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| Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5674724 |
The Republic of South Africa is a federal
state with nine provincial governments to which much of the world seems
oblivious.[1]
Much of modern society views South Africa with varying degrees of
misunderstanding or ignorance. When questioning people about South Africa, most
people identified it by its growing musical and cinematic achievements,
vacation hot spots, strange accent, and most commonly, AIDS. Of the several
people I questioned, only two mentioned apartheid and Mandela. Certainly all of
these are a part of South Africa’s identity, but South Africa is far more
complex and should not be relegated to popular science fiction movies or a
health epidemic. South Africa also has abundant resources, a strong, albeit
shrinking, economy, and a fascinating ancient history. Furthermore, the fact
that South Africa is recognized for its growing modernity or recognized at all,
is a testament to its continuing development. However, South Africa is best
defined by its history and world stage developments both through its successes
and failures throughout history. We should look at South Africa’s history as a
whole.
South African history is complex. The
general understanding of South African history seems to only extend to the
1960’s. The last century saw a lot of change and turmoil in South Africa, but
South African history extends much further. In fact, South Africa boasts one of
the richest collections cave paintings in the world. These paintings give a
clear look into the South African past extending back approximately 4,000
years.
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| By Fondazione Passaré, CC BY-SA 3.0, Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29321879 |
While this seems like a mundane point, it is important to consider that
these paintings are not just artistic expression. They provide “valuable data” about South African “life,
history, and their environment…”[2]
Additionally, recent archaeological findings have revealed the skeletons of an
adult and infant that fell into a cave death trap.[3]
These findings have not just helped scientists study and understand the
development of people in this region, but the development of mankind in
general. These alleged two million year old skeletons show a “combination of
primitive and modern skeletal traits.”[4]
While there is the presence of an evolutionary pollutant in the scientists’
conclusions, these skeletons do help us understand more about earth’s early
inhabitants.
South Africa also assisted in world development.
Having a strategic coastline, South Africa was a perfect stopping point for
Europeans making their way East. Again while this might seem like a small
point, the implications are literally earth changing. In the 15th century, the Portuguese began opening trade routes through
Africa in order to get to Asia. This gave them frequent contact with the South
Africans, which ultimately resulted in Africa being opened up to Europe and
colonialism.[5]
The Dutch would replace the Portuguese, and the British, who would integrate
the Cape Colony into a “dynamic international trading empire of industrializing
Britain, would replace the Dutch.”[6]
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| By John Pinkerton - http://www.davidrumsey.com/maps4704.html, Public Domain, Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6032234 |
We should not be confused; while South Africa was important to these European
peoples, it was only important in that it was “…a
‘stepping stone’ on the route to their expanding interests in India and the
East.”[7]
However, though they only considered it a stepping stone, South Africa’s
geographic location made it possible for empires to spread, trade routes to
open, and the world to become a smaller, more integrated place.[8]
While the arrival of European
colonialists arguably saw more bad than good come to South Africa, there was
one extremely positive and important developmental aspect that must not be
ignored—Christianity. If a civilization can only choose one development, it
should be spiritual development. For the most part, South Africa was a region
of superstition. They worshiped the sun and mantises and believed strange
supernatural folklore to be a satisfying explanation of their history.[9]
Of course, not all of this thinking has left South Africa, but today, the
majority of South Africans claim to follow some form of Christianity. This is a
monumental achievement when we consider the meager progress early missionaries had.
For instance, July 9,
1737 saw the arrival of the first Protestant missionary, George Schmidt. He had
a desire to reach the Hottentots (Khoikhoi), but was cut off from the colonies.
He only saw a handful of converts.[10]
It was not until the 1820’s that missionaries
really started to be viewed favorably by the indigenous people. As missionaries
such as John Philip successfully campaigned for improved treatment of the
Khoi-Khoi, a more favorable view of Christianity would arise.[11]
With this being said, “Despite
the continuing spread of a missionary presence into southern Africa during the
19th Century, by the time of the Anglo-Zulu conflict of 1879 very few converts
had been won over to Christianity.”[12]
It was not until the late 1880’s that missionaries began to finally start
seeing South Africa making large strides in spiritual development.
If Christian missions were the great
boon of European emigration, Western thinking was the great bane.
Unfortunately, even the Christian missionaries viewed Africa as a dark and
backward place. Western thinking simply did not understand the culture and
history of Africa. While some of the thinking might have been well placed, it
was taken to an immoral extreme. Many colonialists did not view Africa as a
place in need of intellectual and spiritual development, but rather, a wasted
resource for the taking. It was the burden of westerners to civilize these
people or in other words, break them. Rudyard Kipling comes to mind and his
idea of the “White Man’s Burden.”
 |
| By Artist: Victor Gillam Source: The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum - “The White Man’s Burden (Apologies to Rudyard Kipling)” Judge, April 1, 1899, Public Domain, Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45187881 |
While some genuinely wanted to help less
developed parts of the world, many efforts had, at the very least, an undertone
of racism. With the colonies came oppression and slavery as the demands of the
colonists increased. Somewhat fortunate for the South Africans, most slaves
were imported from East Africa, and the Dutch kept minimal supervision on the
pastoralists in the region. However, as the colonies continued to grow into the
1700’s, their demands grew, and thus, their drain on the land. “As they
intruded further upon the land and water sources, and stepped up their demands
for livestock and labour, more and more of the indigenous inhabitants were
dispossessed and incorporated into the colonial economy as servants.”[13]
Thankfully, the twentieth century would see slow progress for all of Africa
with the end of colonialism, but “the end of colonialism did not mean an end
for Africa’s suffering.”[14]
In South Africa, little changed initially. The end of colonialism saw the rise
of apartheid, which “systematically embodied and reinforced the legal reduction
of the black African to the inferior status….its aim was to guarantee the
position of whites…”[15] During this
time, South Africa was becoming the economic leader of Africa. This inspired
many other countries to try and follow suit. The results were disastrous for
Africa as a whole.
 |
| By GhePeU - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2720195 |
As wars against apartheid broke out, Africa would suffer. The
wars and civil wars, “which the South African fomented,” would spread into
nearby countries.[16] Fortunately, by the late 1980’s, the
apartheid policies of the Afrikaners were waning. By the 1990’s South Africa
was becoming more democratic, and in 1994, Nelson Mandela would be elected the
South African president. In 1995, Mandela, a black African, would celebrate the
all white South African soccer team’s world cup victory. This would become “the
symbol of national unity for whites as well as blacks.”[17]
 |
| By South Africa The Good News / www.sagoodnews.co.za, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9747318 |
South Africa is a symbol of what a country can achieve if it
is willing to enduring hardships and never give up. South Africa is a country
of development and forward movement. Their story is fascinating and inspiring.
South Africa is a country that went from spiritual blindness to revival, from
war to peace, and from racial segregation to unity. Its modern developments
show just how far the country has come. Truly, South Africa is a country with a
history of mistakes and failures, but those failures have paved the way for
current successes and made the country what it is today, and what it will
continue to become.
This is my first Prezi. I decided to have some fun with it.
(Click arrows to advance through.)
Bibliography
Belcher, Stephen. African
Myths of Origin. NY: Penguin Books, 2005.
Graves, Dan. “Missionary Heroes of South Africa:
1701-1800.” (April 18, 2007).
http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/missionary-heroes-of-south-africa-11630223.html
(accessed June 23, 2016).
Harris, Josheph E. Africa and
Their History. NY: Meridian Books, 1998.
Meredith, Martin. The Fortunes
of Africa. NY: Public Affairs,
2014.
-----. The Fate of Africa: A History of the Continent Since Independence. NY:
Public Affairs,
2011.
Reader, John. Africa: A
Biography of the Continent. NY: Vintage Books, 1999.
Roberts, J.M. The Penguin History of the World. NY,
Penguin Books, 2013.
South African Government.
“History: The Earlier Colonial Period to British Colonial Era.” South
African
Yearbook, http://www.gov.za/about-sa/history#early_colonial_period
(accessed June 16, 2016).
South African History Online.
“Pondoland: The Missionaries.” SAHO (January 13, 2014).
http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/missionaries-pondoland
(accessed June 23, 2016).
South
Africa Info. “About South Africa.” (October, 2015).
http://www.southafrica.info/about/facts.htm#key (accessed
July 7, 2016).
Thorton, John. Africa and Africans in the Making of the
Atlantic World, 1400-1800. NY:
Cambridge
University Press, 1998.
Valentino,
Claudia. “World Roundup: South Africa.” Archaeology.
July/August, 2011.
[1]
South
Africa Info. “About South Africa.” (October, 2015).http://www.southafrica.info/about/facts.htm#key
(accessed July 7, 2016).
[3]
Claudia
Valentino, “World Roundup: South Africa,” Archaeology,
July/August, 2011, 22.
[4]
Ibid.
[5]
South African Government, “History:
The Earlier Colonial Period to British Colinial Era,” South African
Yearbook, http://www.gov.za/about-sa/history#early_colonial_period
(accessed June 16, 2016).
[6]
Ibid.
[8]
John
Thorton, Africa and Africans in the
Making of the Atlantic World, 1400-1800 (NY: Cambridge University Press,
1998).
[10]
Dan Graves, “Missionary Heroes of South Africa:
1701-1800,” (April 18, 2007).
http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/missionary-heroes-of-south-africa-11630223.html
(accessed June 23, 2016).
[12]
South African History Online,
“Pondoland: The Missionaries,” SAHO (January 13, 2014).
http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/missionaries-pondoland (accessed June 23,
2016).
[13]
South African Government, “History: The Earlier
Colonial Period to British Colonial Era,” South African Yearbook,
http://www.gov.za/about-sa/history#early_colonial_period (accessed June
16, 2016).
[14]
J.M.
Roberts, The Penguin History of the World
(NY: Penguin Books, 2013), 1071.
[15]
Ibid,
1074.
[16]
Ibid,
1071.
[17]
Ibid,
1077.
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