South Africa’s first inter-racial marriage

Witness History

In 1949, inter-racial marriage and relationships were banned by South Africa’s apartheid government.

In June 1985, the ban was lifted.

Suzanne La Clerc and Protas Madlala were the first couple to tie the knot under the new rules.

Ashley Byrne was speaking to them in 2015.

Protas Madlala died in 2023.

A made in Manchester production for the BBC World Service

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: The wedding of Protas Madlala and American Susan Leclerc. Credit: Philip Littleton/AFP/Getty Images)