West Africa), established its capitol at Otjimbingwe in 1885, then at Windhuk in 1891. It covered the core of what is…
EventThe first cable connection between SA and Europe is launched
On 31 July 1879, the first cable connection between South Africa and Europe, via Aden, was launched. It was laid by the British electrical engineer Charles…
EventZuid-Afrikaansche Republiek decides that December 16 will be a public holiday called Dingaan’s Day
The decision to make December 16 a holiday named Dingaan’s Day was in celebration for what Voortrekkers viewed as a 'victory' over Zulu warriors near the Ncome…
Book 3: Migration, Land and Minerals in the Making of South Africa - Glossary
From the book: Book 3: Migration, Land and Minerals in the Making of South Africa commissioned by The Department of Education accentuate- to make more…
PlaceMaynardville Open Air Theatre
The Maynardville Open Air Theatre is a popular and central part of Cape Town’s art scene – chiefly known for its Shakespeare performances and its ballet nights…
Book 5: People, Places and Apartheid - Introduction
From the book: Book 5: People, Places and Apartheid commissioned by The Department of Education Zinzi Mandela at Jabulani stadium 10 February 1985 © Mayibuye…
ArticleThe caring nature of Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu
Nontsikelelo Albertina has been described countless times as a caring and service-oriented individual who spent her life lifting up those around her, whether…
Speech delivered on the condolence motion in honour of the late Ebrahim "Cas" Saloojee in the national assembly – 5 February 2009
Madam Speaker I am truly humbled to have been selected by the ANC to present a message of condolence and an obituary on the late Ebrahim "Cas" Saloojee. It…
ArticleThe Berlin Conference
The Berlin Conference can be best understood as the formalisation of the Scramble for Africa. This British coined the term sometime in 1884, and it has since…
ArticleTimeline of the Marikana Massacre 2012 - 2013
The events at Lonmin Mine in Marikana in the North West Province were a tragic stain on the history of post Apartheid South Africa. This timeline chronicles…
ArticleThe Cordoned Heart
South Africa: The Cordoned Heart is considered as one of the seminal photographic exhibitions and books of the 1980’s. The exhibition and book was a product of…