Articles tagged ‘Apartheid’
Lilliesleaf Farm: A Page in the Book of the Liberation Struggle
By Peter Baxter | June 10th, 2008 |
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A small but important part of South African liberation mythology was committed to posterity this week when the Lilliesleaf Farm in the Rivonia suburb of Johannesburg was declared a museum and national monument to the Liberation Struggle. Although the bustling suburb of Rivonia has since grown up around this apparently innocuous house, in the early [...]
Vlok Flocks to Chicken’s, I Mean Chikane’s, Feet
By Ben | August 28th, 2006 | 4 Comments »
This is a Bizarre SA story that a person of my disposition can’t help but breathe a few moments of extra life into. Over the weekend, a notorious apartheid-era government henchman, Adriaan Vlok (former Minister of Law and Order), traipsed down to Soweto and knocked at the door of the Rev. Frank Chikane, who is [...]
August 9: Women’s Day
By Ben | August 9th, 2006 | 1 Comment »
Today, the 9th of August, is Women’s Day, a public holiday in South Africa, observed to commemorate the 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The march was organized to protest a law requiring black women to carry “passes”, which dictated where black people could live and work, and, more broadly, were tools [...]
Surveillance Lights: the 1980s’ CCTV
By Ben | June 2nd, 2006 | Add a Comment »
Spotted! A surveillance light!
Where? Khayelitsha, near Sibanye.
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Surveillance Light
What is it? It’s a 1980s’ version of CCTV - a product of the constant clashes between the security forces of the apartheid state and those who belonged to freedom [...]
What is the Bo-Kaap?
By Ben | May 26th, 2006 | Add a Comment »
Shane asks, What is the Bo-Kaap?
The Bo-Kaap is a neighborhood of Cape Town directly west of the CBD, bounded by Strand Street to the north, Buitengracht Street to the east, and Carisbrook Street to the south. The word “Bo-Kaap” means “upper Cape Town” - the neighborhood lies on the slope of Signal Hill. It’s also [...]
A Trip to Town from CPT International: Eastern Blvd. to the CBD (5/5)
By Ben | May 22nd, 2006 | Add a Comment »
Visiting Cape Town soon? Here’s a sneak preview of your first glimpses of the city - what you’ll see en route from the airport to town (click on the CPT to Town tag for all the posts).
The city is in sight! You’re cruising toward downtown, and the landmarks begin roll past thick and fast.
Where are [...]
Mar 21 - Human Rights Day
By Ben | March 21st, 2006 | Add a Comment »
Today is Human Rights Day, when South Africans commemorate the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre, in which more than 60 people were slaughtered by the apartheid security police during a protest against the odious pass laws, which mandated that all “natives” had to carry documents authorizing their presence in any given area.
Practical note on SA public holidays: [...]
March 8 - International Women’s Day
By Ben | March 8th, 2006 | Add a Comment »
Today is International Women’s Day, but in South Africa - where Women’s Day is celebrated later in the year, with a public holiday on the 9th of August - there’s not much to tell, in terms of related events.
Come August 9th, however, there will be plenty to tell: this year, it marks the 50th anniversary [...]
South African Chinese Caught in Racial Limbo - Again
By Ben | February 2nd, 2006 | Add a Comment »
(An SA Blog post in honor of the Chinese New Year.)
The concept of “race” in South Africa involves more acrobatics than the Moscow Circus. Nowadays, it’s generally accepted that race is an inherently-plastic, culturally-manufactured idea, always changing with the times. But for a half-century previous, this rather enlightened notion struggled to germinate, being ground, as [...]
Dec 16 - National Day of Reconciliation
By Ben | December 16th, 2005 | Add a Comment »
(An SA Blog Beta post from Your Correspondent.)
Today is a public holiday in South Africa: our National Day of Reconciliation. This year, the day is particularly momentous, because it marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The Commission was tasked with shedding light on, and forging a common [...]
