Moments in South African History

Moments in South African History

Author: SABC Radio News Language: English Episodes: 38
Produced by SABC Radio News, Moments in South African History is a deep and thoughtful exploration of the nation's complex past. This history podcast moves beyond simple dates and names, focusing instead on the pivotal figures, transformative events, and significant locations that collectively forged the country's identity. Each episode is crafted to feel like a conversation, drawing on archival material and narrative storytelling to bring a specific moment into sharp relief. You might hear about a decisive political meeting, the life of an overlooked cultural icon, or the story behind a landmark that holds layers of meaning. The aim is to provide context and connection, making the grand sweep of history personal and tangible. By tuning in, you engage with the multifaceted tapestry of triumphs, struggles, and ordinary lives that define South Africa. This series is for anyone curious about how the past continuously informs the present, offering a nuanced perspective that challenges and enriches our understanding. The podcast serves as an auditory archive, ensuring these crucial stories are remembered and reflected upon with the depth they deserve.
Episodes
Eugene de Kock - A thousand shades of grey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:11
The media painted him as the arch-villain of the apartheid era and labelled him "Prime Evil". The Truth Commission singled him out as the man who broke the code of silence and forced security policemen to seek amnesty. H…
Doctor death [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:42
The apartheid government’s top-secret Chemical and Biological Warfare Programme sealed the Truth Commission’s investigations into gross human rights abuses on the 31st of July 1998. South Africans and the world listened…
Chris Hani - I believe in the cause [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:53
One incident that pushed South Africa to the brink of anarchy was the assassination of Communist Party leader Chris Hani. Millions loved him for his role in the ANC's armed wing, his militant speeches against white supre…
Steve Biko - The fatal blow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:20
The Truth Commission was a bitter pill to swallow for the family of black consciousness leader Steve Bantu Biko. But it was even harder for them to accept when five former security policemen applied for amnesty in 1997 f…
PW Botha - Salute me! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:01
Convicted former president PW Botha was the one crucial apartheid politician who could have shed more light on the official sanctioning of gross human rights violations. Botha chaired the State Security Council from 1978…
PW Botha - The great crocodile [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:48
PW Botha personified apartheid and the old National Party for most South Africans. For eleven years between 1978 and 1989, he ruled the country as prime minister and then president with a wagging index-finger, two States…
Fatima Meer - Whirlwind in the Sari [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:32
Veteran activist and sociologist, Professor Fatima Meer championed equality and social justice. Under apartheid, she was banned, detained and held in solitary confinement. She also survived an attempted assassination and…
Nadine Gordimer - Taking stock [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:10
Seamus Heaney called her "one of the great guerrillas of the imagination"; the Nobel Committee called her "a magnificent epic writer" and the Independent newspaper says she's "one of the world's greatest writers". Credit…
Remembering the SS Mendi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:16
They were warriors, not soldiers. Black South Africans recruited as labourers to serve in World War One under the British flag. But, they weren't allowed to carry arms. Not even their assegais, shields or sticks. And ins…
Van Zyl Slabbert - A philosophical anarchist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:08
Respected political analyst and former official opposition leader, Dr Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert played a key role in South Africa's transition from apartheid to democracy. He led the former Progressive Federal Party; the…