Contents
Ruth First
Investigative journalism and scholarship against apartheid.
117 Days · The Barrel of a Gun
- Born
- 4 May 1925
- Birthplace
- South Africa
- Died
- 17 August 1982
More people
Ruth First
Ruth First was a journalist, researcher and anti-apartheid activist. Imprisoned and forced into exile, she continued studying power and labour in southern Africa until South African police assassinated her in Mozambique.
Early life
Political household
Grew up in Johannesburg with parents active in the Communist Party.
University
Graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand in social studies in 1946.
Career
- 1946
Journalism
Left municipal research work to edit The Guardian.
- 1963
Detention
Was imprisoned for 117 days without trial.
- 1973
Academic work
Became a sociology lecturer at Durham University.
- 1979
Mozambique
Became research director at Eduardo Mondlane University’s Centre for African Studies.
- 1982
Assassination
Was killed in Maputo by a parcel bomb sent by South African police.
Selected work
117 Days
Recounted her detention and interrogation.
The Barrel of a Gun
Examined military coups and political power in Africa.
Black Gold
Her research on Mozambican mineworkers appeared posthumously.
Beyond work
Family
Married fellow activist Joe Slovo; they had three daughters.
Exile
Moved to London with her daughters in 1964.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Biography and career evidence ↗Photo: passport photograph. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
