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…
Attacks on the ANC in Lusaka in 1989: A Tribute to Sahdhan Naidoo
Attacks on the ANC in Lusaka in 1989: A Tribute to Sahdhan Naidoo On Wednesday, 21 June 1989, at about 23:00, a bomb ripped through the African National Congress’ (ANC) offices in Lusaka, Zambia, resulting in a man in his mid-twenties losing both of his legs. The blast severely damaged the administrative and operational complex used by the liberation movement and the individual who suffered a bilateral amputation (losing both of his legs) was a…
20 June World Refugee Day and the Immigration Crisis in South Africa
20 June World Refugee Day and the Immigration Crisis in South Africa World Refugee Day is an international observance held annually on 20 June to honour the courage, strength and resilience of millions of people forced to flee their homelands due to conflict, persecution, violence or disaster. Designated by the United Nations (UN), the day serves as a global call to build empathy, raise awareness about the harsh realities of displacement, and advocate for refugees’…
The Draconian 1913 Native Land Act is Passed
The Draconian 1913 Native Land Act is Passed On 19 June 1913, the Natives Land Act (No. 27 of 1913) was passed to allocate only about 7% of arable land to Africans and leave the more fertile land for whites. This law incorporated territorial segregation into legislation for the first time since the Union of South Africa was declared in 1910. It created reserves for Blacks and prohibited the sale of territory in white areas…
Michael “Mick” Harmel: A Revolutionary Thinker, Writer and Strategist
Michael “Mick” Harmel: A Revolutionary Thinker, Writer and Strategist On 18 June 1974, a revolutionary South African anti-imperialist activist, journalist and South African Communist Party (SACP) member Michael “Mick” Harmel died in Prague, in the then Czechoslovakia, while he was working for the “World Marxist Review” journal. Known by his pen name “A. Lerumo”, he was a founding member of the SACP, after the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) was banned, and a key…
The Aftermath of the Soweto June 16 Uprisings
The Aftermath of the Soweto June 16 Uprisings On 17 June 1976, the day after the 16 June 1976 Soweto uprisings, the revolts rapidly escalated, spreading beyond Soweto to other South African townships while sparking widespread political strikes and solidarity protests. Riots erupted in the black townships of other cities across South Africa. Government institutions, administration buildings and beer halls were looted and set on fire. A student solidarity protest in Kagiso (near Krugersdorp, west…
Post-June 16 Youth: Responsibility to Achieve Socio-Economic Transformation
Post-June 16 Youth: Responsibility to Achieve Socio-Economic Transformation This theme is a powerful and necessary revolutionary perspective of how South Africa should view Youth Day. It shifts the narrative from passive commemoration to active, modern nation-building, directly connecting the political liberation pursued by the generation of 1976 to the incomplete struggle for economic emancipation today. The generation of 1976 fought against an oppressive education system to secure political freedom. Five decades later, South Africa’s youth…