A triumphant Philip Kgosana being raised shoulder-high by anti-pass protesters on 30 March 1960. (Photo: Wikipedia)
On 30 March 1960 a 23-year-old black man became instantly famous for courageously leading a non-violent protest march of about 30 000 people in Cape Town against the infamous pass laws. His name was Philip Kgosana.
Image: The cover of Hendrik Snyders’s new book on the history of sevens rugby in South Africa. (Source: Naledi)
Ever thought history was ‘dead’? Well, think again! A new book on the history of sevens rugby in South Africa will convince any history skeptic that the subject is far from boring. Dr Hendrik Snyders, head of the National Museum’s History Department and a specialist sport historian, wrote the long-awaited book that contains all the elements of a fast-paced and exciting sevens rugby match.
Charlotte Maxeke’s Bloemfontein links and their significance to women
In commemoration of the birth of Charlotte Mannya Maxeke 150 years ago, the National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has named 2021 The Year of Charlotte Mannya Maxeke. During the official launch in April 2021, the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, reminded South Africans that Charlotte was the only female delegate who had attended the founding of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC; later renamed the African National Congress or ANC) in Bloemfontein in 1912.
An official photograph of the group known as the ‘Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela’. Peter Swartz is standing in the back row, third from the left (Photo source: National Museum).
He was one of Nelson Mandela’s so-called ‘12 disciples’; he was born and bred in Heidedal; and an informal township (‘Peter Swart’) in Mangaung was named after him. Say the name ‘Peter Swartz’ today and some people might have heard of him but, sadly, few really know who this mostly ‘unknown’ figure and ‘lost disciple’ of South Africa’s liberation history really is. The reason for this unfortunate situation is that much of Peter’s life history is obscure; it remains hidden in the grey areas of South Africa’s struggle history. Fortunately, Peter’s sacrifices are neither hidden nor lost. His important contribution to South Africa’s liberation history has cemented his name as one of the country’s great struggle veterans who fought for basic human rights for all South Africans.
Pandemics have literally plagued the world for millennia and will continue to do so due to the simple concept of evolution. Contemporary viruses reflect evolution ranging from the RNA[1] world to the DNA[2]-protein world. Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on earth and are present everywhere, from our environment to every living being in it. A virus has the ability to combine with another and form a completely new virus to which we have no defense.