Politics & Society
126 records
ArticleuMkhonto weSizwe (MK)
On 16 December, 1961, Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) was launched as an armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). The formation of the…
ArticleA Short History of ESKOM, Part 2 (2001-2022)
Following on from Part 1, this article seeks to analyse some of the historical and present dynamics bedevilling ESKOM. Over the past twenty…
ArticleA Short History of ESKOM, Part 1 (1923-2001)
This short history of Electrical Supply Commission (ESKOM) aims to provide an overview of the history of the power utility over its first…
The Sweet Workers’ Union
The Sweet Workers’ Union (SWU) originated as an offshoot of the short-lived Women Workers’ Union, founded by Fanny Klenerman in the mid…
Women’s Food Committees in Cape Town during the 1940s
The political importance of women’s food committees in Cape Town during the 1940s has been emphasised by both Cheryl Walker and Tom Lodge…
ArticleWomen and The Food and Canning Workers’ Union
The fruit-canning industry in South Africa can be traced to the late nineteenth century, when the first jam factories opened in Paarl and…
ArticleSouthern Methodist University Partnership Project - 2020 submissions
Claire Albin Claire Albin is a sophomore at Southern Methodist University originally from Shreveport, Louisiana. She is currently…
ArticlePoor Whites and their Political Weapon: Constructing the Kakamas Dam
The term “poor whites” was coined during the 19th century, as the mineral revolution and development of mines forced smaller farmers off…
ArticleThe Roots of Apartheid in the Construction of Buchuberg Dam
At the start of the 20th century South Africa faced a poor white epidemic. The state justified Apartheid as an "anti-poverty program for…
ArticleNontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu’s “Mother of the Nation” Legacy
Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu, affectionately known as Ma Sisulu, has been described countless times as a caring and service-oriented…
ArticleThe Azania Liberation Support Committee and its publications
The Azania Liberation Support Committee (ALSC) was formed in London around 1983 by Roseinnes Phahle and other individuals of various…
ArticleThe Nelson Mandela Presidency - 1994 to 1999
In 1991, Nelson Mandela was elected the president of the African National Congress (ANC), and his friend and colleague, Oliver Tambo, was…
ArticleSPEAK Magazine (1982 - 1994)
This article was written by Carly Spagnola and forms part of the SAHO and Southern Methodist University partnership project Since the…
ArticleWomen’s Revolts in Natal: 1959
Most people credit the abolition of apartheid to many organisations and leaders, such as the African National Congress and Nelson Mandela…
ArticleWomen’s Role in the Negotiations by Nicole Dellaportas
This article was written by Nicole Dellaportas and forms part of the SAHO and Southern Methodist University partnership project Women’s…
ArticleWomen in the Cities and the Resistance Movement
ArticleRace and ethnicity in South Africa
Race and ethnicity have been and still is at the heart of South African history, politics, society and economy since the European…
ArticleThe role of traditional leaders during Apartheid
Introduction The institution of traditional leadership represents an early form of societal organisation. It embodies the protection of…
Article1994 Cabinet
Cabinet Members Ministry / Portfolio Minister / Incumbent Deputy Minister(s) …
ArticleTimeline 20 years of Democracy 1994 to 2014
1994 27 April,South Africa's interim constitution which was adopted in November 1993 came into effect on 27th April 1994 to administer…
Article1973 Durban Strikes
Introduction On 9 January 1973, workers at the Coronation Brick and Tile factory, outside Durban, came out on strike. Immediately…
ArticleTeachers League of South Africa (TLSA) conference in 1925
Background The establishment of the Teachers’ League of South Africa (TLSA) emerged out of increasing racial segregation in the Cape…
ArticleA History of Official Government HIV/AIDS Policy in South Africa
The HIV/AIDS Crisis Emerges: Reponses of the Apartheid GovernmentIn 1982, the first case of AIDS in South Africa was reported in a…
ArticleBattle of Cuito Cuanavale 1988
Introduction The battle of Cuito Cuanavale and the Cuban intervention in Angola is one of the turning points in Southern African History…
ArticleHistory of elections in South Africa
Introduction The South Africa Act passed by the British Parliament in 1909 combined the self-governing British colonies of the Natal,…
ArticleKwaMsiza - A Ndebele village
KwaMsiza is a village of 49 families located some 50km north of Pretoria. Its residents are Ndzundza Ndebele, and belong to three major…
ArticleThe death of Samora Machel
This feature celebrates Samora Machel and examines the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death and acknowledges the contribution…
ArticleList of SADF raids into Neigbouring Countries
Cross border raids 1975 August Invasion of Angola. 1978 4 May Air and ground strike on SWAPO refugee camp at…
ArticleThe Women’s Charter
Adopted at the Founding Conference of the Federation of South African Women Johannesburg, 17 April 1954. The Charter expressed the…
ArticleThe 1956 Women’s March, Pretoria, 9 August
‘Strijdom, you have tampered with the women, You have struck a rock.' So runs the song composed to mark this historic occasion. By…