(2) Uys Krige (1910–1987, born in Swellendam) was an Afrikaans writer known for his poetry, plays, and translations. During World War II, he was captured in North Africa and later escaped from a prisoner-of-war camp in Italy. A vocal critic of Afrikaner nationalism and white supremacism, Krige introduced South African audiences to the works of international revolutionary poets.

(3) New Age (1952–1962) was a South African newspaper that amplified the voices of people fighting against apartheid. It reported on the lives of workers, poor communities, and activists at a time when most mainstream publications either ignored them or supported the government. The paper was banned by the apartheid regime in 1962.

(4) Ruth First (1925–1982, born in Johannesburg) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and scholar who grew up in a politically engaged family. She became a journalist and used her writing to expose the injustices faced by Black South Africans. In 1963, she was held in solitary confinement without trial under apartheid laws. After her release, she went into exile and continued her activism through teaching and writing at Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo, Mozambique.

(5) The Modern Youth Society (MYS), based in Cape Town, emerged in the mid-1950s as an off-campus outgrowth of the University of Cape Town’s Modern World Society. Its founders aimed to create a space where Black and white youth could engage as equals, in defiance of apartheid’s segregated structures. They were politically involved in various forms of activism and protest.

(6) Denis Goldberg (1933–2020, born in Cape Town) was a South African freedom fighter, and one of the first members of uMkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the ANC. In 1964, he was sentenced to life imprisonment alongside Nelson Mandela during the Rivonia Trial. He was the only white member among the accused and was incarcerated in Pretoria Central Prison, while his fellow defendants were sent to Robben Island. After serving 22 years, he was released in 1985 and continued working for justice and equality until his death.

(7) Lionel Forman (1926–1959, born in Rosettenville) was an advocate and a journalist. He was the editor of New Age and co-authored The South African Treason Trial with Solly Sachs. Forman was one of the accused in the 1956 Treason Trial, but his indictment was quashed in 1959.

(8) Robert Sobukwe (1924–1978, born in Graaff-Reinet) was a political leader, teacher, and founding president of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). A powerful advocate for African self-determination, he was imprisoned for leading anti-pass law protests and spent years in solitary confinement.

(10) Oliver Tambo (1917–1993, born in Nkantolo) was a central figure in the ANC and the broader struggle for freedom. As ANC president from 1967, he played a pivotal role in sustaining the organisation in exile and forging international alliances against apartheid. Tambo returned to South Africa in 1990 and played a key role in the country’s transition to democracy before his passing in 1993.  

(11) Nelson Mandela (1918–2013, born in Mvezo) known as Madiba and often called the ‘father of the nation’, was a South African lawyer, freedom fighter, and the country’s first Black president. Imprisoned for 27 years for opposing apartheid, Mandela became a global symbol of justice, peace, and reconciliation.

(12) Stephanie Kemp (1941–2023, born in the Karoo) was a South African anti-apartheid activist. She became involved in the freedom struggle through the African Resistance Movement, carrying out acts of sabotage including the destruction of electric pylons. Arrested in 1964, she was beaten up and charged with sabotage. Following her release in 1966, she joined the ANC and South African Communist Party (SACP). She later went into exile in the UK, where she married Albie Sachs, They had two children, Alan and Michael Sachs. Both remained active in the ANC’s anti-apartheid movement, mobilising international opinion. Kemp also continued working with the underground resistance inside South Africa, while practising as a physiotherapist. She returned to South Africa in 1990 and remained active in politics, with a focus on health and human rights.

H2: (13) Marjorie Wallace (1925–2005, born in Scotland) painted a portrait of Albie Sachs while he was under a banning order. Under the pretext of sitting for the painting, Sachs used the opportunity to meet secretly with fellow dissidents at Wallace’s home, including Breyten Breytenbach and André Brink of the Die Sestigers literary movement.

(13) Dumile Feni (1942–1991, born in Worcester) was a South African artist known for his emotive drawings and sculptures that captured the struggle against apartheid. He moved to England in the 1960s, gained international acclaim, and later relocated to the United States in 1979. Feni died in 1991, leaving behind a legacy that embodies both the pain and hope of his era.

(14) Steve Biko (1946–1977, born in King William’s Town) was a leading figure in the Black Consciousness Movement and a medical student who inspired pride and resistance among Black South Africans during apartheid. After his death in police custody, he became a powerful symbol of the fight for freedom and Black self-empowerment.

(16) Indres Naidoo (1932–2016, born in Pretoria) was a South African anti-apartheid activist. An early member of Umkhonto we Sizwe, he was imprisoned on Robben Island for ten years (1963–1973) for acts of sabotage. After going into exile in 1977, he served the ANC in Mozambique and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Naidoo returned to South Africa in 1992 and served as a Member of Parliament from 1994 to 1999.

(17) Alberto Chissano (1935–1994, born in Chicavane-Manjacaz) was one of Mozambique’s most influential sculptors. A former miner and cook, Chissano was introduced to the arts by Júlio Navarro at Núcleo de Arte in Lourenço Marques. inspired by the works of Ngwenya and José Júlio, he began to sculpt in wood—a medium he associated with African identity. His sculptures convey both the suffering and joys of life under revolution. In 1982, Chissano was awarded the Nachingwea Medal, and he later won first prize at the 1986 Havana Biennial.

(18) Gita Honwana Welch (1948, born in Mozambique) was the first Mozambican to earn a university law degree. She worked as a public prosecutor from 1978, a judge at the Maputo Provincial Court (1979–1983), and later as Director of the Investigation and Legislation Department at the Ministry of Justice until 1989. She worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), focusing on women’s issues in Southern Africa, and served as Minister of Justice in East Timor during its transition to independence. Since 2013, she has been an independent consultant and Associate Fellow at Chatham House, advising on governance and development.

(19) Victor de Sousa (1952–2017, born in Maputowas a prominent artist and teacher known for his experimentation with form and materials. He studied ceramics and graphic design in Maputo and taught at the School of Visual Arts (ENAV). A long-time member of Núcleo de Arte, he held his first exhibition there in 1982 and remained an influential figure in Mozambican art for decades.

(20) Matias Ntundu Mzanhooka (1948, born in Cabo Delgado) was a sculptor and engraver rooted in Makonde tradition. While serving in FRELIMO’s armed forces, he oversaw the production and sale of carved works. After independence, he returned to full-time artmaking, learning woodblock printing from Swiss engraver Maya Zurcher. Working in African blackwood, Ntundu infused these elements of Makonde tradition into each sculpture to display his subject matter of colonialism. Ntundu transitioned between the creation of creates Shetani masks and Ujaama sculptures that explored colonialism and village life. He exhibited widely in Mozambique and abroad.

(21) Naguib Elias Abdula (1955, born in Tete) was a painter during ‘the decade of revolutions, heroes, and change’ in the 1970s. With independence, Abdula embraced art as a tool for communication in a country with a 97% illiteracy rate. He held his first solo exhibition, Grito de Paz, in 1986, promoted by HAD. He is often credited with introducing modernism into Mozambican painting, and drew from modernist influences, explored new media, and incorporated urban themes. Known for his large-scale murals, mosaics, and sculptures found across the country, he remains one of Mozambique’s most renowned living artists.

(22) Samate Mulungo Machava (1939–2012, born in Lourenço Marques) was a self-taught artist who begans exhibiting collectively in the 1960s and held his first solo show at Salão da Coop in 1973. After Independence, he becomes an active figure in the local and international art scenes. He completed short courses in Moscow (1982) and Lisbon (1987), further developing his practice.

(23) Albino Zaqueu Lucas (1944, born in Inhambane) moved to Lourenço Marques to study and and seek work. He lived in Beira from 1969 to 1980, where Alberto Chissano inspired him to begin sculpting. In 1982, he held his first solo exhibition at Loja-Galeria in Maputo. His work was later acquired by the Museu Nacional de Arte.

(24) Isabel Martins (1950, birthplace unknown) known as Zabela, was the only woman artist in Albie Sachs’s Mozambican art collection. A FRELIMO fighter and politician, she served as Samora Machel’s secretary and joined the People’s Assembly in 1977. Though not a full-time artist, she painted fantastical, introspective works that stood apart from socialist realist trends. Her work featured in solo exhibitions and is held in the Museu Nacional de Arte. She was also the mother of Lisbon-based curator Camila Maissune.

(25) Govane (Augusto Carlos Ferreira) (1954, born in XXX) is a prominent Mozambican sculptor whose work reflects themes of suffering and war. Raised in a rural farming family, he began carving young and trained as a carpenter before turning to sculpture. He remained rooted in village life and continued to farm. Known for using both tree trunks and roots, Govane developed a unique approach that allows his sculptures to be viewed from multiple angles. He sources sandalwood from forests around Maputo, where danger and memory of war shape his creative process. His first solo exhibition took place in 1985 (Galeria Prosul), followed by a 1990 exhibition in Harare organised by HAD and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. Influenced by Zimbabwean stone sculpture, he also joined the Ujamaa Workshops (1991–1992). He contributed Requiem in Wood to a short film with Albie Sachs and filmmaker Sol de Carvalho.

(26) Wolfie Kodesh (1918–2002, born in Benoni) was a South African Communist Party activist known for his role in the anti-apartheid struggle and the fight for workers’ rights. In the 1960s, he organised protests that led to his arrest and detention in 1963. After being deported to the UK, he continued his activism in exile, working with the ANC and later joining uMkhonto weSizwe in the 1970s. He returned to Cape Town in 1991 and documented the stories of fellow activists for the Robben Island Mayibuye Archives.

(27) Kader Asmal (1934–2011, born in Stanger) was a South African politician and human rights advocate who dedicated his life to the fight against apartheid. After studying law in London and Dublin, he became a key figure in the international anti-apartheid movement, founding the British and Irish Anti-Apartheid Movements in the 1960s. After serving as a member of the ANC Constitutional Committee, he returned to South Africa in 1990 to join the Community Law Centre at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and later served as Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, and then Minister of Education.

(29) Chris Hani (1942–1993, born in Cofimvaba) was a political leader, head of the South African Communist Party, and chief of staff of Umkhonto we Sizwe. He played a major role in the armed struggle against apartheid. His assassination in 1993 sparked widespread national outrage and mourning, and catalysed the announcement of the first democratic election date.

(30) Yvonne Mokgoro (1950–2024, born in Galeshewe) was one of South Africa’s first Black female judges. Before joining the judiciary, she taught law at the University of Bophuthatswana and UWC. In 1994, Nelson Mandela appointed her to the newly formed Constitutional Court, where she served until 2009, working to promote justice and human rights. She also chaired the South African Law Reform Commission from 1995 to 2011. Even after retirement, she continued judicial work in Lesotho and Namibia, contributing to the strengthening of legal systems across the region.

(31) Arthur Chaskalson (1931–2012, born in Johannesburg), was a prominent anti-apartheid lawyer who dedicated his career to advancing justice through law. He defended figures such as Nelson Mandela and Bram Fischer and founded the Legal Resources Centre. In 1994, he became the first President of South Africa’s new Constitutional Court and was appointed Chief Justice in 2001, serving until his retirement in 2005. Chaskalson is remembered for his exceptional legal mind and for helping establish the Constitutional Court as an institution.

(32) Desmond Tutu (1931–2021, born in Klerksdorp), was a leading figure in the anti-apartheid movement. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his advocacy of nonviolent resistance, Tutu continued to champion justice and human rights well into South Africa’s democratic era. In the 1990s, Tutu played a leading role in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, chairing hearings that uncovered apartheid-era crimes in an attempt to foster national healing through forgiveness and dialogue.

(33) Cecil Skotnes (1926–2009, born in East London) was renowned for his signature woodblock prints that explored African themes and narratives. A key mentor to many Black artists during apartheid, he played a vital role in fostering inclusivity in South African art.

(34) Hamilton Budaza (1958, born in Ciskei) began his artistic career at the Community Arts Project (CAP) in Cape Town in 1977 and is known for his political and social commentary through art. When Albie Sachs invited Skotnes to contribute to the Constitutional Court Art Collection (CCAC), he offered a nearly completed panel celebrating the achievement of democracy. Budaza was invited to join the project, adding two side panels to complete Freedom—a powerful tribute to South Africa’s new beginning.

(36) Bertina Lopes (1924–2012) was celebrated for her bold, mask-like figures, geometric forms, and saturated colours that expressed a deeply African sensibility. Her work blended social critique with nationalistic fervour, influencing generations of Mozambican artists. Often referred to as the mother of contemporary African painting, she played a pivotal role in shaping modern art in Mozambique.