His father, George Arthur Heard, was a noted anti-fascist political journalist at a time when fascism was on the rise globally in the run-up to World War II.
South Africa's entry into the war on the side of the Allies was controversial in country where significant pro-fascist feelings were present among Afrikaner nationalists.
In 1955 he returned to South Africa and started work as a journalist while studying journalism part-time at the University of Cape Town, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts.
[2][6] He married Valerie Joy Heard (née Hermanson), a graduate from the University of Cape Town's College of Music.
[6] In 1985 Heard took leave and traveled to the United Kingdom where he interviewed the then banned leader of the ANC, Oliver Tambo.
[2][3][8] Following the interview Heard was arrested and released on bail for contravening the Internal Security Act with the case against him eventually being dropped by the government.