“My spirit is not banned – I still say I want freedom in my lifetime.” These are the famous words, from her autobiography, appropriately inscribed onto a granite piece next to the bronze statue of Frances Baard in Kimberley. Born on the 1st October 1909, Green Point (Kimberley) Mme Frances Goitsemang Baard was a domestic… Read More The Silent Heroes – Francis Baard

You cannot mention the word ‘Soweto’ without including ‘Vilakazi Street’ somewhere in the mix. Many of us know of and have probably visited this famous street in Soweto housing popular attraction sites such as The Mandela House and The Hector Peterson museum amongst many others. But do we know who it is named after? Dr… Read More The Silent Heroes – B.W. Vilakazi

Born on the 26th April 1961 in Mamelodi East, Johannes Maisha (Stanza) Bopape was a political activist and civic leader.He was elected the first General Secretary of the South African National Civic Organization (SANCO) in Mamelodi in 1987.He was actively mobilizing people against the apartheid regime even when he was on the run. He was… Read More The Silent Heroes – Stanza Bopape

So many have gone before us, even before we set foot into this world. Born on the 17th December 1919 in Marabastad, Pretoria Ezekiel ‘Es’kia’ Mphahlele will forever remain one of the founding pioneers of modern African literature and humanism. A writer, teacher and activist who dedicated his entire life towards ensuring that the African… Read More The silent heroes – Ezekiel ‘Es’kia’ Mphahlele

Born in Jabulani, Soweto on the 28th December 1958, Bheki Mlangeni was a human rights lawyer by profession who studied law from the University of the Witwaterand. Mlangeni’s story of his role in the struggle is a very tragic one. When public outcry at the time over apartheid government hit squads grew louder, the then… Read More The silent heroes – Bheki Mlangeni