Connections · Richard David Turner Timeline 1941 - 1978

1941 Born in Cape Town of British parents c. 1947-58 At school in Cape Town 1953 Father dies 1958 Matriculates from St George’s grammar school 1959 Registers for BSc Engineering at University of Cape Town 1960 Changes to philosophy 1960 Sharpeville – black mass movement curtailed and white opposition groups shown to be ineffectual 1963 BSc (Hons) – Philosophy, University of Cape Town 1963 Becomes involved in NUSAS (National Union of South African Students) 1964 First marriage, to Barbara Hubbard 1964 Begins studying for a doctorate on Jean-Paul Sartre at the University of Paris under Professor Jean Wahl 1964-1966 Travels in Italy, Yugoslavia, Austria, Belgium and Britain 1966 Completes doctorate and returns to South Africa with his family 1967 Farms at his mother’s farm, Welcarmes, in Stellenbosch 1969 Teaches for six months as a temporary lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch 1969 Teaches for six months as a temporary lecturer at Rhodes University 1970 Makes contact with Black Consciousness leaders, among whom is Steve Biko 1970 Appointed as lecturer in Political Science at the University of Natal 1970 End of first marriage: second marriage to Foszia Fisher, a ‘Coloured’ student, by Moslem rites 1971 Research programme on working conditions in industrial plants 1971 Workers’ Education Project 1971 Started South African Labour Bulletin 1971-72 Involvement with SPRO-CAS (Stidy Project on Christianity in an Apartheid Society) begins 1972 Publication of SPRO-CAS Economics Commission report (he is a member of the Commission) 1972 First publication of The Eye of the Needle 1972 NUSAS National Seminar and National Leadership Training Seminar 1972 Initiates Education Reform Association to get going a discussion on education 1972 Commission of Enquiry into Certain Organisations (NUSAS, University Christian Movement, Christian Institute, South African Institute of Race Relations), i.e. the Schlebusch Commission, begins its investigations, and calls him to give evidence as political adviser to NUSAS (although he is involved in projects with all these institutions) 1973 Publication of SPRO-CAS Politics Commission Report (he is a member of the Commission) 1973 February, with 7 NUSAS leaders, he is given a restriction order (a “banning” order), which prevents him for the period of 5 years from attending gatherings, leaving Durban, and also from entering factories, trade union premises, or the University of Natal, and from publishing or preparing for publication any material whatever (he is not allowed to teach, but the University keeps him on the payroll anyway) 1973 Durban strikes 1976 Expert witness for the defence in the trial of 9 Black Consciousness leaders under the Terrorism Act 1976 Soweto riots 1978 8 January, his wife Foszia visits Botswana, and is searched and harassed at the border; meanwhile, at midnight, an unknown gunman knocks at his front door, and wounds him fatally when he comes to the window to see who it is. Turner dies in the presence of both his daughters