Ruth First Assassinated in Mozambique – 1982

On 17 August 1982, South African journalist, academic and anti-apartheid activist Ruth First was assassinated by a parcel bomb at Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo, Mozambique. First was one of the most prominent intellectual opponents of apartheid. A journalist, researcher and member of the South African Communist Party, she had spent much of her life documenting racial injustice, migrant labour and the political structures supporting apartheid.

Together with her husband, Joe Slovo, she became closely involved in the anti-apartheid movement. After leaving South Africa, First eventually settled in Mozambique, where she worked at the Centre for African Studies at Eduardo Mondlane University. On the afternoon of 17 August 1982, First opened a parcel delivered to her office. Hidden inside was an explosive device prepared by members of the South African Security Police. The explosion killed her instantly and injured several people nearby.  Her assassination caused international outrage. Presidents, members of parliament, diplomats and representatives from 34 countries attended her funeral in Maputo.

Did You Know?

Ruth First was not only a political activist but also an influential writer and researcher. Her work examined subjects ranging from apartheid and political repression to migrant labour and the economic relationship between South Africa and neighbouring countries. Her final research included a major study of Mozambican migrant workers employed on South Africa's gold mines.

The Truth About Her Assassination

For years, the circumstances surrounding Ruth First's death were clouded by secrecy and misinformation.

During South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, former Security Police officers Craig Williamson and Roger Howard Leslie Raven applied for amnesty for their involvement in the assassination.

The TRC established that Raven manufactured the explosive device in Pretoria and that the operation was planned and directed from South Africa. On 30 May 2000, Williamson and Raven were granted amnesty for their roles in the killing of Ruth First and for the later parcel-bomb murders of Jeanette and Katryn Schoon in Angola. Justice

Did You Know?

The bomb that killed Ruth First was one of a number of covert operations carried out beyond South Africa's borders against opponents of the apartheid government. Her assassination became one of the most notorious examples of the apartheid state's campaign against activists living in exile.

Kimberley’s Story Continues

Although Ruth First's assassination took place far from Kimberley, her story belongs to the wider history of South Africa's struggle against apartheid — a history in which Kimberley also played an important part. From political figures such as Sol Plaatje, Frances Baard, Dr Arthur Letele and Robert Sobukwe, to the protests and political movements that emerged within the city and its townships, Kimberley's history cannot be separated from the broader struggle for political rights and racial equality.