struggle heroes

Soweto is South Africa’s most popular township, located in the southwest of Johannesburg, with a population of approximately 1,271,628 according to the...

On 27 April 2017 Brand South Africa partnered with Freedom Park to celebrate 23 years of freedom in South Africa. Freedom Park is a cultural...

There are a significant number of monuments to peace and freedom scattered across South Africa – not surprising given its long history of struggle against oppression. With April marking the 22nd anniversary of South Africa’s freedom, we will showcase 22 monuments that pay homage to those who made this country great.

The Matola Monument and Interpretative Centre in Maputo, unveiled on 11 September, honours the South Africans and Mozambicans who contributed to the anti-apartheid struggle, and who died in a raid by the security police. It also helps to strengthen ties between the two countries.

The revamped Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square in Mamelodi, Pretoria is testament to South Africa's struggle for freedom. Mahlangu's statue is now the focal point of the public space, with further enhancements planned for the area.

The remains of Moses Kotane and JB Marks, who were buried in Russia in the 1970s, during the struggle against apartheid, will be repatriated. They will be reburied in North West. "They will be remembered as heroes of our liberation struggle," said Art and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa.

The Gauteng Department of Education has, as part of its Mandela Day activities, launched a province-wide book donation drive to collect works on SA's liberation struggle to stock libraries at underprivileged schools. 

The Maritzburg Gaol - which once held leaders such as Nelson Mandela, King Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo and Harry Gwala - is being converted into a world-class museum. Built in 1862, its oldest cellblock is a national monument and one of the oldest buildings in Pietermartizburg, the capital of KwaZulu-Natal.

The Maritzburg Gaol - which once held leaders such as Nelson Mandela, King Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo and Harry Gwala - is being converted into a world-class museum. Built in 1862, its oldest cellblock is a national monument and one of the oldest buildings in Pietermartizburg, the capital of KwaZulu-Natal.

South Africa's "born frees" - a nickname for those born in the year of the country's first free elections - turn 18 this year, coming of age at the same time as a democratic SA. While they acknowledge the importance of remembering the struggle, the future is where their focus lies.