South Africa

South Africa• San were original people; were hunter-

gatherers.

• No collective name for themselves.

• San = Sanqua. A name given to hunters by the Khoekhoen herders of the Cape.

• Means 'people different from ourselves' and was associated with those without livestock, or people who stole livestock.

• Name 'Bushman' given to low status people by Dutch settlers in the 1600's

• Referred to those who collected their food off the land and had no domestic animals.

South Africa• Khoekhoen = Khoikhoi. A general

name which herding people of the Cape used for themselves.

• Word means 'the real people' or 'we people with domestic animals' as opposed to Sanqua or Bushmen who had none.

• Inhabited coast of Cape of Good Hope; first native people to come into contact with the Dutch settlers.

• As the Dutch took over land for farms, the Khoikhoi (often called Hottentots) were dispossessed, exterminated, or enslaved, and their numbers dwindled.

South Africa• Khoesaan = Khoisan is a general term which

linguists use for the click language of southern Africa.

• Physical anthropologists use it as a biological term to distinguish aboriginal people of southern Africa from their black African farming neighbours.

• In language and physical type Khoikhoi appear to be related to San.

• Languages include numerous clicks and they are generally much lighter in complexion than the neighboring Bantu.

South Africa• During the 1st millennium

AD, Bantu speaking agriculturalists arrived.

• Were the ancestors of today's main South African Bantu language groups – Nguni (Xhosa, Zulu, Ndebele) and Sotho (Tswana). Tsonga and Venda are smaller groups.

South Africa• Their arrival pushed the

Khoi-San hunters and herders into marginal areas.

• By 1500 AD, Nguni speaking peoples occupied most of the eastern coast.

South Africa

• In 1652 Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company arrived at the Cape of Good Hope.

• Base station was established at Cape Town to supply the company’s ships with foodstuffs on the long journey to Asia.

South Africa• In the 18th century

Dutch settlers, who called themselves Boers, began expanding toward the north and east.

• Believed they were predestined by God to claim this land.

• Gradually began pushing onto the interior.

South Africa• British gained possession of Cape

Colony in 1815; abolished slavery in 1833.

• Boers felt British policy destroyed their traditional social order, based on racial separation,

• Also believed it would undermine white predominance, which they saw as God's own will.

• British intrusion precipitated the “ Great Trek.”

• Starting in 1835 10,000 Boers (voortrekkers) moved northeast into interior and ultimately established Orange Free State and Transvaal.

South Africa• At time of white settlement of the Cape, Xhosa groups

were living far inland.• Since around 1770, they had been confronted with the

Trek Boers or Voortrekkers who approached from the west.

• Both Boers and Xhosa were stock-farmers. The competition for grazing land led first to quarrels between the two groups, and eventually it came to a number of wars.

• In the middle of the 19th century, all land formerly inhabited by Xhosa was in the hands of white settlers.

South Africa• Towards the end of 18th century, all over southern

Africa small tribal groups were amalgamating into larger communities.

• Not a peaceful process, but result of protracted wars. • Rise of Zulu Kingdom falls into this period. • Through incredible atrocities and cruelties Zulu

warrior Shaka gained control over a number of Zulu clans.

• Expanded his territory systematically as his warriors raided Zulu villages and burnt them down. Women and children gored to death; young men called up and chiefs tortured and forced into allegiance.

South Africa

• Voortrekkers failed to negotiate with Zulus secession of land for settling and grazing.

• They had endured a number of catastrophic assaults.

• Assembled at the Ncome River for a decisive battle on December 16, 1838.

• 464 Boers under command of Andries Pretorius defeated 10,000 Zulu warriors.

• Became known as the Battle of Blood River.

South Africa

• Boers did not ascribe military victory to technically superior armaments; interpreted it instead as a sign from God.

• Before battle, they prayed and made a vow that if God would grant them victory over Zulus, they would commemorate the event annually.

• Afterward they believed even more strongly that white predominance over blacks is God's own will.

Voortrekker Monument, outside Pretoria

South Africa• Port Natal (later re-named Durban) was a frequent port-

of-call for sailors and merchants and in 1823 a settlement started to develop.

• Zulus regarded Natal as their territory; tolerated white settlers, because port was useful as a trading post.

• When Voortrekkers came to Natal in 1836 fierce battles with Zulus occurred.

• Short-lived peace after Zulu defeat at Battle of Blood River in 1838.

• Soon British and Voortrekkers battled for Natal. • Ultimately, the British prevailed and in 1844, Natal

became a Crown Colony; the Voortrekkers retreated.

South Africa• In 1879, the British laid claims on the whole of

Zululand and gave the Zulu King an ultimatum. • In resulting Anglo-Zulu War, British initially suffered a

high number of casualties – 2000 British soldiers died in one at battle when 20,000 Zulu soldiers overran the British army camp.

• Zulu victory initially shocked the British; however, England decided to send more troops and Anglo-Zulu War continued with heavy loss of lives.

• Finally ended in victory for the British in 1887.• KwaZulu was annexed by Natal Colony.

South Africa• After Voortrekkers were defeated by British in

Natal in 1842, the Great Trek moved further northeast.

• First, formed the independent Transvaal to north; this later become the South African Republic.

• In 1854, the Orange Free State was created. • British favored amalgamating their own colonies

and Boer Republics into one union, with the primary purpose of gaining possession of the Transvaal gold mines.

South Africa• Orange Free State

formed an alliance with the South African Republic (Transvaal).

• On February 11, 1899 a war broke out between two Boer Republics and two British colonies of Cape and Natal.

• Began bloody Anglo-Boer War; lasted 3 years.

South Africa• 52,000 Boer soldiers fighting

against 450,000 men under British command.

• Boers achieved some successes, but tables turned.

• On the May 24, 1900 Orange Free State was declared British territory.

• Johannesburg and Pretoria fell; on September 1, 1900.

• Transvaal annexed as British colony.

• Boers started a guerrilla war; British responded with severely.

South Africa• Boer commandos were hunted

systematically; fields devastated and harvests destroyed.

• Women and children left destitute and homeless; kept under horrific conditions in concentration camps.

• More than 27,000 women and children died from famine, exhaustion and disease.

• Eventually Boers realized further resistance would be futile.

• On May 31, 1902, both Boer Republics became British Crown Colonies.

South Africa

• In 1910 formation of Union of South Africa occurred by joining of the former British colonies of the Cape and Natal, and the Boer republics of Transvaal, and Orange Free State.

• Brought independence & self-government, but for whites only.

• In 1912 the Native National Congress founded; was later renamed the African Nation Congress.

South Africa• Policy of racial separation introduced in 1910 through

laws that further curtailed the rights of the black majority.

• "Mines and Works Act" of 1911 limited black workers exclusively to menial work; guaranteed availability of cheap labour and secured better positions for white workers.

• "Native Land Act" of 1913 set aside 7.3 per cent of South African territory as reservations for black people and barred them from buying land outside these areas.

South Africa• Deprived of right to vote or to strike, the black population

had no means of political influence.• The African National Congress, and other resistance and

liberation movements formed; initially badly organized and minimally effective.

• White governments pursued their politics virtually without obstruction.

• After World War II conflicts intensified and black workers went on a number of strikes.

• Whites became nervous and helped right-wing National Party to an overwhelming victory in elections of 1948.

South Africa• National Party coined the

concept of "apartheid" or apartness.

• From then on, official policy called for separation of races – in all public institutions and offices, in public transport and on public toilets, racial segregation was introduced.

• Marriage or any relationships between members of different racial groups were forbidden.

South Africa• 1950 Group Areas Act segregated

blacks & whites. • Created semi-autonomous

“homelands” or “bantustans” – Transkei, Ciskei, Venda, Bophuthatswana, KwaZulu.

• 70% of population placed on 13% of land.

• Government shed responsibility for problems in reservations.

• White government could call its elections free and general, because majority of blacks were no longer citizens of South Africa.

South Africa• Men were forced to work in

cities or mines; women stayed in homelands.

• Identity passes necessary. • During 1950s, the ANC policy

pursued change through non-violence.

• In township of Sharpville on March 21, 1960 South African police opened fire on a Pan Africanist Conference protest.

• 70 demonstrators were killed by police.

Sharpville, 1960

South Africa• In 1961 the ANC formed

Umkhonto We Sizwe – “Spear of the Nation” – as its military wing.

• In 1964 Nelson Mandela and 7 other ANC leaders were sentenced to life in prison for sabotage and treason.

• He soon became the symbol of black resistance; was illegal to display his picture.

Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu at Robbin Island Prison

South Africa• On June 16, 1976 in Soweto,

one of the largest black townships in South Africa, 15,000 children marched in protest of the new educational policy that required black students to learn Afrikaans alongside English, the official language.

• Protestors refused to disperse and police fired into the crowd, killing 176 and wounding hundreds of others.

South Africa• Riots spread across

Soweto and other cities, and were put down through brutal tactics.

• Riots left more than 600 dead.

• From 1984-89 a state of emergency was declared; thousands were detained as violence escalated through the 1980s.

13 year old Hector Peterson was first victim of the Soweto uprising

South Africa• During the 1980s the

charismatic Anglican bishop, Desmond Tutu, rallied western support with a call for boycott of South Africa, primarily through economic sanctions.

• In 1984 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of "the courage and heroism shown by black South Africans in their use of peaceful methods in the struggle against apartheid".

Desmond Tutu

South Africa• In 1989 Frederick W. de Klerk

took over as President from P.W. Botha, who had suffered a stroke.

• Much more liberal than Botha, de Klerk soon openly admitted the failure of apartheid policies.

• Important reason for collapse of old regime was effects of many years of economic and trade embargo.

• Sanctions enacted by many nations led to a desolate state for the South African economy.

FW de Klerk

South Africa• In February 1990, de Klerk

made historic speech in Parliament; favored democratic South Africa.

• ANC was unbanned.• Nelson Mandela was released

from prison on Robben Island, after 27 years behind bars.

• During secret negotiations ANC and government agreed to refrain from violence and work for a peaceful transition and a new constitution.

Nelson Mandela

South Africa• Power struggles between Xhosa-

dominated ANC and Zulu-led Inkatha Freedom Party, resulted in township violence.

• Eventually new constitution was drafted; in April 1994, first democratic elections were held.

• ANC gained majority; Nelson Mandela inaugurated first black African President of South Africa, May 10, 1994 .

• F. W. de Klerk, became second Vice-President of the Interim Government; first Vice-President was Thabo Mbeki.

South Africa• In 1996 the South Africa

Truth and Reconciliation Commission began its work, chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu

• Hearings on human rights violations committed by the former government and liberation movements during the apartheid era.

• Commission released its in 1998; called apartheid a crime against humanity; also found ANC accountable for human rights abuses.

South Africa• In 1999 Thabo Mbeki was

elected president on ANC ticket in 1999 and Nelson Mandela stepped aside.

• Established Nelson Mandela Foundation same year

• Serves as a vehicle for Mandela’s continued pursuit of the ideals and goals he set while serving as South Africa’s first democratically elected leader from 1994–1999

• http://www.nelsonmandela.org