South Africa’s Immorality Act and India's Mars Orbiter Mission

The History Hour

We start our programme with the story of a couple who were arrested under South Africa's Immorality Act, which banned sexual relationships between white people and non-white people.

Another law banned Inter-racial marriage in South Africa. In 1985, this was lifted. The first couple to marry under the new rules share their memories.

Our guest is Dr Susanne Klausen, The Brill Professor of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies at The Pennsylvania State University in the USA. She talks about love, marriage and sex in Apartheid South Africa and the two laws that were both repealed on the same day in 1985.

We hear from a survivor of the Estonia ferry disaster in 1994, one of the deadliest shipping disasters since the Titanic. Also, Allen Hughes tells of the time when rap sensation, Tupac Shakur was fired from the crime movie Menace II Society.

And finally, the ‘moon man of India’ tells of the country’s momentous mission to Mars.

Contributors:

Dr Zureena Desai- arrested under the Immorality Act in South Africa. Suzanne La Clerc and Protas Madlala - the first inter-racial couple to get married under new rules in South Africa. Dr Susanne Klausen - The Brill Professor of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies at The Pennsylvania State University in the USA. Urban Lambertson – survivor of the Estonia ferry disaster. Allen Hughes – filmmaker. Dr Mylswamy Annadurai- scientist working on India’s Mars Orbiter Mission.

(Photo: Dr Zureena Desai. Credit: Abrie Jantjies)