This week in African History (30th November – 6 December)

• 1954, 30 November – Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom is elected premier of South Africa. He later becomes notorious for his severe policies resulted that result in removal of mixed raced group from the common voters roll and the extended ‘treason trial’ of 156 activists (including Nelson Mandela) involved in the Freedom Charter.
• 1988, 1 December – Africa – along with the rest of the world, sets this day aside as World AIDS Day
• 1990, 2 December – President Hissène Habré of Chad is ousted by Idriss ‘Cowboy of the Sands‘ Déby in a military coup.
• 1963, 3 December – Nelson Mandela‘s treason trial begins in South Africa.
• 1992, 4 December – US President George Bush prepares to send 28,000 US Marines into Somali to stop Somali warlords from confiscating food shipments.
• 1924, 5 December – Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe , leader of South Africa’s Pan Africanist Congress, PAC is born.
• 1977, 6 December – Zambian president Kenneth David Kaunda refuses to take part in UK-US discussions on majority rule in Rhodesia.