LOOKING BACK

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES 50 YEARS AGO

Apollo 13 is on the way to the moon piloted by an untested substitute astronaut who has had only hours of rehearsal with his crew mates for critical docking manoeuvres in lunar orbit. America’s third moon landing mission in nine months was launched on schedule into overcast skies at 9.13pm (SA time) while West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, Vice-President Spiro Agnew, John Wayne and 12,000 other invited guests and tens of thousands of “bird watchers” cheered. As the 35-storey-tall Saturn 5 rocket left Pad 39A, Mission Control told the crew: “Good luck. Head for the hills.” — April 12 1970

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES 25 YEARS AGO

As dusk falls on the ragged skyline of the Winnie Mandela squatter camp near Tembisa, armed bands of young men take to the streets. Residents greet them with a smile or a small gift of food. They, in turn, politely ask anyone about after 8pm the nature of their business and where they live. And they listen for the whistle blast that will signal a resident in trouble. This week residents declared an 8pm to 5am curfew on themselves in an attempt to curb a crime wave terrorising the camp, and set up self-defence units to enforce it. The “state of emergency” was declared last Sunday when angry residents said they’d had enough of the death and destruction criminals brought to the camp. The camp, of more than 10,000 people, was established two years ago. — April 9 1995