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Ruth First

1925 - 1982

A fearless journalist and activist whose pen was her weapon against apartheid.

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A fearless journalist and activist whose pen was her weapon against apartheid.

— A message from the family

Biography

Ruth First was a South African anti-apartheid activist and scholar. She was a journalist, academic, and member of the South African Communist Party. She was detained, banned, and eventually assassinated by a letter bomb in Mozambique. Her writings on apartheid and colonialism remain important contributions to political scholarship.

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Life Timeline

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1925

Born in Johannesburg

1949

Married Joe Slovo

1963

Detained for 117 days without trial

1978

Went into exile in Mozambique

1982

Assassinated by letter bomb in Maputo