struggle

March 21 marks the commemoration of Human Rights Day in South Africa – a day when the nation commemorates the historic 1960 Sharpeville Massacre, which became a turning point in the struggle for freedom.

As Women’s Month draws to a close, KwaZulu-Natal has unveiled plans for statues to be installed in the province over the next four months to honour three women who were involved in the fight against apartheid. They are Margaret Mncadi, Victoria Mxenge and Dorothy Nyembe.

Ruth Segomotsi Mompati dedicated her life to serving the people of South Africa, joining the ANC as a young woman. A champion of women's rights, she was one of the leaders of the historic women's anti-pass march on 9 August 1956. Mompati died on Tuesday morning. She was 89.

This year, a generation of young people turn 21 – the traditional age of majority and independence. In South Africa, they share their birth-year with the country's democracy. A 21-year-old shares her experience as a born-free.

The victory over apartheid was a collective effort. Help from other African countries was decisive in the struggle. From bases in Angola to military help in Zambia, they all played a role.

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 struggle against apartheid in South Africa had a soundtrack, and a project running this September - Heritage Month - will pay tribute to the music and the musicians who played a part in the country's transformation to democracy 20 years ago.

The complex art of pyrography is used by artist Nicholas Ojo, who has created a series of portraits of the men and women who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. Among the historical figures he has included are Nelson Mandela and Ken Saro Wiwa, but perhaps the most arresting is his portrait of the Mother of the Nation.