With a handwritten letter these days being something of a rarity, not many of us can appreciate how important written correspondence used to be, or the incredible tale of history that letters can reveal. Last Friday saw the book launch of a curated collection of letters that Archbishop Denis Hurley wrote over the course of … Read more
The 39th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) opens today and, in keeping with the theme of Mandela Day, which we celebrated yesterday, the festival includes a number of films which look at the life of our former statesman. Celebrating Mandela One Hundred is a documentary conceptualised and produced by renowned South African filmmaker, Anant Singh, which … Read more
Born in the Eastern Cape and spending his working career in Johannesburg before being imprisoned on Robben Island for his political beliefs, Nelson Mandela doesn’t have many ties to KwaZulu-Natal. Yet, it was here, in KZN, that two of the most historic events in Mandela’s life took place. The occasions could almost be described as … Read more
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the assassination of Chris Hani, an event that nearly saw the undoing of the very fragile peace negotiations in South Africa. It’s difficult to imagine so many years on, but Chris Hani was a hugely popular figure in South Africa, with some even believing that with him at the … Read more
Late Monday afternoon the airwaves filled with stories of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela as people phoned in to express their grief over the passing of this legendary South African political activist. Born on the 26th September 1936, Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela, known popularly as ‘Winnie’, was the daughter of two teachers, and the fifth of nine children. With educators … Read more
The University of Fort Hare, possibly South Africa’s most famous educational institution, has had something of a checkered past. Opened in 1916 as the South African Native College by Christian missionaries, the school offered a European-style education for students from across sub-Saharan Africa. While the missionaries were part of colonial expansion, which came with its own set of prejudices, they did … Read more