The Wits History Workshop in 1978 introduced what would result in a series of conferences. Their focus was to present and discuss historical, sociological, political, literary, economic and anthropological aspects of the lives and experiences of the ordinary people mainly on the Witwatersrand and the larger region of the Transvaal. Initially these conferences were spaced at an interval of three years, and subsequently took place in 1978, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1999.
This collection seeks to consolidate the programs and papers that were presented at each of the thematic conferences.
The book was written by Ambrose Reeves during his time as Bishop of the Diocese of Johannesburg, with the assistance of Mary Benson and Christian Action, with reference to Jack Halpern. It contains a Foreword by Chief Luthuli. The book was banned on the 24 February 1961, and included in the "Jacobsens" Index of Objectionable Literature under its titles "Bloedbad in Sharpeville" and "Shooting at Sharpeville. It was unbanned on the 9 January 1987, Government Gazette entry 10578, according to a note on the back cover of one of the books.
Published book entitled "Journal of a Visitation of the Diocese of Natal in 1864 by the Right Rev. Robert Gray, Lord Bishop of Cape Town and Metropolitan."
Ahmed Timol, a teacher from Roodepoort, was a student activist and later became a member of the South African Communist Party. He went to London in 1967, where he took up a teaching post, supporting his family in South Africa. He also met with former comrades and friends from the Communist Party and the ANC who selected Ahmed Timol to attend the International Lenin School in Moscow from February to October 1969. Back in London, and before leaving to go back to South Africa, he received training in underground political work. He returned to South Africa in February 1970, resuming his teaching post in Roodepoort. Ahmed Timol was arrested at a roadblock in October 1971, together with Salim Essop, and subsequently taken to the John Vorster Square police station. He was severly tortured by the security police and died in police custody on the 27 October 1971, by falling from the 10th floor to his death. An Inquest was opened on 1 December 1971 at the Johannesburg Magistrate by J.J.L. de Villiers, with D.W. Rothwell and A.L.T. Beukes as Public Prosecutors, and Advocate I.A. Maisels QC and Advocate G. Bizos, and instructing attorneys M.S.H. Cachalia and M.A. Loonat presenting the Timol family. The hearing had to be adjourned due to Advocate Maisels request to access documents in the case. After lengthy interventions hearings were resumed in April 1972. The post mortem was carried out by the pathologist Dr Nicolaas Schepers, assisted by Dr J. Gluckman at the request of the Timol family. The Magistrate announced his findings on the 22 June 1972, saying that Ahmed Timol had committed suicide whilst in police custody, and that nobody was to be blamed for his death.
Contained in this collection is the Project report relating to the Goldstone Commission, published by the Human Rights Institute of South Africa, and the DVD, compiled by HURISA contains a compilation of reports, press releases, submissions and verbatim evidence.
