South Africa

1. South Africa By Janelle P.

2. 200 AD • 200 AD is the start of South Africa’s Iron Age when the Ntu people migrated to the region. Originally, the area had been sparsely populated by hunter-gatherer people, the San. The Ntu were the first in South Africa to have domesticated livestock and plants which enabled semipermanent communities along the Limpopo River. The Ntu were able to create tools and weapons from metals which characterizes this time period as the Iron Age.

3. Limpopo River

4. 1497 • 1497 during Europe’s famous Age of Exploration, Portugese explorer Vasco de Gama sought out a faster route to the Indies. He writes in a journal, • “The inhabitants of this country are tawny-colored. Their food is confined to the flesh of seals, whales and gazelles, and the roots of herbs. They are dressed in skins, and wear sheaths over their virile members. They are armed with poles of olive wood to which a horn, browned in the fire, is attached. Their numerous dogs resemble those of Portugal, and bark like them. The birds of the country, likewise, are the same as in Portugal, and include cormorants, gulls, turtle doves, crested larks, and many others. The climate is healthy and temperate, and produces good herbage.”

5. De Gama’s Route and Cape of Good Hope, Where De Gama Landed

6. 1595 • In 1595, the Dutch land at current day Bay of Saldanha and name it Table Bay due to the oddly shaped mountain. For centuries to follow, the Dutch will attempt to establish a “refreshment station” for ships traveling to India to resupply water and fresh food. The natives are hostile towards the Dutch and kill the British’s first attempt to establish a colony in South Africa. From 1595 and on, the Dutch will have heavy involvement in South Africa.

7. Table Top Mountain Where Dutch and British attempt to establish communities

8. May 1658 • The Khoi-Khoi Dutch war provides the first formal confrontation between the white settlers and African natives. In this first Khoi-Khoi Dutch War, the Khoi-Khoi tribe led by Doman attempt to steal the Dutch settlers’ cattle in order to plough fields the Dutch appropriated for them. In response, the Dutch settlers all seek protection in a fort. The lack of unity in the Khoi-Khoi tribe enable the Dutch to be victorious and results in the Khoi-Khoi loosing more of their land. To ensure the Khoi-Khoi would not try to take the cattle again, the Dutch construct fences along the ancestral Khoi-Khoi land and newly obtained Dutch land. The Khoi-Khoi are only allowed through the gates at specified times and through designated gates.

9. Drawing of Khoi-Khoi Civilization

10. 1713 • In 1713 the first of three prominent smallpox outbreaks. The deadly disease was introduced to South Africa from passengers on a ship which stopped at Cape Colony. In this particular outbreak, 25% of the white population was killed and an even larger percentage for the native Khoi-Khoi due to the absence of medicine and treatment. Due to the large death rate, there was a labor shortage and many farms were abandoned. The cattle farmers took over the farm land all resulting in economic issues and agricultural shortage. The next two largest outbreaks would occur in 1755 and 1767.

11. Small Pox Victim

12. 1800 • The official Cape Colony government, the Dutch, create a government operated press. The two sole newspapers allowed to be inprint were the Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser. The Cape Colony government threatened heavy fines for any other publication circulated in the colony creating the denial of the right to freedom of speech/press. Not until 1824 was the first privately owned newspaper, South African Commercial Advertiser, printed in South Africa.

13. Newspapers are a primary source for current events. Here, South Africans read about a shooting that happened between the police and miners.

14. 1779-1879 • In the 100 year time span between 1779 and 1879, a series of nine Boer (Dutch farmers) verse AmaXhosa wars occurred. The first war was a battle over grazing land and the Boers were able to defeat the AmaXhosa with the aid of the British military and firearms. The AmaXhosa lost most of their land but were able to inhabit neutral areas. The Ninth War was the last attempt of the AmaXhosa to recapture their land. On the journey from the diamond field to their territory, the AmaXhosa attacked the Boers. The AmaXhosa lost all of their land to the Boers and became part of Cape Colony.

15. Xhosa Army

16. 1879 • The discovery of diamonds and gold in 1867 and 1871 changed the perception of South Africa to Britain. Because of the potential wealth, South Africa became a greater interest and a plan to help Britain out of bankruptcy. The British wanted to unite all territories and kingdoms in South Africa under one British ruler, however the Zulu Empire was the biggest opposition. The Zulu were possibly the only South African nation to reject the missionaries and settlers and had to desire to work for the British. In December of 1878, the British announced an ultimatum to the Zulu Empire, disarmed them and waited for a reply within twenty days. The Zulus did not respond in the time period allowed by the British and was perceived as opposition. The Zulus had a multiple victories over the British and in the end, the Zulu Empire was not completely defeated. Instead, the economy was weakened and the Empire was divided into 13 territories.

17. Zulu Warrior and Drawing of Battle

18. May 28, 1948 • May 1948, the National Party is elected to a majority of the representative seats in the South African General Election. The election was not a fair democratic election and therefore not a true view of who represents the people. From the election, DF Malan is Prime Minister and Apartheid begins. Government legislation like the Group Areas Act, 3 million people relocated by force because of segregation, Suppression of Communism Act No 44, banning of nonwhite groups, Natives Act No 67, creating of Pass Laws, as well as many others characterize this time period as supreme racism and segregation.

19. Apartheid Sign

20. 1960 • In 1960, South Africa withdrew itself from the British Commonwealth and declared itself a republic because the British Prime Minister Macmillan declared British could not support the racial policies in South Africa. The British Commonwealth is a union of 53 sovereign states that usually were colonies originally. After withdrawing for the Commonwealth, the National Party banned the African National Congress (ANC) and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), forcing the leaders to seek refuge in bordering countries. South Africa encountered a nationwide strike as a response to the banning of the ANC because the ANC promised an anti-pass campaing that would have started in March 1960.

21. ANC and PAC Flags

22. Late 1970s-1980s • During the late 1970s and 1980s, South Africa received an increase in external pressures to end apartheid. In hopes of influencing an end of discrimination, a World Conference Against Racism was held in Geneva in 1978. The United States, United Kingdom as well as 21 other nations imposed trade sanctions on South Africa in hopes of South African leaders ending apartheid. In 1986, the Pass Laws were eliminated and the first steps towards ending years of segregation was taken.

23. Poster Advertising the World Conference Against Racism

24. February 11, 1990 • After 27 years of being imprisoned for capital crimes of sabotage, crimes equivalent to treason, and crimes for plotting foreign invasion, Nelson Mandela was released. Soon after Mandela was named head of the ANC. Mandela’s release gave hope to the people for a new government and formal end of apartheid. Before his imprisonment, Mandela worked for a multiple race government that was for the people and by the people.

25. Nelson Mandela’s Prison Cell Robben Island

26. March 26, 1990 • On March 26, 1990 in Sebokeng a peaceful demonstration against the high rents and segregated facilities like school that were a product of apartheid. The police open fired on the protestors killing 14 people and injuring 380. As a result, in January 1991, the Minister of Education for Whites declared that white schools would accept black students if a majority of the white parents gave consent. Although the protest was dangerous and violent, the outcome contributes to the potential end of segregation.

27. Anti-Apartheid Protest

28. April 26 – 29, 1994 • From April 26 – 29, 1994, the first South African democratic election was held. Nineteen political parties participated including the once banned ANC and the National Party which is responsible for apartheid. Over 22 million people voted. Nelson Mandela, leading the ANC won by 62.65%, followed by the National Party with 20.39% and the Inkatha Freedom Party with 10.54%. This election is still viewed as a key turning point for South African politics.

29. First Democratically Elected President, Nelson Mandela

30. 1999 • In 1999, after Mandela had resigned from office and the second democratic election was held. Thabo Mbeki, the ANC’s candidate was victorious. Mbeki was forced to resign for questionable economic policies with the communist party. Today, there is a temporary replacement until the election that will take place this year.

31. Mbeki

32. Works Cited • http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1497degama.html • http://www.eliabroad.org/content/category/8/24/85/ • http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/governence-projects/anglo_zulu_wars/index.html • http://www.krugerpark.co.za/iron-age-kruger-national-park.html • http://www.warthog.co.za/dedt/tourism/battlefields/conflict/anglozulu.htm • http://www.un.org/WCAR/e-kit/backgrounder1.htm • http://www.anc.org.za/people/mandela.html