1860 Heritage Centre

1860 Heritage Centre The 1860 Heritage Centre is a South African heritage museum that showcases the diversity of South Africa's rich heritage.

Come hungry, see you soon
24/08/2026

Come hungry, see you soon

Remembering Slave TradeUNESCO On the night of 22 to 23 August 1791, in Saint Domingue, today the Republic of Haiti, saw ...
23/08/2026

Remembering Slave Trade
UNESCO On the night of 22 to 23 August 1791, in Saint Domingue, today the Republic of Haiti, saw the beginning of the uprising that would play a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

It is against this background that the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is commemorated on 23 August each year. It was first celebrated in a number of countries, in particular in Haiti (23 August 1998) and Gorée Island in Senegal (23 August 1999).

This International Day is intended to inscribe the tragedy of the slave trade in the memory of all peoples. In accordance with the goals of the intercultural project "The Routes of Enslaved Peoples", it should offer an opportunity for collective consideration of the historic causes, the methods and the consequences of this tragedy, and for an analysis of the interactions to which it has given rise between Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean.

80th Anniversary of the Passive Resistance Campaign. The SASTRI College Alumni Association Passive Resistance Committee ...
23/08/2026

80th Anniversary of the Passive Resistance Campaign. The SASTRI College Alumni Association Passive Resistance Committee was honoured to collectively salute the families of the 10257 resisters who were imprisoned, most often with hard labour. They stood up to be counted in the fight against injustice.

To commemorate the 80th Anniversary of 1946 Passive Resistance Campaign, SCAS saluted the resisters in a ceremony at the historic site of the passive resistance campaign in Umbilo and a further programme on the Sastri College campus on 22 August.

Passive resistance in 1946 was a revolutionary act. The only thing passive about the campaign was the firm conviction not to resist arrest. In every other way, the campaign shook the foundations of the colonial and apartheid state. International attention was focused on racism in South Africa through lobbying the United Nations and India leading the trade and diplomatic boycott.

The resisters of 1946 watered the seeds of non-racial activism and claimed their space in the struggle for South African freedom. The Group Areas Act still happened. People were still brutalised, but the flag of rebellion and resistance had been raised, culminating in the democratic election of 1994.

Eighty Fighting YearsSelvan Naidoo and Kiru Naidoo“We Shall Resist!” was the battle cry of the 1946 passive resistance c...
21/08/2026

Eighty Fighting Years
Selvan Naidoo and Kiru Naidoo

“We Shall Resist!” was the battle cry of the 1946 passive resistance campaign spearheaded by the Natal and Transvaal Indian Congresses. At issue was the racist law segregating residential areas. Durban defined the battleground.

The resistance shifted the strategic direction of the struggle for South African freedom in two significant ways. One was that non-racialism as collective action entered the political lexicon by different races entering the struggle, even if symbolically. The second was that racism in South Africa was placed firmly on the agenda of the newly formed United Nations Organisation through the joint action of the African National Congress and the South African Indian Congress.

The dignity of housing was the spark. Populations were growing, yet the city council paid scant attention to the housing and developmental needs of its black people. In the early 1940s, more prosperous members of the Indian community started buying properties in historically European neighbourhoods. This “Indian penetration” was met with demands for segregatory legislation.

First came the “Pegging Act” of 1943 that banned property transactions between Indians and whites. The 1946 Asiatic Land Tenure and Indian Representation Act followed. Laws targeting Indians were eventually to find countrywide application as the Group Areas Act of 1950, which became a cornerstone of apartheid.

Between 1946 and 1948, a total of 10 267 resistors defied the law by occupying land forbidden to them. Dr Jairam Reddy, chairperson of the Sastri College Alumni Society (SCAS), poignantly summed up their sacrifice: “(They) gave up their freedom so that we could be free.”

The resisters chose to be jailed, most frequently sentenced to hard labour. Their actions were revolutionary and passive only is so far as they did not resist arrest. SCAS was an instrumental partner in the construction of the Resistance Park Monument at the intersection of Gale Street and Umbilo Road and continues to lead commemorations on the anniversary of the campaign.

The campaign commenced with a historic mass meeting at Red Square on 31 March 1946 called by the radical leadership of the NIC, which included among others Doctors Monty Naicker and K.Goonam, MD Naidoo, Fatima and Dawood Seedat and Kay Moonsamy. At the meeting, the journalist and poet HIE Dhlomo committed the support of young people in the ANC, saying: “Justice is not Indian, and neither is freedom, Indian. We want all people to be free.” In the then Transvaal, the ANC President-General, Dr Alfred Bitni Xuma, also spoke in support of the campaign on a platform of the Transvaal Indian Congress.

June 13 was declared as Hartal Day when twenty Indians began the passive resistance campaign by pitching five tents on vacant land in a controlled area at the junction of Gale Street and Umbilo Road and camping there. This group of 20 men, under the leadership of Dr. Naicker, chairman of the Natal Indian Congress, kept the strictest discipline. Dr. Naicker noted, “if and when he and his men were arrested or removed from their camp, another 20 would move in to take their places.”

Later professor of sociology and biographer of Nelson Mandela, Fatima Meer joined the campaign as a teenager. In recounting the milestone struggle, she said: “We were following the footsteps of the great Mahatma … I remember I led my batch to occupy the resistance plot. … We were arrested for occupying the plot, and taken to the Umbilo police cells where we spent the night. We appeared before the Magistrate at the Durban Court the next morning. We re-iterated our opposition to the discriminatory laws in court and were sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour. No resister paid the alternative of a fine. We were then removed to the Durban Central Prison.”

The idea of “direct action” as defined by Martin Luther King in his celebrated Letter from a Birmingham Jail sought to “create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.” In South Africa, the seeds of non-violent confrontation were planted by Mahatma Gandhi in the various satyagraha campaigns fighting other racist legislation.

The Smuts government was adamant about stopping “the outsiders coming in” but it had to confront the issue. The crisis came to a head in 1946 at the United Nations when delegations from the ANC and South African Indian Congress jointly lobbied diplomats and the international media. Smuts was roundly embarrassed at the UN and condemned as a racist South African. India became the first country to break diplomatic relations with South Africa and impose cultural and trade sanctions.

The history leading to the 1946 campaign and the land and housing questions is instructive. Before the Acts were passed, the main areas that Indians occupied were beyond the Umgeni River, in Riverside and Prospect Hall and further inland at Duikerfontein and Sea Cow Lake. Springfield and Sydenham were also predominantly Indian. Indians also settled in areas such as Mayville, Cato Manor, Clairwood and Magazine Barracks, and the Bluff.

Even though informal segregation existed since the first colonial invasion, it was not until 1922 that the first major restriction was enacted, when the municipality excluded Indians from purchasing municipal land. The Slums Act was passed ostensibly to improve sanitation but was a veil to expropriate of Indian property. Ironically, as late as the 1970s, Indians, in places like Tin Town in Springfield, still lived in shacks without basic services. By 1936, only 20% of Indians in Durban owned houses made of brick, stone, or concrete; the rest lived in wooden and iron structures.

Indians were forcibly removed from areas such as Mayville, Cato Manor, Clairwood and Magazine, and Railway Barracks. By 1950, there were adverts in the newspapers for an exclusively Indian suburb called ‘Umhlatuzana’. Later, Red Hill and Silverglen (later Chatsworth) were also advertised. Reservoir Hills, which was also declared an Indian area. To the north and south of Durban, La Mercy and Isipingo Beach were also designated Indian areas. In Merebank, purpose-built houses replaced the poor settlements, and by the late 1950s a reconstructed Merebank offered cheap houses on an extended payment plan.

Housing remained a sore issue throughout the apartheid years, with organisations like the Cato Manor Residents Association and the Durban Housing Act Committee picking up the baton from the courageous men and women of the 1946 campaign. Despite the defeat of apartheid in the democratic election of 1994, the hunger for land and dignity remains one of the great challenges facing the state and society.

To commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the 1946 Passive Resistance Campaign, SCAS will salute the resisters in a ceremony at the historic site and a further programme on the Sastri College campus on 22 August.

Selvan Naidoo and Kiru Naidoo are co-authors of The Indian Africans, published by Micromega.

History lessons on indenture at the 1860 Heritage Centre with Learners from Holy Family College.
20/08/2026

History lessons on indenture at the 1860 Heritage Centre with Learners from Holy Family College.

St Henry's Marist College visit the 1860 Heritage Centre.
17/08/2026

St Henry's Marist College visit the 1860 Heritage Centre.

MY CAPE TOWN by PAT PILLAI, a message of hope...Selvan NaidooResistance theatre in apartheid South Africa was a powerful...
16/08/2026

MY CAPE TOWN by PAT PILLAI, a message of hope...
Selvan Naidoo

Resistance theatre in apartheid South Africa was a powerful political weapon. Playwrights and actors used performance theatre, satire, and township stages to bypass strict state censorship, expose police brutality, and mobilize communities against systemic racial segregation. Woza Albert, Sizwe Banzi is Dead, The Lahnee’s Pleasure, and Working Class Hero served as a vital weapon of resistance, cultural preservation, and social mobilization, broadcasting the anti-apartheid struggle to local and global stages.

Thirty-two years into our democracy, we have lost the ability to use the arts in leading a meaningful society. Pat Pillai’s masterful My Cape Town, in its layered nuance, conveys a message of hope by reminding us of how the beautifully enriching lived diversity experienced in Rylands, District Six, Magazine Barracks, and Sophiatown can drive us forward to sweep aside rising ethnic nationalism. The "deep concern and shame" expressed by President Ramaphosa regarding the recent violent anti-immigrant protests and mistreatment of foreign nationals in South Africa speaks to the challenge that My Cape Town poses. A challenge of how the inspirational medium of the arts can be used to fix our fractured society.

My Cape Town is more than a play; it asks us, as freedom-loving South Africans, to question what is wrong with South African society, ensuring that the legacy of Woza Albert, Sizwe Banzi is Dead, The Lahnee’s Pleasure, and Working Class Hero is not lost entirely.

Pillai’s moulding of Rylands and wider Athlone’s charming, quirky characters who made life extraordinary is portrayed in a hilarious, heartwarming, and nostalgic narrative of Cape Town during the 70s, 80s, and 90s! A narrative that is no different from My Johannesburg or My Durban. Told with vibrant storytelling, accompanied by the masterful Melvin Peters on live piano, Mandla Marsha on drums, and Logan Byrne on double bass. A fusion of dramedy, music, and songs, enthralled audiences in four shows at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre.

“The Cape Flats is a part of Cape Town that is most ethnically and culturally diverse, with people and cultures from around the globe interacting for hundreds of years. A diverse Hindu, Muslim, and Christian community shaped a unique cultural identity. In the 70’s, parents and grandparents had just been evicted from District Six and found themselves having to make a new life on the sands. In My Cape Town, we met Donavan Selveraj (the curious news editor); Oliver Shakespeare (the classical artiste); the mischievous Auntie Khadijah; Vikram Singh (the romantic mechanic); Lionel (a brilliant pianist); Mr and Mrs Jansen (sweepstakes winners); Uncle O’Brien (who lives in a shack); Umesh Lala (who defended his mother); Mr Murugadas (the charming waiter); Taxi Benny; Jimmy Jingles (the nervous MC); Yongama Bala (the boxer); Little Chubby Singh; Igsaan (the enforcer); – and many more,” writes Pillai.

My Cape Town by Pat Pillai is nostalgic, hilarious, yet deeply human - and wonderfully revealing for those who did not grow up there. Classic storytelling, music, laughter, and poignant moments that are universally human. News reports of life on the other side of Cape Town, the Flats, are often dire, but life is so much more than the bleak. On the Flats and, in fact, all over South Africa, people find a way... they love, build, create, celebrate and dream. My Cape Town captures these vibrant and uplifting stories.

“Pat Pillai was born and raised in Athlone, Cape Town. As a professional, Pillai went on to study and work in Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town and abroad. Pat is calling this his ‘Thank You Durban’ run — a heartfelt tribute to the city where, from 18 years old, he was qualified, trained, apprenticed and set on the path to his professional life.”

As a gesture of gratitude, he donated the proceeds from all his Durban public shows to selected charities like the 1860 Heritage Centre, the Dennis Hurley Centre, A***n Benevolent Homes, and the Hindu Maha Sabha as his thank you to the people of Durban.

The 1860 Heritage Centre, The Denis Hurley Centre, A***n Benevolent Homes and the South African Hindu Maha Sabha wishes to thank all their patrons who came out in their numbers to support an amazing show in My Cape Town. Siyabonga kakhulu, Pat Pillai and team.

Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso
Yizwa imithandazo yethu.

Selvan Naidoo is the Maternal Great-grandson of Camachee, indentured number 3297, & Paternal Great-grandson of Karpayamma, indentured number 96575, and Director of the 1860 Heritage Centre.

Happy Independence Day to the peoples of India.
15/08/2026

Happy Independence Day to the peoples of India.

Happy 91st Birthday Dr Juggie Pather. We celebrate the life of a hero who still walks with us. Dr Juggie Pather, a Found...
12/08/2026

Happy 91st Birthday Dr Juggie Pather. We celebrate the life of a hero who still walks with us. Dr Juggie Pather, a Founding Director of the 1860 Heritage Centre turns 91 today. Dr Pather dedicated close on 10 years to have the Centre returned to its present location. The 1860 Heritage Centre is in existence because of Dr Pather. TODAY the 1860 Heritage Centre services the greater South African Community due to the vision, determination and sheer tenacity of people like DR JUGGIE PATHER. You have served your community well, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and may happiness and laughter follow your journey always. Enge ponalum pon vanam kanoddu, Mikka Nandri.

Last Week to Book for the Incredible MY CAPE TOWN by Pat Pillai with Melving Peters, Mandla Marsha and Logan Byrne. All ...
10/08/2026

Last Week to Book for the Incredible MY CAPE TOWN by Pat Pillai with Melving Peters, Mandla Marsha and Logan Byrne. All proceeds of the show benefit the 1860 Heritage Centre. Please book your tickets for the 15 August 2026, 3pm show.

Address

No. 1 Derby Street. Corner Of Epsom Road
Durban
4001

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 16:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 16:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 16:00
Thursday 08:00 - 16:00
Friday 08:00 - 16:00

Telephone

031 309 1858

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