There’s a famous quote that goes “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing”, and listening to Ronnie Kasrils talking about the path that led him to join the anti-apartheid struggle, this saying makes perfect sense. Speaking of the inspiration behind his recently published book, Catching Tadpoles: … Read more
Last Sunday an official funeral was held for the late Eric ‘Stalin’ Mtshali, who passed away at the age of 87 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban. Nicknamed ‘Stalin’ for his admiration of the Soviet Union leader, Joseph Stalin, Mtshali was a committed member of the South African Communist Party (SACP), which he joined in 1957. … Read more
Revolutions are violent affairs, and South Africa’s fight for democracy was no exception, with murder and destruction taking place from all sides. It was after witnessing the force of the South African police against largely unarmed civilians during the 1976 Soweto Student Uprising that Solomon Mahlangu decided it was time to take up arms against his oppressors. Mahlangu joined … Read more
Last Thursday marked the 20th anniversary of the Day of Reconciliation. While the name speaks for itself, it’s interesting to look at the the history behind our public holidays, in order to get a better understanding of what it is that we’re commemorating on these days. The 16th December has long been a public holiday in South … Read more