South Africa: Boers, Africans and Britain: What you are not told…or were afraid (or too ignorant) to ask
They say that ignorance is power, to those who want to keep you ignorant, which is usually those in power for no other reason than to control. The power lies with each of us,the individual, and that power is curiosity for information, to do research, and ask questions. That is what sets us apart of being an informed individual with an inquisitive mind, and, uninformed people who just follow blindly without self-enriching themselves with information and facts. Information is what makes us question things by broadening ours mind, by not just accepting one view point, but by looking at things from different angles. Digging deeper, on a topic or history titbit discovered, and getting the different angles of a story, is what creates, “critical thought” and healthy debates.
What many South African’s don’t realize is that the Anglo-Boer War was the main instigator, of the start of modern problems we are facing today in South Africa. Ask most South African’s about history, and they vaguely tell you something from 1652, with most knowing not history, but propaganda which were pumped repeatedly into heads, in order to create a biased perceptions or opinion by those in power. This is the opposite of critical thought and just repeating what you hear. “Intellectual Parrotism”
Most South Africans will recite history of the last 40 years like a parrot, just showing the power of mass indoctrination. Having an education does not mean anything, if you act like a parrot and just repeat what you read, without having a deeper understanding of a topic.
Before the Boer war with Britain (1899 – 1902), there were treaties in place, between the Boers and Africans as these groups lived and confronted each other over decades. They settled and got to know each other, who to trust, and who not to trust. Boers were seen as just another African tribe. On the other hand, Britain were the outsiders. The aliens that wanted land in order to enrich the global Empire. The tactics of the day, as still is today, was to conquer and divide. To create suspicion and instigate distrust between Boers and Africans. Before the Anglo-Boer War (South African War or Second War of Independence as it is known by other names), there were general peace as each group had negotiated borders and land even helping each other in many cases because of friendship and alliances. Before Britain attacked the Boer Republics, the Zulu’s were in line first to lose their land to British expansion. South Africa was not like it is today, but consisted of many nations. What changed this dramatically was when Britain Attacked the two Boer Republics, the Transvaal and Orange Free State. Yes! Before Britain attacked the Boer Republics, South Africa was actually more than THREE different countries, including the Zulu Kingdoms! This meant that these nations were governing themselves!
The goal of the British was to take all those little countries and areas, of the Boers, Zulu’s, Xhosas, etc, en turn it into one BIG country (British Imperialism and colonialism), which turned into the modern day South Africa. The defeat of the Boers, by the British, made all those treaties obsolete. This of course created a lot of new problems under British rule. All these nations now had to bow down to Britain. , which meant they lost their sovereignty, to make their own choices, and to rule of their own people. They “belonged” to Britain now. This ended in 1961 when South Africa became an independent Republic.
This defeat meant that everyone, Boers and Africans, became “subjects” of the Queen of England. They were now governed, not by their Kings or Presidents, but by Great Britain.
The Boers inherited the laws made by Great Britain including the “Native Land Act of 1913” as the Boers did not control South Africa, or were in a position to have the last say. They were subservient to England.
If people understand South Africa’s past, which can be complicated and confusing at times, it will be better understood. Our history is not just black and white, yes or no, or right or wrong answers. In many cases it’s “grey” like the stories below will show.
Cetshwayo succeeded his father Dingaan and was crowned as the Zulu King in 1873. During the same year Maphitha Zulu the leader of the Mandlakazi section died and was succeeded by his son Zibhebhu kaMaphitha. After Cetshwayo’s capital Ulundi was captured and torched he was exiled to London. Disorder broke out and in an attempt to resolve this, Zululand was divided into 13 districts in 1879 by the British. Zibhebhu was appointed as one of the 13 independent chiefs’ and was allocated the Mandlakazi district. His kraal was not far from the boundaries of the current ZRR, further upstream on the Msunduzi River.
All the Zulu people north of the Umhlatuzi River were again placed under Cetshwayo after his restoration in 1883 apart from the Mandlakazi section which remained under Zibhebhu’s authority. Almost immediately tribal wars broke out between the Mandlakazi tribe and Cetshwayo followers. Zibhebhu’s army burnt Cetshwayo’s kraal in Ulundi on 21st July in 1883 and was responsible for Cetshwayo’s flight which later ended in his death on the 8th February 1884. Dinizulu the son of Cetshwayo was left to fight for succession and with the help of General Louis Botha defeated Zibhebhu and his army at the Battle of Ghost Mountain. The Boers acquired cattle and a large portion of the fertile land in Zululand and the Usutu refuted this. The British Government interfered and the land acquired by the Boers was confirmed and the remainder of Zululand was annexed by the British in 1884.
Tribal lands were officially demarcated by Zululand’s Delimitation Commission in 1902. Zibhebhu, Chief of the Mandlakazi tribe died on the 27th August 1904. His successor Bokwe Zulu was only 2 years old when he died and so his brother Mciteki Zulu was appointed as the acting chief. Bokwe Zulu was appointed Chief on the 1st January 1920 until he became seriously ill in 1939. Between 1939 and 1947 there were several acting Chiefs of the Mandlakazi Tribe. In 1947 they requested that acting Chief Mbangomuni Nxumalo be deposed and that the area be divided into 4 sections, each under the authority of a headman. 12th October 1949 Pumanyana Zulu Bokwe was officially appointed as the Chief of the Mandlakazi tribe.
The Government notice 1235 in August 1957 stipulated the approval of the tribal area and the official tribal authority as “The Mandlakazi Tribal Authority”. Pumanyana Zulu’s successor Eugene Bhekintinta Zulu became of age and was appointed by the Zulu Government as Chief of the Mandlakazi tribe as it is still today.”
Zululand had been broken up into 13 smaller territories after the Anglo-Zulu War against Britain which lasted from 11 January – 4 July 1879
(5 months, 3 weeks and 2 days)
Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo was the last king of the Zulus to be officially recognized as such by the British. On 22 July 1883, Usibepu (A son of Cetshwayo’s) attacked Dinuzulu’s new kraal in Ulundi, wounding the king and causing him to flee.
To contest the succession, Dinuzulu first appealed to the British, but had no response. He then offered rewards of land to Boer mercenaries who would come and fight on his side.
In 1884 a group of Boer farmers from the districts of Utrecht and Vryheid undertook to restore order, in return for land for the formation of an independent republic. These volunteers to help the Zulu king was Led by General Louis Botha.
Louis Botha was an Afrikaner (Also known as Boers) and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state. (1862 – 1919)
Botha’s volunteers formed, “Dinuzulu’s Volunteers” and after several clashes with Usibepu (Zibhebhu), defeated him at the Battle of Ghost Mountain (also known as the Battle of Tshaneni) on 5 June 1884
500 Boer mercenaries each received a farm from the Zulu King,Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo, of 16 km². Another 300 men who had arrived late received smaller grants, known as ‘half farms’. On 5 August 1884, these mercenaries declared a republic, with the town of Vryheid as its capital, which lasted for only four years.
In 1890 Dinuzulu was captured by the British and exiled to the island of St. Helena—the same as Napoleon and Boer General Piet Cronje—for seven years for leading a Zulu army against the British from 1883 to 1884.
Two years later an old friend of Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo , Boer General Louis Botha believed that Dinuzulu did not have a fair trial by the British. When Louis Botha became Prime Minister of South Africa in 1910, one of the first things he did was to order Dinuzulu’s release. He granted him a farm near Middelburg, Transvaal, to which the King of the Zulus retired. He died in 1913.
A statue of Dinuzulu has been erected next to the statue of General Louis Botha, the first prime minister of the Transvaal colony, at the corner of Berea Road and Warwick Avenue in Durban.
And this is possibly why older black generations (on top of the WW1 and WW2 black veterans) took on the name of “Botha”.
Len Tau (real name: Len Taunyane) and Yamasani (real name: Jan Mashiani) were two Tswana tribesmen,and the first black Africans to compete in the Olympic Games.
South Africa, 2 years (1904) after the Anglo-Boer War against Britain, (It took about 2 years for most POW’s to return to South Africa after the war ended) returning to South Africa from Saint Helena, Boer General Piet Cronje met these two men, who became his friends, Len Tau (left) and Jan Mashiani. He sent them to the University of the Free State (Freestate being a Boer Republic before the war with Great Britain)
General Piet Cronje, paid the university fees out of his own pocket. When Cronje heard about the 1904 Olympic Games which were to be held in the USA, and sent both of these men to compete. The games was a special ”Ethnic Games” had been included in the program, which saw American Natives, Pygmies, Aborigini, and other groups taking part.
They had been brought over by the exposition as part of the Boer War exhibit, which was an exhibit by Boers, after the war, to try and get money from the US to built up the South African infrastructure after the British burned 40 000 farms, and killed all the live stock.
Len Tau finished ninth and Yamasani came in twelfth. This was a disappointment, as many observers were sure Len Tau could have done better if he had not been chased nearly a mile off course by aggressive dogs.
Watch this movie which fits these stories well, about a Boer Tracker that went to New Zealand when the Boer War ended. It is the Full movie online, and worth watching.
What many South African’s don’t realize is that the Anglo-Boer War was the main instigator, of the start of modern problems we are facing today in South Africa. Ask most South African’s about history, and they vaguely tell you something from 1652, with most knowing not history, but propaganda which were pumped repeatedly into heads, in order to create a biased perceptions or opinion by those in power. This is the opposite of critical thought and just repeating what you hear. “Intellectual Parrotism”
Many groups had their own lands, but it was not enough for the British. They had to have the prize of South Africa. The Boer Republics. African land was easy for them to conquer. Not so much the little Republics.
Before the Boer war with Britain (1899 – 1902), there were treaties in place, between the Boers and Africans as these groups lived and confronted each other over decades. They settled and got to know each other, who to trust, and who not to trust. Boers were seen as just another African tribe. On the other hand, Britain were the outsiders. The aliens that wanted land in order to enrich the global Empire. The tactics of the day, as still is today, was to conquer and divide. To create suspicion and instigate distrust between Boers and Africans. Before the Anglo-Boer War (South African War or Second War of Independence as it is known by other names), there were general peace as each group had negotiated borders and land even helping each other in many cases because of friendship and alliances. Before Britain attacked the Boer Republics, the Zulu’s were in line first to lose their land to British expansion. South Africa was not like it is today, but consisted of many nations. What changed this dramatically was when Britain Attacked the two Boer Republics, the Transvaal and Orange Free State. Yes! Before Britain attacked the Boer Republics, South Africa was actually more than THREE different countries, including the Zulu Kingdoms! This meant that these nations were governing themselves!
The goal of the British was to take all those little countries and areas, of the Boers, Zulu’s, Xhosas, etc, en turn it into one BIG country (British Imperialism and colonialism), which turned into the modern day South Africa. The defeat of the Boers, by the British, made all those treaties obsolete. This of course created a lot of new problems under British rule. All these nations now had to bow down to Britain. , which meant they lost their sovereignty, to make their own choices, and to rule of their own people. They “belonged” to Britain now. This ended in 1961 when South Africa became an independent Republic.
This defeat meant that everyone, Boers and Africans, became “subjects” of the Queen of England. They were now governed, not by their Kings or Presidents, but by Great Britain.
The Boers inherited the laws made by Great Britain including the “Native Land Act of 1913” as the Boers did not control South Africa, or were in a position to have the last say. They were subservient to England.
This is how South Africa looked till 1961, giving the country to the Afrikaner, who then had to fix the land issue started by the British. The British of course, took what they wanted, brought more problems by the war they created, the borders they cut up, and then left it for the Afrikaners to fix. Taking no responsibility as usual.
If people understand South Africa’s past, which can be complicated and confusing at times, it will be better understood. Our history is not just black and white, yes or no, or right or wrong answers. In many cases it’s “grey” like the stories below will show.
Louis Botha and Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo
Louis Botha was a famous Boer General and South African Statesman. Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo was the king of the Zulu nation from 1884 until his death in 1913.Cetshwayo succeeded his father Dingaan and was crowned as the Zulu King in 1873. During the same year Maphitha Zulu the leader of the Mandlakazi section died and was succeeded by his son Zibhebhu kaMaphitha. After Cetshwayo’s capital Ulundi was captured and torched he was exiled to London. Disorder broke out and in an attempt to resolve this, Zululand was divided into 13 districts in 1879 by the British. Zibhebhu was appointed as one of the 13 independent chiefs’ and was allocated the Mandlakazi district. His kraal was not far from the boundaries of the current ZRR, further upstream on the Msunduzi River.
All the Zulu people north of the Umhlatuzi River were again placed under Cetshwayo after his restoration in 1883 apart from the Mandlakazi section which remained under Zibhebhu’s authority. Almost immediately tribal wars broke out between the Mandlakazi tribe and Cetshwayo followers. Zibhebhu’s army burnt Cetshwayo’s kraal in Ulundi on 21st July in 1883 and was responsible for Cetshwayo’s flight which later ended in his death on the 8th February 1884. Dinizulu the son of Cetshwayo was left to fight for succession and with the help of General Louis Botha defeated Zibhebhu and his army at the Battle of Ghost Mountain. The Boers acquired cattle and a large portion of the fertile land in Zululand and the Usutu refuted this. The British Government interfered and the land acquired by the Boers was confirmed and the remainder of Zululand was annexed by the British in 1884.
Tribal lands were officially demarcated by Zululand’s Delimitation Commission in 1902. Zibhebhu, Chief of the Mandlakazi tribe died on the 27th August 1904. His successor Bokwe Zulu was only 2 years old when he died and so his brother Mciteki Zulu was appointed as the acting chief. Bokwe Zulu was appointed Chief on the 1st January 1920 until he became seriously ill in 1939. Between 1939 and 1947 there were several acting Chiefs of the Mandlakazi Tribe. In 1947 they requested that acting Chief Mbangomuni Nxumalo be deposed and that the area be divided into 4 sections, each under the authority of a headman. 12th October 1949 Pumanyana Zulu Bokwe was officially appointed as the Chief of the Mandlakazi tribe.
The Government notice 1235 in August 1957 stipulated the approval of the tribal area and the official tribal authority as “The Mandlakazi Tribal Authority”. Pumanyana Zulu’s successor Eugene Bhekintinta Zulu became of age and was appointed by the Zulu Government as Chief of the Mandlakazi tribe as it is still today.”
Zululand had been broken up into 13 smaller territories after the Anglo-Zulu War against Britain which lasted from 11 January – 4 July 1879
(5 months, 3 weeks and 2 days)
Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo was the last king of the Zulus to be officially recognized as such by the British. On 22 July 1883, Usibepu (A son of Cetshwayo’s) attacked Dinuzulu’s new kraal in Ulundi, wounding the king and causing him to flee.
To contest the succession, Dinuzulu first appealed to the British, but had no response. He then offered rewards of land to Boer mercenaries who would come and fight on his side.
In 1884 a group of Boer farmers from the districts of Utrecht and Vryheid undertook to restore order, in return for land for the formation of an independent republic. These volunteers to help the Zulu king was Led by General Louis Botha.
Louis Botha was an Afrikaner (Also known as Boers) and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state. (1862 – 1919)
Botha’s volunteers formed, “Dinuzulu’s Volunteers” and after several clashes with Usibepu (Zibhebhu), defeated him at the Battle of Ghost Mountain (also known as the Battle of Tshaneni) on 5 June 1884
500 Boer mercenaries each received a farm from the Zulu King,Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo, of 16 km². Another 300 men who had arrived late received smaller grants, known as ‘half farms’. On 5 August 1884, these mercenaries declared a republic, with the town of Vryheid as its capital, which lasted for only four years.
In 1890 Dinuzulu was captured by the British and exiled to the island of St. Helena—the same as Napoleon and Boer General Piet Cronje—for seven years for leading a Zulu army against the British from 1883 to 1884.
Two years later an old friend of Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo , Boer General Louis Botha believed that Dinuzulu did not have a fair trial by the British. When Louis Botha became Prime Minister of South Africa in 1910, one of the first things he did was to order Dinuzulu’s release. He granted him a farm near Middelburg, Transvaal, to which the King of the Zulus retired. He died in 1913.
A statue of Dinuzulu has been erected next to the statue of General Louis Botha, the first prime minister of the Transvaal colony, at the corner of Berea Road and Warwick Avenue in Durban.
And this is possibly why older black generations (on top of the WW1 and WW2 black veterans) took on the name of “Botha”.
Piet Cronje and Len Tau and Yamasan.
Boer General Piet Cronje (1836 – 1911) was a Boer General during the Anglo Boer war, and later Prisoner of War (POW) on the island of Saint Helena. The war was between the Boers and Great Britain when gold and diamons were discovered. Cronje was held on the same island where Napoleon Bonaparte was a held, including King of the Zulu nation, Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo. (Story above)Len Tau (real name: Len Taunyane) and Yamasani (real name: Jan Mashiani) were two Tswana tribesmen,and the first black Africans to compete in the Olympic Games.
South Africa, 2 years (1904) after the Anglo-Boer War against Britain, (It took about 2 years for most POW’s to return to South Africa after the war ended) returning to South Africa from Saint Helena, Boer General Piet Cronje met these two men, who became his friends, Len Tau (left) and Jan Mashiani. He sent them to the University of the Free State (Freestate being a Boer Republic before the war with Great Britain)
General Piet Cronje, paid the university fees out of his own pocket. When Cronje heard about the 1904 Olympic Games which were to be held in the USA, and sent both of these men to compete. The games was a special ”Ethnic Games” had been included in the program, which saw American Natives, Pygmies, Aborigini, and other groups taking part.
They had been brought over by the exposition as part of the Boer War exhibit, which was an exhibit by Boers, after the war, to try and get money from the US to built up the South African infrastructure after the British burned 40 000 farms, and killed all the live stock.
Len Tau finished ninth and Yamasani came in twelfth. This was a disappointment, as many observers were sure Len Tau could have done better if he had not been chased nearly a mile off course by aggressive dogs.
Watch this movie which fits these stories well, about a Boer Tracker that went to New Zealand when the Boer War ended. It is the Full movie online, and worth watching.
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