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EventThe Choice of Termination Act is enacted by the Parliament of South Africa
From February 1 1997, the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act was enacted by the Parliament of South Africa, granting unrestricted access to abortion to any…
PlaceBoys High School, Pretoria
It was declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 26 May 1978. National Cultural History and Open Air Museum, Pretoria. Pretoria Boys High…
EventMilitary service becomes compulsory for White South African men.
The Defense Amendment Bill, designed to make military service compulsory for White young men, was passed on 9 June 1967 - with the support of the opposition…
EventThe ship São Bento (St Benedict) is wrecked on the Transkei coast
Though the date on which the São Bento was shipwrecked is under dispute (some sources claim the ship was wrecked on the 22 April 1554), the reason for the…
EventDr Robert Broom is born
This day in history, Robert Broom, known for having discovered “Mrs Ples”, was born in Paisley, Scotland. Though Broom was educated as a doctor, specializing…
EventFormer Ivorian president is extradited to the ICC
Former Cote d'Ivoire President, Laurent Koudou Gbagbo, was extradited to the International Criminal Court (ICC) following an arrest warrant issued by the…
PlaceAlabama, Klerksdorp
Township 6 km West of Klerksdorp in the North West. It is said to take its name indirectly from the State in South-East America. Named after, the Confederate…
EventLesotho’s Foreign Affairs Minister reveals details of agreement with Pik Botha
On 4 December 1981 Lesotho's Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Mooki Molapo, told The Star of an agreement reached with the South African Minister of Foreign…
EventFlorence Nightingale, British nurse in the Crimean War, is born
Florence Nightingale was born on 12 May 1820 in Florence, Italy. From an early age, she felt it was her calling to become a nurse, but mainly due to class and…
Liberal Opinion/Reality
Liberal Opinion (1961-1968) was published by the Liberal Party of South Africa which was established in 1953 by Alan Paton, after the National Government had…
ArchiveCommittee report: Education charter campaign
Report of the Education Charter Campaign, a joint campaign of the Azanian Students Organisation, the Congress of South African Students and the National Union…
Commemorating fifty years since District Six was declared for whites only
Start time: Thursday, February 11 at 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM in UTC+02 50 years ago, it was decreed that District Six should be home to whites only. All…
ArchiveSome aspects of the South African industrial revolution
This is the seventh address in the Hoernle Memorial Lecture series deliverd by Dr. H.J. Van Eck. He describes very clearly the economic conditions in South…
PlaceGoede Hoop Wine Estate
The Bestbier family first bought this farm in 1928 and today it’s still run by the family with Pieter Bestbier (now a third generation winemaker) at the helm. …
EventTutu leads biggest anti-apartheid protest march in South Africa
On 13 September 1989 Desmond Tutu led an anti-apartheid march with thirty thousand estimated participants in Cape Town. This march leads to more peaceful…
EventRobert McBride is born
The African National Congress (ANC) member and current chief of Ekurhuleni Metro Police, Robert McBride, was born in Addington Hospital, Durban. McBride led…
EventMarthinus van Schalkwyk is born
Marthinus van Schalkwyk leader of the New National Party was born on 10 November 1959. He replaced FW de Klerk as leader of the National Party in 1997 and…
EventWinkie Direko is born
Isabella Winkie Direko, former teacher, winner of the Bloemfonteiner of the Year Award in 1993 and Premier of the Free State since 17 June 1999, was born in…
EventApartheid leader P. W. Botha Resigns
P. W. Botha suffers a mild stroke and, on this day he announces his intention to resign the National Party presidency while remaining State President. His…
EventWynand Malan leads the newly formed National Democratic Movement
Former National Party (NP) member of parliament, Wynand Malan, lead the newly formed Afrikaans dominated political party, the National Democratic Movement (NDM…
EventTranskei Defense Force topples Transkei Bantustan leader George Matanzima, but denies coup
George Matanzima, brother of Kaiser Matanzima and leader of the Transkei Bantustan, was toppled by his military and forced to flee from the Transkei after a…
EventDisaster strikes as Portuguese ship São João sinks
The Portuguese ship São João went down near the mouth of the Mzimvubu River (at the present Port St. Johns) with 600 people on board. The ship was returning…
EventBBC reports demonstrations at a game ranch in SA
BBC News reported that hundreds of demonstrators have protested at a game ranch in South Africa over the ill-treatment of fourteen baby elephants from Botswana…
EventElize Botha dies
Mrs Elize Botha, first wife of former State President P.W. Botha, died unexpectedly of a heart attack at the age of 75 in the Wilderness, Western Cape. About…
EventWinnie Mandela is dismissed from government
Following weeks of speculations on the fate of Winnie Mandela in the government, president Nelson Mandela eventually expelled her from the position of deputy…
EventWoolf Joel is killed due to his refusal to kidnap President Paul Kruger
On 14 March 1898, 34 year old Woolf Joel, Barney Barnato's nephew, was shot and killed by Baron Von Veltheim because he refused to assist in kidnapping…
EventSA Journalist James Gray is born
South African journalist, newspaper proprietor and former editor of the Pretoria News, James Andrew Gray was born in Scotland. He served on the staff of the…
EventPutin visits South Africa
Russian president Vladimir Putin arrived in Cape Town, leading a delegation of government officials and business people on a two day official visit. This was…
Commemorative Walk
We are organising a symbolic train trip from Durban Central railway station to Charlestown on the 30 November. Leaving Durban at 1.45 a.m. and returning at 10…
EventBernert Willemsz Wijlant, the first White baby, is born at the Cape
Two months after Dutch man Jan Van Riebeek and the Dutch East India Company arrived in the Cape, the first white baby was born. The baby was named Bernert…