South Africa belongs to the Whites
By historian Dr. M du Toit
(Note: Throughout history, the White people of South Africa have had different names, for example:
- Initially they were referred to as Dutch,
- In the 17th and 18th centuries they were referred to as burgers (citizens), Vryburgers (Free citizens), Patriotte, etc.,
- In the 19th century they were referred to as Voortrekkers and Boers,
- In the 20th century they were referred to as Afrikaners,
- Currently there is a strong movement to refer to them as Boers again.
In this article some of the different terms are used, but they always refer to one and the same national community or national community-in-the-making.)
Whites arrive at the Cape
Before Whites arrived, there were approximately 100 000 Khoi-San (Khoi-Khoi or Hottentots and San or Bushmen) living in the Cape. The Dutch, led by Jan van Riebeeck, landed at the Cape in 1652. Initially, relations between the Whites and the Khoi-San were good, but soon the Khoi-San began to attack the Dutch and steal their cattle. This led to several military skirmishes between the Dutch and the Khoi-San, namely the First Dutch-Hottentot War (1659 – 1660), the Second Dutch-Hottentot War (1673 – 1677) and the San Wars (1668 – 1861). Although the events are referred to as wars, they were actually nothing more than skirmishes, with very few deaths on either side. Later, several smallpox epidemics broke out in the Cape, namely in 1713, 1755 and 1766, which resulted in large-scale deaths among the Whites, slaves and Khoi-San. The smallpox epidemics hit the Khoi-San the hardest, during which almost all communities were completely wiped out. The small number of Khoi-San individuals who survived the epidemics subsequently went to live in missionary stations or began working as labourers. Later, some of them mixed with slaves and Whites to form the present coloured population of the Cape. The extinction of the Khoi-San as a people undoubtedly made Whites/Europeans the rightful owners of the Cape.
The origin of the Blacks and the Mfecane or Difaqane
The Blacks, more specifically the Bantu peoples, originated in Central West Africa, in present-day Cameroon and Nigeria. From there they migrated to southern Africa. The Whites met the Xhosas (a Black Nguni group) in the area of the Fish River in 1770, that is, more than 120 years after the Whites arrived in the Cape and more than 800 kilometres from the Cape Peninsula. The blacks therefore can not claim any Cape territory south and west of the Fish River. In the from period 1750 to 1835 there were major upheavals among the black groups in South Africa. The Zulus (another Black Nguni group), led by Shaka, attacked and killed other black groups on a large scale. The events are known as the Mfecane (a Nguni word) or Difaqane (a Sotho-Tswana word) genocides. As a result, most of the South African interior was largely depopulated. A group of Zulus broke away from the Zulu community and formed the Matabele. They continued the Zulus' work of destruction in the interior, led by Mzilikazi. Meanwhile, there was so much conflict and violence, as well as nine Eastern Frontier Wars, between the Whites and the Xhosa in the Eastern Cape that most Whites, known as Voortrekkers, decided to leave the Cape. The events are known as the Great Trek (1834 – 1854). The depopulation of most of the South African interior, as a result of the Mfecane, made it possible for the Voortrekkers to move into the interior. In 1795, the British annexed the Cape for the first time.
The Trek into the interior
The Whites who moved into the interior with the Great Trek are known as Voortrekkers. It is important to know that the Voortrekkers did not establish any of their states or acquire territory by attacking other ethnic groups. The first attempt by the Voortrekkers to establish their own state is known as the Potchefstroom-Winburg Republic (1838). The south of the republic (the area between the Vet and Vaal rivers) was obtained when Andries Hendrik Potgieter made an agreement with the Ba-Taung chief Makwana, during which he promised to help protect them against Mzilikaze. Potgieter also made a payment in cattle to Makwana. The north of the republic (the area north of the Vaal River) was annexed after the Voortrekkers were attacked twice, without provocation, by Mzilikaze in 1836 and the Voortrekkers defeated them. The north-eastern extension of the Potchefstroom-Winburg Republic to Soutpansberg was again obtained by the defeat of the Matabele after unprovoked attacks and by Potgieter negotiating agreements with other lesser black chiefs. In terms of an agreement between the Voortrekkers and the Ba-Taung, the Ba-Taung remained in possession of their most important territory at Thaba Nchu. Furthermore, the territories of various black groups, after they had been driven out by Mzilikazi, were returned to them by Potgieter, the victor over Mzilikazi. Thus the BaHurutse, Rolong, Kwena, Kgatla and others regained their original areas of residence, by agreement with Potgieter.
The Trek to Natal
The second attempt by the Voortrekkers to establish their own state is known as Natalia (1839). To achieve this, the Voortrekkers had to negotiate with the Zulu king Dingane, Shaka's successor. The Voortrekkers, led by Piet Retief, signed a written agreement with Dingane on 4 February 1838 and obtained the area between the Drakensberg mountains and the Indian Ocean and between the Umzimvubu and Tugela rivers. However, Dingane then murdered Retief and his party of about 70 men. The Voortrekkers, led by Andries Pretorius, then defeated the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River on 16 December 1838. The Whites therefore had written proof of ownership of a large part of Natal as well as the right to ownership that they had acquired through the military defeat of the Zulus as enemies. White ownership of a large part of Natal was unacceptable to the British, and they annexed Natalia in 1844. After the British annexed Natalia, most Voortrekkers left Natal and returned to the South African interior.
Other republics north of the Vaal River
The next attempt by the Voortrekkers to establish their own state was known as the Republic of Ohrigstad. The republic was established in 1845 by an agreement between Potgieter and the BaPedi chief Sekwati. Shortly afterwards, the Voortrekkers’ claims to the area were reaffirmed in an agreement with the Swazi king Mswati II on 25 July 1846. The Republic of Kliprivier was established in 1847 after the Voortrekkers defeated the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River (1838). After the battle, the area was inhabited on a continuous basis from 1839 onwards. The Voortrekker claims to the area were then reaffirmed by a formal agreement between the local Boer leader A. T. Spies and King Mpande of the Zulu. The Republic of Zoutpansberg was established in 1848 after a campaign against Mzilikaze. The eastern parts of the republic were obtained by means of an agreement with the Venda king Ramabulana. The rest of the republic's territory was obtained by virtue of the occupation of uninhabited land by the Mfecane. The Republic of Lydenburg was created in 1849. The northern part of the republic was obtained by an agreement between Potgieter and the BaPedi chief Sekwati. The southern part of the republic was acquired by an agreement in 1855 with King Mswati II of Swaziland, who wanted the Boers to act as a buffer between his kingdom and the Zulus. The Boers also gave cattle to the Swazi king. Other parts of the republic were acquired because the country was uninhabited due to the Mfecane genocide.
The South African Republic (ZAR)
The South African Republic (Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek) was established in 1852 after the British recognized the independence of all Boers north of the Vaal River with the Zand River Convention. Subsequently, the Boers united the republics of Potchefstroom-Winburg, Lydenburg and Zoutpansberg into one republic. The republic later became known as the Transvaal.
The Orange Free State Republic
The northern part of the Orange Free State, between the Vet and Vaal Rivers, was, as already mentioned, obtained by Potgieter reaching an agreement with the Ba-Taung chief Makwana. Makwana requested the Boers to help protect him against Mzilikaze. The Boers also paid him in cattle. The area was subsequently annexed by the British on 3 February 1848. With the Convention of Bloemfontein in 1854, during which the British recognised the independence of the Boers in the Orange Free State, the area was transferred by the British to the Boers. The southern part of the Orange Free State, between the Orange and Vet Rivers, was obtained partly because the land had been uninhabited since 1836, partly because it had been inhabited by nomadic groups and partly because it had been exchanged from San chiefs. As in the case of the northern part of the Orange Free State, the area was annexed by the British on 3 February 1848. With the Convention of Bloemfontein in 1854, during which the British recognised the independence of the Boers in the Orange Free State, the area was also transferred by the British to the Boers.
Other republics
The Republic of Utrecht was established in 1855. Two treaties, in 1852 and 1854, were concluded with the Zulu king Mpande during which the territory was purchased with cattle. The Republic of Het Land Goosen was established in 1882. The area was acquired after an agreement with the Ratlou-Rolong chief Moshwete. He gave the land to the Boers in exchange for their military assistance during Moshwete's fight against the Tshidi-Rolong chief Montshiwa. The Republic of Stellaland was created in 1883 after an agreement with the Korana chief Mossweu. He gave the land to the Boers in exchange for their military assistance against chief Mankurwane of the Tlhaping. The Republic of Vryheid was created in 1884 after an agreement in 1884 between the Boer leader Commandant Lucas Meyer and the Zulu king Dinizulu. He gave the land to the Boers in exchange for military assistance during the succession struggle between Dinizulu and chief Zibhebhu. The Boers saved Dinizulu from certain defeat on 5 June 1884 at the ETshaneni Mountain. On 16 August 1884, Dinizulu issued a proclamation in which he gave 11 680 km2 to the Boers. The Republic of the Klein Vrystaat came into being in 1886. On 3 October 1877, the area was purchased by the Boer farmers Franz Maritz and Johachim Ferreira from the Swazi king Umbandine. Maritz and Ferreira then subdivided the area into farms and sold it to other farmers.
White South Africa and the Black Homelands
The territory of South Africa legally acquired by the Whites led to the concept of “White South Africa”. The areas inhabited by the blacks gradually became known as Black Homelands, for example Zululand in Natal was recognised as the home of the Zulus. This understanding of the South African land situation was recognised by both White ethnic groups of South Africa, the Boers or Afrikaners as well as the English. Moreover, even opposing political parties, for example the National Party and the United Party, recognised this land situation in this way. This land situation was recognised in 1910, with the unification of South Africa, with no voting rights for blacks or coloureds and no land ownership for blacks or Coloureds in White South Africa. In 1961, South Africa was transformed into a republic under Afrikaner rule with no voting rights for blacks or coloureds and no land ownership for blacks or coloureds in White South Africa.
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