This article focuses on the revival of the Natal Indian Congress (NIC) in 1971 in the context of what is retrospectively known as the ‘Durban moment’. The early 1970s witnessed the emergence of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) as well as a resurgence of working class collective action that was to form the embryo of the independent labour movement later in the...

Moosa Hajee Cassim of Porbandar on the west coast of India arrived in Natal on the south-eastern shore of Africa in 1881 as part of the ?passenger? migrant stream that followed in the wake of the recruitment of indentured labourers to the colony. Moosa was deeply involved in the political, economic, social and religious life of Indians in Natal. While there is a gr...

This paper focuses on Sarojini Naidu's noteworthy 1924 visit to South Africa. She was the first high profile Indian to visit after the departure of Mohandas K. Gandhi in 1914. Her visit also highlighted that Indian political figures' visits to colonies often perpetuated a reliance on India for political redress. Naidu stood out because, even though she came as Gand...

This article examines the attempts in the 1940s of A.I. Kajee and the Orient Islamic Educational Institute to secure a site for a world-class, modern boarding school for Muslim children in Durban. While the Institute would eventually build a school in 1959 that fell far short of its original vision, their struggles highlight several key issues related to Indian min...