Nigeria's Federal Troops launched a major offensive against multiple targets in Biafra on the 19th of August 1968. Despite claims that scores of people were killed, the leader of the Nigerian military government, General Yakubu Gowon said that his troops were 'behaving correctly'. Biafra had declared itself independent from Nigeria on 30 May 1967 which sparked tensions. The root of the conflict was economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions among the various peoples of the country.

On 17 September 1995, the Roman Catholic’s Pope John Paul II celebrated a papal mass in South Africa as he began his six day tour of Africa.

The South African Prime Minister, P.W. Botha lashed out on the Buthelezi Commission of Inquiry concerning the future of Natal. Botha said that the National Party (NP) won’t serve on the Commission.  Chief Buthelezi said the Prime Minister had told him the government was clear in its stance to the terms of reference to the Buthelezi Commission of Inquiry. The NP government acknowledged his right to institute a commission of inquiry into the future of Natal and would be supportive of genuine and responsible political efforts seeking to establish new constitutional machinery in his state.

The Natal Indian Congress (NIC) was formally revived in 1971 after a long period of inactivity due to the harassment of its leaders by the apartheid government. It was formed in 1894 by Mahatma Gandhi with the objective of fighting discrimination against Indian Traders in Natal. It was also the first of the Indian Congresses to be formed. The NIC led to the formation of other anti apartheid movements like the Transvaal Indian Congress (TIC), the Cape Indian Congress (CIC) and the United Democratic Front (UDF).

Marlise Joubert was born in Elim, Limpopo and grew up in Warmbath (Bela Bela). She studied at the University of Pretoria where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Librarianship and Philosophy. After her studies she worked as a journalist and a Librarian. Joubert, who now lives in Stellenbosch, writes poems, short stories and also paints. Her poems and short stories have been published on the internet. Joubert is the webmaster of Versindaba, a collective website for Afrikaans poetry.

Charles Eugene Pat Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who was one of the biggest names in the fifties. He was the only artist whose popularity rivaled that of king of rock and roll, Elvis Priestley. Boone was also a good actor and writer. A devout Christian, he was very selective of the roles that he portrayed and would have had no qualms with turning down a role if he felt that it would compromise his religious beliefs.  In 1961, Boone came to South Africa for a 10 day tour.  In later life he switched from rock and roll to gospel and country music.

Oliver Kgadime(Phukubjane) Matsepe is a novelist and poet   who was twice awarded the S.E. Mqhayi Prize by the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (South African Academy for Arts and Science). He was born in the Groblersdal District on 22  March 1932. He received his education in various mission schools in Northrern Transvaal (now Limpopo) and was ultimately baptized in the Lutheran church. For most of his adult life Matsepe worked as a clerk and interpreter for the Department of Bantu Administration and Development.

Dr Piet Koornhof, one of the most controversial figures from South Africa's apartheid era, died in a Stellenbosch frail care centre at the age of 82, following a stroke. Early in his life, as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford, Koornhof wrote a doctoral thesis that fully accepted the inevitability of black urbanisation. Koornhof was born in Leeudoringstad, in what is currently North West Province, on August 2, 1925. In 2001, Koornhof surprised many of his comrades when he joined the ANC, serving as Member of Parliament.  His eldest son, Dr Gerhard Koornhof, also joined the ANC in 2003.

The presiding judge in the Pretoria terrorist trial, Justice Ludorf convicted the thirty men accused of conspiring to overthrow the South West Africa administration (now known as Namibia). All accused were handed prison sentences ranging from five years to life. Nineteen were sentenced to life imprisonment, while nine and two others were sentenced to twenty and five years respectively. At the time of the trial the country was under South African administration, placed by the League of Nations at the end of the First World War in 1919.