The Kairos Foundation (Stichting Kairos) was founded in 1970 as a support group for the Christian Institute in South Africa, whose general secretary was anti-apartheid activist Dr CF Beyers Naude. Kairos, a Greek word, means 'time is running out'. Until 1990 most of Kairos' attention focussed on violations of human rights in South Africa and mobilisation of support in the Netherlands for sanctions and disinvestment.

In the 1970s and 1980s the organisation focused on the causes of apartheid with campaigns aimed at Dutch firms active in the apartheid economy. Other campaigns were aimed at forced removals, detentions, torture in detention, the death sentence, children, conscription and the activities of the security forces

Kairos' work was supported by many of the Dutch churches and there was co-operation from church circles in Southern Africa. Extensive contacts were made with black South African clerics studying in the Netherlands. Kairos mobilised attention on the disempowered and influenced public opinion through campaigns and publications

Through Kairos, many South African organisations channelled information to international organisations and the media. From 1996-1997, Kairos researched the assault and torture of political prisoners in the 1960s and 1970s for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

After 1990 attention shifted to the consequences of apartheid and support for the reconstruction of the country. Youth development was given considerable attention with training, conferences, support and specialist input from experts in various fields to organisations involved in the development of the youth.

In 2002, the Kairos Foundation closed its doors. Its resource and research material was then donated to the University of the Witwatersrand.

The construction of the Civic Theatre was approved by the Johannesburg City Council in the early 1960s. The theatre was completed in 1962 and its main goals were based on education and promoting the public interest in drama, opera, ballet, music, painting and other kinds of arts as well as subsidizing these productions and performances. The official opening of the theatre took place on the 27th of August 1962. The first manager and administrator appointed by the City Council, Michal Grobbelaar served as the head of this institution until 1993. One of the first performances included opera followed later by dramas, ballets and musicals. For a long time the theatre was unfortunately segregated and the performances were accessible mainly to white South Africans. This situation only changed in the 90s. A very important fact in the history of the theatre occurred in 1964 with the establishment of the puppet Marionette Company to offer performances for children. In the mid 1980s the complex needed renovation and reconstruction. The reopening of the newly renovated theatre took place in 1992. The Johannesburg Civic Theatre had been transformed into a body more representative of the whole population of the city. The newly appointed director Janice Honeyman in 1996 launched an ambitious programme of productions brought to the theatre by promoters and outside producers. International musicals and works of local artists were presented at the theatre. The children's theatre, an art gallery and a series of restaurants provided a high standard of entertainment to visitors at the theatre. At a later stage continued financial pressure forced management to implement painful cost-cutting exercises. The City of Johannesburg made some important decisions concerning the future of the Civic Theatre which included: separating it from the City Council, appointing a new Independent Board of Directors and reconfiguring the theatre into a house able to accommodate productions brought in by the independent producers. The Main Theatre was renamed in 2001 as a Nelson Mandela Theatre. At present the Johannesburg Civic Theatre has seven five-star venues of which three are private dining rooms available for hire. The Civic Theatre is one of the best venues of live entertainment and is rated amongst the best theatres of South Africa.

The International Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa started its activities in the aftermath of the 1956 Treason Trial as a support network for the 156 trialists and their families. Later in 1965 it became an international organisation, which provided outstanding financial support for the defence of many political activists and for the families of political detainees and prisoners inside South Africa. The organisation published numerous material in the form of photographs, books and films about the Apartheid system in South Africa.

The Sociology of Work Unit (SWOP), now referred to as the Society, Work and Development Institute, is a research organisation, which is housed at the University of the Witwatersrand.

SWOP was established in 1983 as a post doctoral project of Professor Edward Webster as a result of researching working conditions in foundries. Having analysed the records of the Iron Moulders Society, which indicated a very high incidence of respiratory diseases caused by the dust, he came to the conclusion that the way work is organised affects the health of workers. At the time Professor Webster was approached by a group of young engineering students as to whether there could be a collaboration to analyse the technical side of work. This led to the set up of the Sociology of Work Project (SWOP), linked to the NGO, the Technical Advice Group(TAG) that the students had set up.

SWOP grew from strength to strength. In 1995 it was established as a Unit but kept the acronym. In the late 1990s research was broadened, in order to focus beyond work to look at the relationship between work and society, as well as broader issues of economic and social development. And in 2007, when the University recognised SWOP as an Institute, the name was changed to "Society, Work and Development Institute", to reflect more accurately its broader focus. Nevertheless, it was felt that, since it had become known as SWOP, it should retain this brand name and call itselves the SWOP Institute.

From 1904 onwards many attempts were made to bring about unity in the trade union movement by forming federations. The most successful of these early federations was the South African Trades and Labour Council (SATLC) which existed from 1930-1954, having been reconstituted in 1949. It did not, however, include all trade unions; some remained independent and some were members of other federations. Its existence as a multiracial organisation was threatened by the government's decision to segregate the trade union movement. SATLC strongly objected to the statement by the Minister of Labour, Mr B. Schoeman, on 13 March 1953 that "The policy of the government is that there should be no intermingling of Europeans and Non-Europeans in trade unions". The government then amended the Industrial Conciliation Act in such a way that trade unions would be divided according to race and certain jobs be reserved for Whites.
In reaction to this legislation and, realising that individual protests would be ineffective, a Trade Union Unity Committee was formed in February 1954 which called a Unity Conference in Cape Town for May. Representatives of more than 230,000 workers of all races met and gave the Unity Committee a mandate to set up a national trade union coordinating body. At the second Unity Conference held in Durban in October agreement was reached on a constitution and on 4 October 1954 the South African Trade Union Council was born with 61 unions representing 223 741 members. SATLC dissolved leaving the field to the new federation which, in 1962, changed its name to Trade Union Council of South Africa (TUC SA).
Unity had been achieved but at the expense of excluding Black unions from the new federation, although the constitution made provision for them to join at a later date. This in fact happened twice in 1962 and 1968 when TUCSA resolved to include Black unions but was forced to reverse the decision by pressure from the government and its own conservative White unions. It was 1974 before Black trade unions were finally admitted by which time they had become disillusioned with TUCSA. By steering a middle course TUCSA had pleased neither the conservative right nor the radical left.
In 1958 TUCSA briefly joined an all-embracing federation, extremely conservative in character, called the South African Confederation of Labour but from the beginning differed greatly from other members on important issues such as the recognition of Black trade unions. Matters came to a head when the Confederation decided to seek registration under the Industrial Conciliation Act and at a special conference held in September 1958 TUCSA resolved to withdraw from the Confederation.
Over the years TUCSA continued to work for Black advancement, encouraging the growth of Black trade unions and the formation in 1959 of the Federation of Free African Trade Unions of South Africa (FOFATUSA) for those Black unions which did not wish to join the radical South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU), formed in 1955 when TUCSA ceased to be multiracial. TUCSA representatives served on various public bodies. TUCSA maintained international links with the International Labour Organisation and with the trade union movements in Britain, Germany, America and elsewhere.
TUCSA's chief executive was its General Secretary, with considerable freedom to speak on TUCSA's behalf. During the 32 years of its existence, TUCSA had only three General Secretaries,
Dulcie Hartwell 1954-1962
Terence O'Donoghue 1962-1964
James Arthur Grobbelaar 1965-1984
Conferences were held annually, delegating power to the National Executive Committee (NEC) to implement Its resolutions. In turn the NEC, which met quarterly, delegated responsibility to the Officers Committee which met monthly. The NEC also appointed committee: for specialist subjects such as African Affairs, education, housing and human rights. Head Office had a library, an Economic Research Bureau, a training department and a centralised public relations service. To help affiliates, Head Office issued memoranda and pamphlets on various subjects and published a Newsletter, in turn named Saamtrek, Unitas and Labour Mirror. The country was divided into five regions, Western Province, Eastern Province, Border, Transvaal and Natal, to coordinate the activities of workers in these areas.
At the height of its power in 1983 TUCSA had 57 affiliated unions with a membership of 478,420 but, when it dissolved three years later, there were only 32 unions representing 170,000 members. There were several reasons for this dramatic drop in membership, financial as well as political. The increase in affiliation fees and the withdrawal of some of the services offered by TUCSA owing to financial stringency caused some affiliates to feel that there were no benefits in retaining membership. TUCSA was attacked for its conservatism, its failure to support the call for May 1 and June 16 to be statutory holidays and to condemn detention without trial, its alleged cooperation with the government and its opposition to sanctions on South Africa by other countries. It was condemned for its lack of leadership, exacerbated by the death of its General Secretary, J.A. Grobbelaar in 1984, leaving a vacuum at a critical time. There were several efforts to find a successor which proved fruitless.
In 1985 TUCSA initiated discussions with affiliates and others to try to find the reasons for its failure but, during 1986, it became clear that the Council could no longer continue as a viable organisation. At a special conference on 2 December 1986 it was formally dissolved.

The Institute for Advanced Social Research (IASR) was based at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines was first launched in 1992 in order to help alleviate the global and regional landmine crisis. The initial signatories comprised of Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOS) such as the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF), Medico International (MI) Handicap International (HI), Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and Physician for Human Rights (PHR). This initiative to ban landmines was later on taken up by most of the countries in the world including South Africa.

The South African Campaign to Ban Landmines (SACBL), launched in 1995, was part of an international movement which was committed to lobbying for a global ban of anti-personnel landmines by the year 2000. In South Africa, the SACBL was popularised by the military veterans. The call by South African military veterans followed on the heels of the Canadian sponsored conference which was held in October 1996. It strengthened world-wide government support for a ban on antipersonnel landmines. This conference ended with the adoption of the Ottawa Declaration which included a commitment to working towards the complete ban on anti-personnel landmines.

The SACBL was coordinated by the Ceasefire Campaign and participating groups included: OXFAM, the Group for Environmental Monitoring (GEM) and the Justice and Peace Unit of the Catholic Church. In an open letter addressed to President Nelson Mandela, the signatories of the SACBL welcomed the government's commitment to eliminate anti-personnel landmines. They called upon the South African Government to declare a complete ban on anti-personnel mines, that is, a ban on their production, stockpiling, sale and use.

By 1997 South Africa joined more than 39 countries that were already supporting a ban. By 2004, the International Campaign Landmines had over 1400 subscribed members. From 1992 to 2004, these countries held conferences and conducted workshops on the landmine ban.

The Historical Papers research archive, situated in the William Cullen Library, was established in 1966. Its first holdings were the Jan Hofmeyr collection and the Gubbins collection as well as manuscripts which were transferred from the Africana section in the William Cullen Library.

It has since become one of the largest and most comprehensive independent archives in Southern Africa. We house over 3300 collections of historical, political and cultural importance, encompass the mid 17th Century to the Present.

The project, which was managed by Vanessa Cooke, due to the depth of her institutional knowledge of the history of the Market Theatre, was supervised by Cynthia Kros, at the time Professor of Heritage Studies in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, and assisted by Carol Prestons.