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PlaceUmlazi
History of Umlazi The history of Umlazi (or Mlazi) dates back to 1845 when British settlers forcibly occupied what was then Natal (now KwaZulu Natal ) and…
PlaceKwaMashu
The development of KwaMashu Township, in the KwaZulu-Natal province and located some 19km north of Durban, resulted from the mass resettlement of the slum…
Dr Mamphela Ramphele interviewed by Rupert Taylor, 16 April 1998, Cape Town
Dr Mamphela Ramphele 16/4/98, Cape Town interviewed by Rupert Taylor Taylor: What is the nature of the conflict? Ramphele: I’ll take issue with the…
Biography of Caiphus Semenya
Caiphus Semenya is a South African composer, musician, and arranger that became known for his musical work while living in Southern California during South…
Origins: Formation, Sharpeville and banning, 1959-1960
For many years there was tension within the African National Congress (ANC) between those with different ideological and theoretical views. One of these views…
ArticleSS Clan Stuart
The SS Clan Stuart was blown ashore in 1914 between Glencairn and Simon's Town, along Cape Town’s west coast. The SS in the vessel's name stands for ‘steamship…
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…
PlaceOriental Plaza, Fordsburg, Johannesburg
Indoor bazaar with shops selling bargains from clothing to home-ware to spices, plus food stalls. Established in the Johannesburg suburb of Fordsburg in the…
EventThe Defiance Campaign against apartheid laws begins
Following the adoption of a Programme of Action in the 1949 annual congress, the ANC began the 1950s with mass action campaigns marked by boycotts, strikes and…
EventSouth African poet, writer and political activist, Mafika Pascal Gwala is born in Durban.
Mafika Pascal Gwala was born on 5 October 1946 in Verulam, north of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. He is the second child of five children of his parents. He…
The United Nations adopts resolution 1375 (XIV) on Apartheid
On this day in 1959, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 1375 (XIV) condemning South Africa's Apartheid policies at its 838th plenary…
EventTrade unionist Clements Kadalie dies in East London
Trade unionist, Lameck Koniwaka Kadali Muwamba, known by his adopted name, Clements Kadalie, was born in April 1896, near the Bandawe mission station in…
EventCastro decides to send troops to Angola to fight South Africa
The president of Cuba Fidel Castro decides to send Cuban troops to Angola in response to South Africa's invasion of the country. After attaining its…
EventLiberation struggle activists, Gwala and Mothopeng are released from Robben Island
Two members of the banned liberation movements, Harry Gwala, a member of the African National Congress (ANC) and Zephania Mothopeng a member of the Pan…
EventEquatorial Guinea gains Independence from Spain
The colonial history of Equatorial Guinea dates back to 1471 when Portuguese explorers descended on the country. On their way to India, Portuguese explorers…
EventThe cornerstone of Cape Town City Hall is laid
Cape Towns City Hall's original foundations were laid at the turn of the 20th Century. The mayor of Cape Town, Thomas Ball, laid the corner stone of the City…
EventBoers occupying Magagabe Hill shell Rhodesian positions at Basuto Kop
The action that culminated with the Boers shelling Rhodesian positions at Basuto Kop on 16 February 1900 can be traced in part by Rhodesian fears that the…
EventChief Malaboch is taken prisoner
In April 1894, Chief Malaboch (Mmaleboho, Mmaleboxo) of the Bahananwa (Xananwa) people refused to leave his traditional mountain kingdom of Blouberg as ordered…
EventSir John Robinson forms Natal’s first ministry as Prime Minister
On 10 October 1893, Natal's first ministry was formed, with Sir John Robinson as Prime Minister, Minister of Education, and Colonial Secretary. Robinson, who…
PlaceWhite Horse Stones, Naval Hill, Bloemfontein
Also known as Witperd Klip. The stones were laid during the South African War by members of the Wiltshire Regiment who were then Stationed at Naval Hill. An…
BiographyIsaac Williams Wauchope
The esteemed teacher and journalist, Samuel E.K. Mqhayi described Isaac Williams Wauchope: “Rev Isaac Wauchope was truly handsome in appearance, a broad-faced…
Colonial history of Rustenburg
Origins of colonial settlement It is thought that Andries Hendrik Potgieter was one of the first Voortrekkers to settle in the Rustenburg area. David…
ArchiveLetter to Petros Sipho Mkhize from his father in Macambini, KwaZulu-Natal
A two-page handwritten letter in isiZulu on green paper, headed with the address of Mathubesizwe Secondary School, Nyoni (Macambini), with "Bethel Mission"…
EventGovernment's final consolidation of 'homelands'
The Nationalist party government announced its intention to consolidate the total number of separate 'homeland' areas from 113 to 36. The homelands were…
ArchiveDeborah Matshoba’s fight against Apartheid by Alec Russo
Apartheid in South Africa is a political system of segregation that perpetuated unequal relationships between Europeans and their descendants and local people…
EventBarend Strydom kills 8 People in Pretoria
On 15 November 1988, 21 year-old Barend Strydom went on a killing spree with his pistol and attempted to shoot every Black person he encountered. He killed 8…
ArchiveInterview with Lybon Tiyani Mabasa
Interview with Lybon Tiyani Mabasa, a leader in the Azanian People's Organisation (AZAPO) at the time of this interview, was born in 1952 and graduated from…
EventProfessional soccer is introduced in SA when the National Football League is founded
In 1958, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) officially recognised the White body of the Football Association of South Africa (FASA) as…
EventAlbert Luthuli is elected as an ANC President
The African National Congress (ANC) was founded as the SANCC in 1912. John Dube was its first president, and the well known writer and poet, Sol Plaatje, was…
EventChurch Council meets PW Botha over unrest
A delegation of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) met with President P W Botha and other government leaders, following calls by the church for…