Members of the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies (DHHS) at the University of Pretoria (UP) attended the 29^th biennial conference of the Southern African Historical Society (SAHS) hosted by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) during the last week of June. Together with Prof Johan Wassermann from the Department of Humanities Education at the Faculty of Education, UP’s DHHS fielded a substantial delegation of staff and postgraduate students who presented papers and chaired roundtable discussions at this regional academic congregation.

The conference took place from the 26^th to the 28^th of June and featured over 260 speakers, many of whom travelled from around the world from a range of social science disciplines to present papers on their research. A number of individuals from the DHHS braved the Johannesburg cold to both chair panels and present papers covering a range of subjects, from social dancing in Johannesburg in the first half of the twentieth century to an insider history of exiles at SOMAFCO.

On the first day of the conference, Dr Dawid Mouton presented a paper titled, “Plundering to eat—the Manchester Regiment’s experience during the South African War. During the same session, Prof Johan Wassermann presented a paper, “Africans and the Boer migration to Argentina—a revisionist revisitation”.

The second day of the conference was an eventful one for the DHHS. Frederik Kirsten (PhD candidate) presented his paper titled “Interrogating the South African Garrison State (1930s—1940s): Oswald Pirow, Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr and Harold D. Lasswell” and Dr Alida Green presented her paper titled “‘JoJitterburg’ and its ‘Jo’burg Jitters’, 1920s to 1940s: Social dancing in the city”. Prof Thula Simpson presented his paper titled, “Armed Propaganda and People’s War: Vietnam and South Africa in Transnational and Comparative Perspective” and Dr Eddie Michel presented his paper in the same panel, “An ‘unprecedented breach of diplomatic protocol’ or business as usual? Reuben Brigety, the Lady R and U.S. violation of South African sovereignty. An historical analysis”.

Daluxolo Mbebe (PhD Candidate) presented a paper, “Negotiating the Past: The Church of England and the TRC” and Edwin T. Smith (PhD Candidate) presented his paper titled, “Dig where you stand: an antithesis to hegemony? SOMAFCO’S insider history” at the same session. Dr Ian Macqueen chaired the panel “Thinking and debating ‘liberation’ in apartheid South Africa” and also presented a paper he co-wrote with one of his postgraduate students, Michaela Van Ingen-Kal titled “The Creation of a Polish community in the Vaal Triangle, South Africa”.

On the last day, three members of the DHHS presented. Robyn Schnell (PhD Candidate), presented her paper titled “Avoiding Aversion? Piercing the Past Together” and she also presented fellow DHHS postgraduate student, Yekta Noyan’s paper titled “Colonialism, German Experience and Reflections on Holocaust: Case Study on South Africa” on his behalf. Dr Abe Mlombo presented his paper, “Fighting sub-imperialism in Southern Africa? Zimbabwe and regional unity against South Africa power”. Wendy Cox (PhD Candidate) presented her paper titled “Probing and perpetuating porphyria: Dr Geoffrey Dean, 1947-1967”

Apart from those who presented, other members of the DHHS chaired various panels and sessions. In addition to his paper, Prof Simpson also chaired the panel “Liberation armies in southern Africa”. Dr Nisa Paleker chaired the panel, “Film, censorship and history”, while Dr Lindie Koorts chaired two sessions: “Political biography and autobiography in southern Africa” and “Transnational liberation biographies”.

The DHHS was thus very well represented at the conference, which was another successful conversion of regional scholarship. It closed on a high note as the leadership baton for the SAHS was passed on to Dr Bernard Kusena, Chair of the Department of History Heritage and Knowledge Systems at the University of Zimbabwe where the next conference will be held in 2026.