On Freedom Day, South Africans honour a democracy won through sacrifice and global solidarity. Today, that solidarity must be put to work again. The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signature on the Free Marwan Barghouti Pledge—the first sitting head of state to do so. This signature must not be symbolic. It is a…
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation continues to build a growing Roll Call of Honour to recognise the women who participated in the historic 1956 Women’s March, making sure that they are written into history, by name. In response to the Foundation’s ongoing public call, families and community members continue to come forward to identify women who…
On this day, 24 years since the imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, we, the undersigned organisations and individuals, stand in unwavering solidarity with him and with all Palestinian political prisoners. One of the most prominent symbols of Palestinian resistance and political leadership, Barghouti was on 15 April 2002 abducted by Israeli soldiers disguised as ambulance personnel,…
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation expresses deep concern and outrage following the killing of 19-year-old Lufuno Khangale, a Grade 12 learner from Daleview Secondary School in Ennerdale. Lufuno was allegedly stabbed to death in an open field in Ennerdale Extension 9 while on his way home. The incident, reportedly involving a fellow learner, is yet another…
The sentencing of former Member of Parliament, Vincent Smith, must mark the beginning of broader accountability for public representatives implicated in state capture and corruption. On Thursday, the Johannesburg High Court sentenced Smith to 12 years, five of which were suspended. He will effectively spend seven years in prison. Smith pleaded guilty to charges including…
As South Africa approaches International Women’s Day, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation is calling on members of the public to help identify women who participated in the historic 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings, as the country prepares to mark the 70th anniversary of the march in 2026. On 9 August 1956, approximately 20 000…
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (AKF) has noted the latest attempt by professional grievance‑peddler, Willem Petzer, to cause panic and fear with an intellectually bankrupt smear campaign. His so‑called “exposé” about the AKF is nothing more than an online grift, designed to incite fear and extract donations from a base fed on a diet of manufactured…
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation welcomes the Pietermaritzburg High Court’s decision on Wednesday refusing an appeal by French arms company, Thales, and former President Jacob Zuma to have charges against them dropped. The dismissal of the appeal to obtain a stay of prosecution is a significant step forward in the long-running arms deal corruption case. Judge…
We, the undersigned organisations, express our unwavering solidarity with proPalestine political prisoners on hunger strike in British jails. We call on people of conscience in South Africa and across the world to demand that they are granted immediate bail and that their fundamental right to fair, transparent and timely trials are upheld. Some of the…
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation denounces Sunday’s attack on a Jewish religious festival in Bondi Beach, Australia. The attack by two gunmen claimed the lives of 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl. It follows six other mass shootings in Australia since 1996. The Foundation’s Executive Director, Neeshan Balton, said, “We extend our condolences to the Australian…