South African Congress of Democrats (COD)

Leon Levy

6 February 2026

Trade unionist, Author, SACTU Leader and 1956 Treason trialist

United Democratic Front (UDF)

The United Democratic Front (UDF) was an anti-apartheid body that incorporated many anti-apartheid organisations. It was...

Jeanette Eleanor Kasrils

Jeanette Eleanor Kasrils

ANC, Congress of Democrats, SACP and Umkhonto we Sizwe member, geologist

Helen Joseph

Teacher, social worker, political activist, political prisoner, banned person, trade unionist, founder member of the Con...

Sheila Weinberg

Sheila Weinberg

Member of the African National Congress (ANC) and the SACP, secretary of the Human Rights Committee, member of the Johan...

Ruth First

Member of the SACP and ANC, founder member of the South African Congress of Democrats (COD) and Author.

South African Communist Party (SACP)

South African Communist Party (SACP)

9 February 2024

On 30 July 2011, the South African Communist Party (SACP) celebrated its 90th anniversary. Initially known as the Commun...

uMkhonto weSizwe (MK)

uMkhonto weSizwe (MK)

On 16 December, 1961, Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) was launched as an armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). The...

Ronald (Ronnie) Kasrils

Ronald (Ronnie) Kasrils

17 November 2023

Member of the African National Congress (ANC); Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and secretary of the Congress of Democrats in the ...

Jacqueline (Jackie) Arenstein

Jacqueline (Jackie) Arenstein

Journalist, Legal Advisor to Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, jailed from 1966-1970 under the Suppression of Communism Act, c...

Rowley Israel Arenstein

Rowley Israel Arenstein

30 January 2022

Lawyer, banned person, trade union advisor, member of the South African Communist Party and Congress of Democrats, advi...

South African Congress of Democrats (COD)

South African Congress of Democrats (COD)

In 1952, Whites who identified themselves with the aspirations of those who participated in the Defiance Campaign formed...

Esther Barsel

Political activist, worked with SACTU and a member of the Young Communist League (YCL) and the South African Communist P...

Yetta Barenblatt

Yetta Barenblatt

26 November 2020

Trade Unionist, member of the East London Worker’s Civic League and Secretary of the Congress of Democrats (CoD) in 1954...

Shulamith Muller

Shulamith Muller

16 November 2020

Attorney, Member of the South African Communist Party, National General Secretary of the National Union of Distributive ...

10 November 2020

Political activist, Member of the Union of Jewish Women, regional secretary of the Federation of South African Women and...

Jean Bernadt (nee Alkin)

Jean Bernadt (nee Alkin)

9 November 2020

Member of the CPSA, member of the National Council of Women, the Congress of Democrats, the Federation of South African...

Percy John "Jack" Hodgson

Percy John "Jack" Hodgson

4 November 2020

Political activist, Member of the South African Communist Party (SACP) .

Rica Hodgson

26 October 2020

A member of South African Congress of Democrats (COD), and the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA)

Pieter Arnoldus Beyleveld

Pieter Arnoldus Beyleveld

3 September 2019

National organiser for the Labour Party, in 1952, President of the Congress of Democrats, President of the South African...

Marius Schoon

3 September 2019

Member of COD and activist

Dr. Hillard Festenstein

Dr. Hillard Festenstein

3 September 2019

A Medical Doctor. A member of the African National Congress and Umkhonto we Sizwe.

Anne Heyman

3 September 2019

A member of the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), the South African Communist Party (SACP) and South African Congr...

South African Indian Congress (SAIC)

South African Indian Congress (SAIC)

The period 1860-1923 is characterised firstly by the introduction of indentured Indian labourers into Natal and of the "...

Defiance Campaign 1952

Defiance Campaign 1952

The post-1948 period saw the African National Congress (ANC) abandoning its traditional reliance on tactics of moderatio...

African National Congress (ANC)

African National Congress (ANC)

The African National Congress (ANC) is South Africa's governing party and has been in power since the transition to demo...