Retelling South Africa's freedom stories

South Africa's Human Rights Day – declared International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination by the UN – will always be synonymous with Sharpeville, the township where, on 21 March 1960, the police opened fire on unarmed people protesting against apartheid's pass laws, killing 69 and injuring 180 others.

Take a brief tour through the rich, dramatic history of South Africa: from the earliest inhabitants through colonisation to the discovery of diamonds and gold – and the war that followed; from the formation and evolution of black resistance, through three decades of crisis to the eventual death of apartheid.

South Africa has begun work on a series of museums and monuments, together forming a National Liberation Heritage Route, to honour the women and men who fought against apartheid.

In a gesture towards nation-building and reconciliation, the South African government is to declare the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria a national heritage site, while unveiling a series of monuments to celebrate the heroes and heroines of the country's struggle for liberation.