Archives & Human Rights Documentation
 
10 April 2013
April 10 marks 20 years since the assassination of the South African Communist Party leader and Commander of uMkhonto weSizwe (ANC military wing), Chris Hani in 1993 aged 47.    
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24 March 2013
The International Day for the Right to the Truth was proclaimed by the UN in December 2010 in honour of human rights violation victims.    
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28 February 2013
A valuable collection of 60 hand-written letters from John Harris to his sister Jane whilst in prison has been donated to SAHA   
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28 February 2013
To mark Human Rights Month, SAHA and the SABC, are launching a new website centering on the 87-part ‘Truth Commission Special Report' television series, last broadcast 15 years ago.    
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27 February 2013
No policies, processes or procedures. Outdated archival tools and recording materials. No budget allocated for over 5 years. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the sad state of the South African Police video archives.   
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14 February 2013
Established as the highest legal authority in the land in all constitutional matters, this court is a key institution in ensuring that the country's democratic principles are upheld.   
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01 February 2013
Onkgopotse Tiro was assassinated by apartheid agents and the TRC failed to conduct an in-depth investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.   
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31 January 2013
In early 2013, SAHA will be working on the repatriation of struggle posters and other anti-apartheid archival materials from the Netherlands.   
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31 January 2013
Developed by the Colombian Historical Memory Group in collaboration with the University of British Columbia & memory workers from around the world, including SAHA, this resource is now available for download.   
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31 January 2013
This report and virtual exhibition draws on an oral and photographic community history project to document the history of Tembisa. The report is now available for a free download from the SAHA website.   
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14 January 2013
SAHA is seeking a project archivist to work with the archival team at SAHA on an archival project in the first half of 2013. This is a grant-funded, temporary position at the SAHA offices at Constitution Hill in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.   
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08 December 2012
SAHA launched the ZAPU report and exhibition, ZAPU Through Zenzo Nkobi's Lens, at Constitution Hill on December 8 where ex-combatants had the opportunity of reuniting to share stories of the Zimbabwean struggle for independence.   
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07 December 2012
The report and exhibition draws on an oral history and research project undertaken by the SAHA in 2010/2011 into aspects of the armed struggle for Zimbabwean independence.   
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30 November 2012
Two collections relating to the history of Zimbabwe, particularly the history of ZAPU and its armed wing, ZPRA have recently been processed and are now available for consultation at SAHA.   
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27 November 2012
27 November marks the day where Neil was arrested and detained by security police for his involvement in labour movement. 3 months later he died in police custody at John Vorster Square.   
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31 October 2012
The France-South Africa Seasons 2012-2013, Ina and its partner DOXA will hold a 2-day seminar on audiovisual archiving at the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town, on 13 and 14 November 2012.   
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23 October 2012
Ahmed was one of the victims who plunged to his death from the notorious 10th floor of John Vorster Square, now Johannesburg Central Police Station, in 1971.   
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15 October 2012
This legislation formed part of many other racial segregationist laws and regulations of the apartheid system. It provided for and legalized the racial segregation of public amenities and services.   
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28 September 2012
To celebrate Heritage Month 2012, the City of Ekurhuleni and SAHA launched a report and a virtual exhibition ‘Entering Tembisa' based on an oral based on an oral and document history collection project conducted by SAHA in 2010 and 2011.   
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11 September 2012
The Protection of Personal Information Bill, passed by the National Assembly on 11 September, includes exciting changes for access to information but deals a severe blow to the archival sector already struggling to meet the demands of national heritage.   
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31 August 2012
The UDF, a former struggle movement, was launched during the month of August and was also dissolved in August. Recently, some activists have been pushing for it to be resuscitated, a call that has been criticised by others.   
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27 August 2012
The struggle stalwart, Neville Alexander, died aged 75 at his home in Grassy Park on the Cape Flats, in the Western Cape Province, after a long battle with cancer.    
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20 August 2012
SAHA has moved from Wits University to new offices in Johannesburg's Constitution Hill complex in Braamfontein. Contact details have also changed.    
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09 August 2012
As the nation celebrates National Women's Day, SAHA developed a virtual exhibition, ‘Women hold up half the sky - commemorating women in the struggle', which explores women's struggles and contribution in the fight against apartheid.    
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03 August 2012
SAHA has moved to new offices from Wits University to Johannesburg's Constitution Hill complex in Braamfontein.    
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30 July 2012
As Team SA starts on a high note at the London 2012 Olympics, SAHA takes a look at the South African sports journey from boycotts to triumphs.    
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23 July 2012
This forced all black people from the age of 16 to carry passes at all times, as a way of monitoring their movement of blacks in white areas. It was abolished on 23 July, 1986.    
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19 July 2012
The two icons; Bessie Head and Ingrid Jonker, made an invaluable contribution to the literary world with some of their works being used as part of the syllabus in schools.    
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05 July 2012
This meeting between the two rivals began a significant process of negotiations which paved the way towards a government of national unity in South Africa.    
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28 June 2012
Jeanette and her husband Marius were anti-apartheid activists who paid the ultimate price for their involvement in the fight against apartheid.   
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26 June 2012
As the world commemorates the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on June 26, civil society organisations in South Africa bemoan the leniency with which torture is treated in the country.    
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20 June 2012
This day is intended to honour the courage, strength and determination of all those who are forced to flee from their homes under threat of persecution, conflict and violence.    
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30 May 2012
As part of the country's reconciliation efforts, Sierra Leone has made available records of its TRC's process on a newly launched website.   
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28 May 2012
May 28 was marked as World Hunger Day to recognise the plight of those living in poverty, to raise awareness about the problem of hunger, as well as to come up with initiatives to deal with this human right issue.    
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24 May 2012
More than 180 people died in the crossfire between the police and members of the Israelites' church. They had gathered on a piece of land they had been instructed to vacate.    
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17 May 2012
This day was launched in 2004 where initiatives and events are coordinated worldwide to garner support for the respect and recognition of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people.    
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15 May 2012
As the world commemorates this day, SAHA hopes that its virtual exhibition on the End Conscription Campaign will demonstrate the ongoing relevance of the movement and its influence on the world stage on issues of struggles for justice.    
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08 May 2012
Adopted on 8 May 1996, this document guarantees rights to everyone within SA borders. The socio-economic situation and the proposed regressive laws threaten the very same principles it seeks to enforce.    
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25 April 2012
The Right2Know Campaign is hosting a series of events to mark South African \"Freedom Week\" which includes Freedom Day, Workers\' Day and World Press Freedom Day.    
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17 April 2012
At age 12, the then young Bessie was already one of Africa's most respected writers and she went on to earn an exceptional reputation as a journalist for Drum magazine as well as teaching at various schools.    
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15 April 2012
The TRC held its first hearing at the East London City Hall, burdened with a controversial task of uncovering the details of South Africa's dark past under apartheid.   
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31 March 2012
An atmosphere of nostalgia prevailed at the launch of APF with many cadres calling for the resuscitation of the movement to continue the struggle against soci-economic struggles of the South African Community.    
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31 March 2012
This forms part of SAHA's newest collection which documents the APF's history. The online exhibition will make it convenient for users to access 24/7.    
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21 March 2012
This year's official celebration was for the first time held outside Sharpeville, causing mixed reactions as the day was partly founded based on the Sharpeville Massacre incident.    
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01 March 2012
On the 1st of March, the world celebrates the International Abolishment of the Death Penalty. This initiative is hoped to influence countries in reviewing their stance on corporal punishment.    
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29 February 2012
Comprising interviews from SAHA collection Forgotten Voices in the Present collection (AL3280), this is the second collection of oral and life histories from SAHA to be launched as part of Michigan State University's African Oral Narrative project.   
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29 February 2012
An exhibition, drawing on SAHA's archival collections to reflect on the unfinished business of the TRC, will be on display at Constitution Hil until June 2012l.    
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20 February 2012
This initiative was adopted by the United Nations with an aim to eradicate poverty, unemployment and to promote social integration.    
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15 February 2012
These youngsters were members of a student body which represented the interests of black learners at all levels across South Africa.    
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04 February 2012
Hailed as one of the best written constitutions in the world, this document now celebrates 15 years of its existence.    
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31 January 2012
See the list of SAHA's educational resources developed to assist history learners and educators in schools.    
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31 January 2012
A review of the materials released to SAHA by the Department of Education based on the 2011 State of the Nation Address   
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30 January 2012
The world respcted him in many different ways for his contribution towards peace, unity and 'ubuntu'. The 30th of June marks 64 years since his tragic death in 1948.    
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25 January 2012
The recent death of this renowned photographer has left a void hard to fill. Her passion for exposing social injustices by using her camera made a considerable impact in the struggle for just social change.    
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16 December 2011
UMkhonto weSizwe was the military wing of the ANC, proposed by Nelson Mandela and others in response to the apartheid government's tendency of attacking unarmed peaceful protesters.    
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15 December 2011
The controversial Vlakplaas masterminds may soon be free should their parole application be approved. By law, they are now eligible.    
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13 December 2011
132 prisoners executed between 1961 and 1989 at the gallows in Pretoria Central Prison are to be honoured by the Department of Correctional Services.    
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06 December 2011
Nontetha Nkwenkwe, like any other influential person in a black community during the apartheid years, was deemed a threat and subsequently incarcerated.   
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30 November 2011
The LGBTI community celebrates one of the best laws in recognising same-sex marriages, the Civil Union Act, on 30 November.   
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25 November 2011
This is an annual international initiative aimed at curbing violent crimes committed against women and children. This year's theme is 'From peace in the home to peace in the world'.   
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19 November 2011
It was the 19th of November 1981 when this great political activist was assassinated by the apartheid secret police in Umlazi, a township south of Durban, KwaZulu Natal. His crime: Fighting for freedom!   
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19 November 2011
A former SA cricketer who emigrated to England to escape discriminatory apartheid laws which threatened to limit his sporting career because of his race.    
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09 November 2011
A loathed ideology and a sorry sight to many around the world, the Berlin Wall was finally demolished after 28 years in existence on November 9.    
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06 November 2011
Known as the Jewel of District Six in Cape Town, Cissie Gool was highly passionate about issues of human rights.    
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03 November 2011
On November 3, 1964, the Madonna of the South African music scene was born in Langa Township, Cape Town.    
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26 September 2011
Dr. Wouter Basson, head of the apartheid government's chemical and biological warfare programme, is accused of acting contrary to the laws of humanity.   
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24 September 2011
This Heritage Month, SAHA has relaunched the Sunday Times Heritage Project website.    
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09 August 2011
In one of the largest demonstrations staged in this country's history, 55 years ago, 20 000 women of all races marched to Pretoria's Union Buildings on 9 August 1956, to present a petition against the carrying of passes.   
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01 August 2011
The Visual History Archive (VHA) has developed a new user friendly geo-spatial and temporal archive platform that provides unprecedented access and context to archival material concerned with the history of apartheid and the liberation struggle in Souther   
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29 July 2011
Tomorrow, the South African Communist Party (SACP) celebrates its 90th anniversary.   
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28 July 2011
The digitisation of more than 500 stickers in the South African History Archive (SAHA) Ephemera collection (AL2540) has now been completed, facilitating the access and use of a collection that was barely consulted by researchers in the past.   
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31 May 2011
In February 2011, SAHA took part in a United Nations High Commission for Human Rights seminar on the experiences of archives as a means to guarantee the right to the truth, the report of which is now available online.   
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27 April 2011
On 27 April 1994, for the first time in South African history, all citizens over the age of 18 were given the opportunity to cast their vote.   
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16 April 2011
On 15 April 1996, the first nation-wide TRC hearings opened in the East London City Hall. On 16 April 1996, the first victims' testimonies were heard, setting the tone for a process towards truth, justice and reconciliation which continues to this day.   
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18 March 2011
To mark Human Rights Day in 2011, the South African History Archive (SAHA) invited Grade 12 history learners to participate in a pilot workshop on the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), history and human rights.    
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06 March 2011
On 6 March 1981, Oscar Mpetha was convicted of terrorism. Thirty years later, SAHA remembers the life of this trade unionist and political leader.    
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28 February 2011
On Saturday 26 February 2011, the South African History Archive (SAHA) held a pilot workshop for Grade 11 and 12 history educators on teaching the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in the classroom.    
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28 February 2011
Comprising interviews from the De Wet Potgieter collection (AL3283) at SAHA, 'Military Intelligence in Apartheid South Africa' is the first of the 20 collections of oral and life histories from numerous African countries.    
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09 January 2011
History was made on 9 January, 1991, when the integration of public schools was initiated through the admission of black students to thirty-three previously all-white schools in the former Transvaal Province.    
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08 January 2011
Lawrence Ndzanga, leader of the South African Railways and Harbours Workers' Union (SARHW), made the ultimate sacrifice when he died under detention on 8 January 1977.    
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10 December 2010
On the occasion of the 60th International Human Rights Day, SAHA hosted the launch of the Truth Commission Special Report Multimedia Product at the Ramparts at Constitution Hill, accompanied by an exhibition comprised of numerous SAHA collections.    
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04 December 2010
On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, SAHA looks at the history of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).   
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01 December 2010
World AIDS Day commemorates the ongoing struggle to raise awareness and eliminate stigma surrounding the HIV/AIDS pandemic.    
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30 November 2010
The inventory for the Forced Migration Studies Programme on Xenophobic violence collection is now available online. The collection consist of oral history interviews that was done by the the Forced Migration Studies Programme at Wits University on the Xen   
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30 November 2010
SAHA, in conjunction with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), is launching its multimedia product on 9 December, with an accompanying exhibition at the Ramparts at Constitution Hill.    
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25 November 2010
The global initiative of 16 Days of Activism: No Violence Toward Women has been taken on by the South African government, which has extended the campaign to support children who are victims of physical and sexual abuse.    
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16 November 2010
On 16 November, 1860, 342 indentured Indian labourers landed at Addington Beach in Durban. Their arrival heralded the establishment of one of South Africa's most dynamic communities.    
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05 November 2010
On 5 November 1984, around 35 000 students, workers and township residents protested the newly formed Tricameral parliament in the largest stayaway since the 1960s.    
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29 October 2010
The De Wet Potgieter collection consists of oral narratives, documents and materials, and photographs by Doug Lee relating to military intelligence during the apartheid era, and extremist right-wing organisations in South Africa.    
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27 October 2010
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage has been commemorated at SAHA with an updated audit report of audiovisual material related to the liberation struggle.    
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10 October 2010
The World Day against the Death Penalty, held on 10 October each year, was introduced in 2003 by the World Coalition against the Death Penalty, an international network comprised of NGOs, bar associations, local governments and unions.    
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30 September 2010
Mark Gevisser's extensive collection of research materials for his 2007 biography 'Thabo Mbeki: The Dream Deferred' can now be accessed at SAHA.    
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29 September 2010
Using struggle posters largely drawn from the SAHA Poster Collection to demonstrate the artistic, political and organisational value of the South African poster movement, chapters from the SAHA publication 'Red on Black' are now available online.   
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24 September 2010
Heritage Day is commemorated on 24 September as a cultural celebration and reminder of South Africa's rich history.    
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21 September 2010
On International Day of Peace, or World Peace Day, hundreds of organisations worldwide join the UN in calling for an end to armed conflict and violence.    
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15 September 2010
On International Day of Democracy, SAHA assesses how, in its short life, South African democracy has been challenged, and how important it is to remember a time when social equality could not be taken for granted.    
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12 September 2010
Black Consciousness Movement leader, Steve Biko, died of head injuries sustained under mysterious circumstances while in detention on 12 September, 1977.   
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12 September 2010
Anton Lubowski, Namibian human rights advocate and executive member of the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), was assassinated by the Civil Cooperation Bureau on 12 September 1989.    
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10 September 2010
Have you heard from Johannesburg is a seven-part documentary series produced and directed by two-time Academy Award® nominee Connie Field, screened by SABC on Sunday at 9pm through September and October 2010.    
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08 September 2010
International Literacy Day celebrates the global drive towards eradicating illiteracy, empowering people with the tools to acquire confidence, knowledge and dignity.    
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26 August 2010
Namibia Day is a national holiday in Namibia, set aside to commemorate a political heritage of heroes and martyrs who have fought and sacrificed for their nation's freedom.    
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25 August 2010
On Tuesday 24 August 2010 David Beresford released Truth is a Strange Fruit: A Personal Journey Through the Apartheid War, a book utilising rare material from SAHA's John Harris Collection.    
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23 August 2010
John Vorster Square was officially opened on 23 August 1968, during the height of racial segregation and political oppression in apartheid South Africa.   
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20 August 2010
The United Democratic Front, launched in Mitchell's Plain on this day in 1983, was an anti-apartheid civic organisation which paved the way for a new period of struggle in the tumult of 1980s South Africa.    
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09 August 2010
Women's Day commemorates the role of women in the struggle for freedom and equality in South Africa and acknowledges the ongoing plight of many women who continue to struggle against exploitation and abuse.   
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18 July 2010
In November 2009, the United Nations General Assembly designated 18 July, Nelson Mandela's birthday, as Mandela Day. This pays tribute to the man and his vision, and also serves as a platform for globally promoting social justice.   
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27 June 2010
Twenty five years ago, Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkonto and Sicelo Mhlauli were captured and murdered by security police. This marked a turning point for the South African struggle, but their deaths remained a mystery for decades to come.    
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26 June 2010
Fifty five years ago, the Congress of the People met at Kliptown to sign the Freedom Charter, which served as the precursor to South Africa's current Bill of Rights.   
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25 June 2010
The Ditsong National Museum of Military History is hosting an exhibition on the End Conscription Campaign (ECC) between 6 June and 30 August, 2010, including a number of evocative ECC struggle posters stored in SAHA's poster collection.    
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20 June 2010
World Refugee Day was established in late 2000 as a way of drawing attention to the ever-growing global plight of displaced persons. The theme for 2010 is 'home' - in sympathy with the millions worldwide forced to leave their homes behind.    
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16 June 2010
Youth Day is held each year as a reminder of the Soweto Uprising, which involved the mass uprising of Soweto's high school students against Bantu Education and the injustices of apartheid.   
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12 June 2010
The World Day against Child Labour was adopted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 2002 as a way of drawing attention to international efforts aimed at ending child labour.   
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05 June 2010
June 5 was designated World Environment Day in 1972, as a way of deepening consciousness of environmental concerns on a global level.    
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31 May 2010
On the centenary of the Union of South Africa, the South African History Archive reflects on the significance of this historical event on the evolution of contemporary South Africa.    
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16 May 2010
The South African History Archive remembers veteran South African human rights activist and patron of the Black Sash, Sheena Duncan, who passed away peacefully in the early hours of the morning on Tuesday the 4th of May, 2010.    
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14 May 2010
Frederick Van Zyl Slabbert passed away on the 14th of May, 2010. His work in both South African politics and civil society was central to the process of multiracial negotiations which took place from the late 1980s.    
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12 May 2010
A new form of hate crime emerged in May 2008 when xenophobic attacks broke out throughout the country, creating an unprecedented refugee crisis.    
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11 May 2010
The John Harris Collection consists of material related to the trial, arrest and execution of (Frederick) John Harris, the only white person to be executed for a politically inspired offence in apartheid South Africa.    
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08 May 2010
Three members of the Port Elizabeth Black Civic Organisation were abducted and murdered by Vlakplaas hit squad operatives on May 8, 1985, but details of their disappearance only emerged during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.    
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01 May 2010
The legacy of May Day, otherwise known as International Workers' Day, continues to resonate in South Africa, where workers still faced struggle against capitalist exploitation and apartheid repression.    
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27 April 2010
As we celebrate this year's Freedom Day, SAHA looks at a darker side of South African heritage: fifty years since the Group Areas Act No. 41 of 1950 was passed.   
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27 April 2010
This year's Freedom Day marks sixteen years since the birth of a new South African democracy.    
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26 April 2010
Film maker David Forbes has worked tirelessly for the past seven years, using PAIA to research the previously undisclosed story of the murder of the Cradock Four to produce both a full-length feature, and a made-for-television production.    
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15 April 2010
On the anniversary of its first human rights violations hearings at the East London City Hall in 1996, SAHA reflects on the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).    
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26 March 2010
After significant work done by the NMF Memory Programme, the Rivonia Trial Database has been launched. It features wide-ranging material on the trial, including material from five SAHA collections.    
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21 March 2010
SAHA reflects on the tragic events that took place at Sharpeville on this day 50 years ago.   
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15 March 2010
SAHA commemorates the life and work of anti-apartheid icon, Fatima Meer.   
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08 March 2010
On International Women's Day, SAHA celebrates one century since the first proposal was made to create a special day for women.    
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11 February 2010
SAHA commemorates the legacy of District Six on the anniversary of the apartheid government's decision to declare it a whites-only area under the Group Areas Act of 1950.    
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11 February 2010
SAHA salutes Nelson Mandela on the twentieth anniversary of his release from prison.    
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02 February 2010
SAHA reflects on how the unbanning of political parties and partial lifting of State of Emergency Regulations signaled a positive shift towards a new South African democracy.   
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12 January 2010
On the anniversary of the Nangalembe Night Vigil Massacre, SAHA looks at the role of crime during South Africa's interregnum.   
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18 December 2009
Commemorating the 2009 International Migrants Day, SAHA reconciles South Africa's own past with current issues of migrancy, refugeeism and xenophobia.    
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17 December 2009
A new report on copyright and documentary film-making in South Africa has been released.   
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10 December 2009
On the 10th of December 2009, SAHA recounts the human rights struggles of the Namibian people on their road to freedom as they celebrate their own Human Rights Day.    
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01 December 2009
'I am responsible, we are responsible, South Africa is taking responsibility'   
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01 December 2009
To mark World Aids Day 2009, SAHA has added a substantial new collection, donated by Jack Lewis and Zackie Achmat, to its holdings.   
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16 November 2009
To mark International Students Day, SAHA recalls the proud tradition of student activism in South Africa.   
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07 October 2009
The Nelson Mandela Foundation and SAHA have prepared a joint submission on the Protection of Personal Information Bill currently before parliament.    
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02 October 2009
Part of commemorating the ECC has involved acknowledging the ongoing struggle of today's young Conscientious Objectors - including the Shministim, who recently spoke at Wits University.    
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20 June 2008
The We Are Africa workshop and exhibition in June 2008 in Johannesburg brought healing to a group of participants whose lives were reeling under the impact of violence: from the xenophobic attacks...   
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19 January 2008
In November 2007, SAHA facilitated an art-making and memory workshop with the Khulumani Support Group in Evaton, aimed at exploring peoples memories, their personal histories, and their understandings of South Africas heritage of struggle.   
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