Ruth First's assassination and intellectual legacy endure beyond apartheid

A parcel bomb exploded at the Center for African Studies in Maputo, Mozambique, killing Ruth First, a prominent SACP member and scholar. The device was dispatched by South Africa's Special Branch, illustrating the apartheid state's aggressive campaign against opponents even beyond its borders. First, born in Johannesburg to Latvian and Lithuanian Jewish immigrants, combined academic work with activism, covering black politics for publications such as one outlet and New Age.

Her partnership with Joe Slovo, a leading SACP figure and later post-apartheid minister, intertwined personal and political struggles. While in exile, she authored influential studies on colonialism, coups, and African militaries, most notably The Barrel of a Gun, which argued that colonial legacies left weak institutions vulnerable to military takeover. Her writings continue to shape discussions on power, statehood, and revolutionary strategy in Africa.