The Motshabi Commission Report
The Motshabi Commission Report On 2 May 1975, the Motshabi Commission delivered an interim report on the condition of the African National Congress’s (ANC’s) existing People’s Army abroad. The “Commission on the State of Affairs in Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) in East Africa” was established by the ANC Revolutionary Council on 17 April 1975, with a mandate to investigate the causes of and possible remedies for the “deterioration of the standard of military life and…
Ruth First At 101 Years: From the Freedom Charter to Armed Struggle
Ruth First At 101 Years: From the Freedom Charter to Armed Struggle (Heloise Ruth First would have turned 101 years today, as she was born on 4 May 1925 in Johannesburg. In recognition of her birthday, we are posting one of Ruth First’s seminal writings, titled “From the Freedom Charter to Armed Struggle”, which was penned in 1968 in in her Selected Works published in September 2022). The launching of armed struggle against the South…
3 May – World Press Freedom Day: “Shaping a Future at Peace”
3 May – World Press Freedom Day: “Shaping a Future at Peace” World Press Freedom Day is celebrated annually on the 3rd of May to highlight the fundamental importance of media independence and to honor journalists who risk their lives to provide reliable information. The 2026 theme is “Shaping a Future at Peace”, focusing on how free and independent journalism contributes to global stability, human rights, and security. The 3rd of May commemorates the anniversary…
Ruth Mompati: Irish Step Up Fight Against Apartheid
Ruth Mompati: Irish Step Up Fight Against Apartheid (Statement by Ruth Mompati on behalf of the African National Congress of South Africa at the Annual General Meeting of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement, 2 May 1981) “It is with great pleasure that I bring to this meeting the greetings of the ANC of South Africa. This is my first visit to Ireland, but your country is familiar to me, as it is to my organisation and…
140th Anniversary of International Workers’ Day
140th Anniversary of International Workers’ Day The 1st of May 2026 marks the 140th anniversary of International Workers’ Day, commemorating the historic labour struggles in Chicago that began in 1886 to secure the eight-hour workday. This milestone is being observed globally through rallies, parades, and reflections on the legacy of the labour movement and the ongoing fight for workers’ rights. The date honours the events of 1 May 1886, when workers in the United States…
30 April International Jazz Day and the South African Revolution
30 April International Jazz Day and the South African Revolution International Jazz Day is an International Day, which is celebrated annually on April 30, was declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2011. The declaration was “to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe”. The idea came from jazz pianist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, who currently chairs the Jazz Day…
Revolutionary Patriot and Internationalist MP Naicker Passes On
Revolutionary Patriot and Internationalist MP Naicker Passes On On 29 April 1977, Marimuthu Pragalathan Naicker, fondly known as “MP”, passed on at the age of 56 from a suspected heart failure en route on a flight from London to Berlin. MP Naicker was a journalist, an anti-apartheid revolutionary patriot, an organiser, a devout internationalist, and Director of Publicity of the African National Congress (ANC) External Mission. At the time of his death Naicker was also…