Historical Papers

The historical papers section includes more than 300 collections of personal and organisational documents, reflecting the struggle for national liberation in South Africa.

These papers and publications, many of which were banned under apartheid, document the major political events and turning points that culminated in the unbanning of political organisations and the release of Nelson Mandela and other leaders in February 1990, and the country’s first democratic election in April 1994.

Important components of this Archive include the personal papers of Archbishop Desmond Tutu (more than 10 000 documents), the prison writings and correspondence of Ahmed Kathrada (more than 8 000 pages), and the documents of the General Recreation Committee, which represented political prisoners on Robben Island from the late 1960s onward.

Important organisational documents include those of the African National Congress, the South African Congress of Trade Unions, South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union, Women’s National Coalition, Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement, Dutch Anti-Apartheid Movement, Afro-Asian Solidarity Committee, South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee, Film and Allied Workers Organisation, the United Women’s Congress and the Legal and Research Departments of the International Defence and Aid Fund (IDAF).

A recent acquisition is the SACHED archive; as one of the oldest educational NGOs in the country, its materials make it one of the most significant sources for documenting the extensive range of interventions and programmes designed to overcome and combat the last 40 years of apartheid educational policy and practice.

The Archive has also received donations of material belonging to political activists and leaders such as WH Andrews, MA Naidoo, Brian Bunting, Yusuf Dadoo, Mac Maharaj, Alex and Blanche La Guma, Govan Mbeki, Albie Sachs, Kader and Louise Asmal, Wolfie Kodesh, Reg September, Dulcie Hartwell and Neville Naidoo.

Many of the collections require special care due to the fragility and instability of the materials used. The Archive has taken steps to ensure their long-term preservation, such as the transferral of documents to different media formats (eg microfilm). The archive has also identified digitisation of documents as an important priority, and is preparing to use these new technologies as a means of broadening access and limiting handling of fragile original documents.

The Archive’s collections have contributed to many notable publications, film documentaries, school text books and academic works. Examples include Vladimir Shubin’s ANC: A View from Moscow (1999), where told for the first time is the detailed, often dramatic story of the relationship between the USSR and the ANC.