Ruth First
Like her parents, she joined the Communist Party,[1] which was allied with the African National Congress in its struggle to overthrow the apartheid government of South Africa.[1] Through investigative journalism, First exposed the racial segregation policies known as apartheid, targeting black South Africans following the rise of the National Party in 1948.[2] In 1949, she married Joe Slovo, a South African anti-apartheid activist and Communist, with whom she had three daughters, Shawn, Gillian and Robyn.In November 1978, First took up the post of director of research at the Centre of African Studies (Centro de Estudos Africanos), Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo, Mozambique.[6] She was assassinated by the order of Craig Williamson, a major in the South African Police, on 17 August 1982, when she opened a parcel bomb that had been sent to the university.[9] First's book, 117 Days, is her account of her arrest, imprisonment and interrogation by the South African Police Special Branch in 1963.
JohannesburgSouth AfricaMaputoMozambiqueapartheidJoe SlovoShawn SlovoGillian SlovoRobyn Slovo1948 general electionColoured vote constitutional crisis1956 Treason TrialSharpeville massacreRivonia TrialSoweto uprisingChurch Street, Pretoria bombingVaal uprisingCape Town peace marchCODESAAssassination of Chris HaniSaint James Church massacre1994 Bophuthatswana crisisShell House massacreBlack SashConservative PartyFOSATUBroederbondNational PartyCOSATUSecurity BranchState Security CouncilVernon BerrangéP. W. BothaSteve BikoMangosuthu ButheleziF. W. de KlerkBram FischerArthur GoldreichChris HaniBantu HolomisaJoel JoffeAhmed KathradaAlbert LuthuliWinnie Madikizela-MandelaMac MaharajD. F. MalanNelson MandelaGovan MbekiThabo MbekiRaymond MhlabaBenjamin MoloiseAlbertina SisuluWalter SisuluJ. G. StrijdomRobert SobukweHelen SuzmanAdelaide TamboOliver TamboEugène Terre'BlancheDesmond TutuH. F. VerwoerdB. J. VorsterJacob ZumaBantustanDistrict SixRobben IslandSophiatownSouth-West AfricaSowetoSun CityVlakplaasAfrikaner nationalismApartheid in popular cultureApartheid legislationCape Qualified FranchiseDisinvestment campaignFreedom CharterInternal resistance to apartheidKairos DocumentMusic in the movement against apartheidNostalgia for apartheidProject CoastSullivan Principlesparcel bombJewishLatviaSouth African Communist PartyAfrican National CongressJeppe High School for Girlsbachelor's degreeUniversity of the WitwatersrandPresidentEduardo MondlaneFRELIMOGillianSouth African Congress of DemocratsTreason TrialCongress AllianceCamden TownLondonAnti-Apartheid MovementUniversity of ManchesterUniversity of DurhamDar es SalaamUniversidade Eduardo MondlaneCraig WilliamsonSouth African PoliceTruth and Reconciliation CommissionSpecial BranchA World ApartChris MengesBarbara HersheyCatch a FirePatrick ChamussoBuffels Bayenvironmental patrol vesselThe GambiaLegendary Heroes of AfricaAnn ScottOlive SchreinerList of people subject to banning orders under apartheidMarion SpargGert SibandeSouth African potato boycottWayback Machine