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EventDesmond Tutu is elected Archbishop
The Most Rev. Desmond Mpilo Tutu was elected Bishop of Cape Town, thereby becoming Archbishop of South Africa, heading the Anglican Church of South Africa. He…
EventCliff Drysdale, the tennis star is born
Eric Clifford “Cliff” Drysdale was born in Nelspruit on 26 May 1941.[i] He was widely regarded as one of the best tennis players South Africa has ever produced…
Rethinking the William Fehr Collection
The William Fehr Collection had been on exhibition at the Castle – more or less unchanged – from the 1950s. The core of the collection comprises historical…
EventANC activists bribe warder and escape from prison
Four political detainees, Harold Wolpe, a listed Communist arrested on the Bechuanaland border, Arthur Goldreich, caught in the Rivonia raid, Moosa Moolla,…
EventNuclear Reactor At Pelindaba Goes Critical
On this date the nuclear reactor Safari, located in Pelindaba, near Pretoria, went critical and South Africa entered the nuclear age. The US firm Allis…
EventFive prominent anti-apartheid activists released
Five prominent anti-apartheid activists were released in Cape Town after being detained for up to two years under the Internal Security Act. The five are…
Seedtime: Omar Badsha Retrospective
A major retrospective exhibition of Omar Badsha’s drawings, woodcuts and photographic essays from the mid-1960s to 2000s. His drawings are being shown for the…
ArticleAfrican National Congress Youth League (ANCYL)
The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) was established on 2 April 1944, by Anton Lambede (who became the League’s first President), Nelson Mandela,…
The Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA): CODESA 1
On October 25 1991, ninety-two organisations that were united in their opposition to apartheid gathered in Durban to form the Patriotic Front. The Front…
ArchiveIndia’s African Sufis - Demystified! by Blanche Michael
From the hypnotic effects of the circular motions of the spiritual dancing of whirling dervishes to the mesmerising qawwali [1]performances of the likes of the…
EventThe Immigration Regulation Act is passed in South Africa
On 14 June 1913, the first Immigration Regulation Act, which limited the free movement of Asians, and restricted their entry into the country, was passed in…
EventNUSAS President Ian Robertson is banned
The President of the National Union of South Africa Students (NUSAS), Ian Robertson, receives a banning order under the Suppression of Communism Act of 1950…
EventHarold Strachan is served with restriction order
Harold Strachan, former South African Air Force pilot in World War 2 and member of the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) and Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the…
EventCharles Taylor wins presidential election
Liberian rebel leader Charles Taylor ascended to presidential power in a peaceful election following a seven-year civil war, launched from neighbouring Cote d…
EventBambata Rebellion: The Natal government offers a reward of £500 for the capture of Bambata
One of the roots of the Bambata/Bambatha Rebellion can be traced to the sustained pressure by colonial authorities on traditional societies in order to force…
EventUDF organises boycott of Coloured and Indian parliamentry elections
On 22 August 1984 the United Democratic Front, an internal coalition of anti-apartheid groups, organised highly successful boycotts of the Coloured and Indian…
EventHolomisa on corruption
The ANC strongly denies Holomisa's charge of accepting payments from Sol Kerzner. In May 1996, Bantu Holomisa, former ruler of Transkei and Deputy Minister of…
ArchiveBiography of Amina Desai by Cole Deal
With the rise of apartheid in 1948, millions of Africans were left to suffer in South Africa. Many groups rallied against the Afrikaner government through…
ArchiveBiography of Dulcie September by Claire Albin
Dulcie September was a fierce and ambitious anti-apartheid activist in South Africa. Her work with various resistance groups throughout her life, particularly…
EventBhambatha becomes chief
Chief Magadu Bhambatha, who was held responsible for the Impi Yamakhanda (poll tax) uprising that was popularly known as the Bambatha rebellion became chief of…
EventSibongile Khumalo was born on this day
On this day Sibongile Khumalo was born in Orlando, Soweto. She is one of the most recognized jazz musicians in South Africa. She was launched into the…
EventProfessor John Fleming “Jack” Brok dies
On 3 July 1983, John Fleming (Jack) Brock died – he was a scientist, physician and a professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Cape Town…
EventSA cartoonist, Daniel Cornelis Boonzaaier is born
South African cartoonist Daniël Cornelis Boonzaaier was born at Patatsrivier in the Cape Province in 1865. Boonzaaier became famous for his caricatures and…
EventMembers of the AAM hand over a memorandum to Verwoerd's private secretary about Apartheid policies
On 10 March 1961, members of the Anti-apartheid Movement (AAM) ended their 72 - hour vigil outside Lancaster house in London. The demonstrators marched through…
EventThe Separate Representation of Voters Amendment Act commences
The Separate Representation of Voters Amendment Act No 30 of 1956 came into effect, amending the 1951 Separate Representation of Voters Act No 46 of 1951 to…
EventInkatha becomes a political party
The Inkatha National Cultural Liberation Movement, founded on 21 March 1975, was transformed into the multi-racial Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) at a special…
EventDr Louis Luyt resigns as president of the SARFU
After a month-long controversy including charges of racism, nepotism and mismanagement in the sport. On Thursday 7 May, South African Rugby Football Union …
Message from Dr. AB Xuma, President-General of ANC, to the United Nations, 22 January 1946
Message from Dr. AB Xuma, President-General of ANC, to the United Nations opposing South Africa`s proposal for incorporation of South West Africa 22 January…
ArticleStaffrider magazine (1978-1993)
Introduction Staffrider was a South African literary and arts magazine published by Ravan Press in Johannesburg from 1978 to 1993. It took its name and…
The ANC’s attempt to become the sole legitimate representative of the people of South Africa by Martin Plaut
In 1979 the African National Congress launched an attempt to receive international recognition as the “sole legitimate representative of the people of South…