On this day, the 8th of January 1912, the South African Native National Congress later known as the , was formed.. At SANNC's inaugural conference, Rev. John Dube was elected as its first president in absentia. The organisation developed out of a situation of racial exclusion and discrimination under the new Union of South Africa. SANNC aspired to unite Africans in the advancement of their political and socio-economic status. As SANNC grew as a political organisation and gradually expanded its inclusivity it was renamed as the ANC in 1923. SOUND COURTESY OF THE SABC RADIO ARCHIVES.Take part on the feature every week day between 6:20 and 6:40 am on SAfm, South Africa's news and information leader, from 104 to 107 Fm

"This Day in History" is a daily feature on SAfm.

SAfm: This Day in History

12 January 1912: Formation of the South African Native National Congress

That is the voice of Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa a Nigerian writer, television producer, environmental activist, and winner of the Right Livelihood Award and the Goldman Environmental Prize. 

On this day, the 31st of October 1995, Nigerian political activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa is one of eight people sentenced to death for the death of four Ogoni leaders.

Saro-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people, an ethnic minority in Nigeria whose homeland, Ogoniland, in the Niger Delta has been targeted for crude oil extraction since the 1950s and which has suffered extreme environmental damage from decades of indiscriminate petroleum waste dumping.

Initially as spokesperson, and then as president, of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, Saro-Wiwa led a nonviolent campaign against environmental degradation of the land and waters of Ogoniland by the operations of the multinational petroleum industry, especially the Royal Dutch Shell company. He was also an outspoken critic of the Nigerian government, which he viewed as reluctant to enforce environmental regulations on the foreign petroleum companies operating in the area.

At the peak of his non-violent campaign, he was tried by a special military tribunal for allegedly masterminding the gruesome murder of Ogoni chiefs at a pro-government meeting, and hanged in 1995 by the military dictatorship of General Sani Abacha

That is the voice of Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa a Nigerian writer, television producer, environmental activist, and winner of the Right Livelihood Award and the Goldman Environmental Prize. On this day, the 31st of October 1995, Nigerian political activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa is one of eight people sentenced to death for the death of four Ogoni leaders. Saro-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people, an ethnic minority in Nigeria whose homeland, Ogoniland, in the Niger Delta has been targeted for crude oil extraction since the 1950s and which has suffered extreme environmental damage from decades of indiscriminate petroleum waste dumping. Initially as spokesperson, and then as president, of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, Saro-Wiwa led a nonviolent campaign against environmental degradation of the land and waters of Ogoniland by the operations of the multinational petroleum industry, especially the Royal Dutch Shell company. He was also an outspoken critic of the Nigerian government, which he viewed as reluctant to enforce environmental regulations on the foreign petroleum companies operating in the area. At the peak of his non-violent campaign, he was tried by a special military tribunal for allegedly masterminding the gruesome murder of Ogoni chiefs at a pro-government meeting, and hanged in 1995 by the military dictatorship of General Sani Abacha

1995 Nigerian Activist Ken Saro-Wiwa sentenced to death over rights of Ogoniland

On this day, the 6th of September 1966, Parliamentarian Service Officer Dimitri Tsafendas stabbed to death the architect of apartheid Prime Hendrik F. Verwoed. A prior attempt on his life since becoming Prime Minister was on the 9 April 1961, at the Rand Easter Show, where he was shot twice in the face.

Verwoed was sitting at his desk in the House of Assembly when Tsafendas attacked him with a knife. During his trial, Tsafendas claimed that a giant tapeworm inside of him had instructed him to kill the Prime Minister. He escaped the death sentence after being declared insane by state psychiatrists. He was sentenced to solitary confinement at the Pretoria Central Prison, where he died at the age of 81. Members of the Greek community in Krugersdorp buried him.

On this day, the 6th of September 1966, Parliamentarian Service Officer Dimitri Tsafendas stabbed to death the architect of apartheid Prime Hendrik F. Verwoed. A prior attempt on his life since becoming Prime Minister was on the 9 April 1961, at the Rand Easter Show, where he was shot twice in the face. Verwoed was sitting at his desk in the House of Assembly when Tsafendas attacked him with a knife. During his trial, Tsafendas claimed that a giant tapeworm inside of him had instructed him to kill the Prime Minister. He escaped the death sentence after being declared insane by state psychiatrists. He was sentenced to solitary confinement at the Pretoria Central Prison, where he died at the age of 81. Members of the Greek community in Krugersdorp buried him.

1966 Dimitri Tsafendas stabbed architect of apartheid Hendrik Verwoed to death

That was the voice of former South African Prime Minister, P.W. Botha who on this day the 5th of September 1984 was unanimously elected by 88 members of the Electoral College to the office of first executive president. This was a newly created position after the new constitution came into force in 1984. The constitution further created three houses of parliament, namely the House of Assembly for Whites, the House of Representatives for Coloureds, and House of Delegates for Indians with the president presiding over them. Botha held the position until he resigned in 1989. Black South Africans were not happy with these new developments as they viewed the new constitution as a means to enhance apartheid.

12 January 1912: Formation of the South African Native National Congress

In 1 playlist(s)

SAfm: This Day in History

Social links

Recent clips