History
It seems likely that South Africa has been occupied by humans for around two million years. Stone Age artefacts date from 40,000 years ago, from which time there appears to have been a continuous human culture related to the Khoisan peoples. The Bantu population of the region arrived as a result of the great southernward migrations of Bantu peoples across central and southern Africa during the early and middle parts of this millennium. The European discovery of South Africa was roughly contemporaneous – the Portuguese navigator Bartholomew Dias ‘discovered’ the Cape of Good Hope in 1488.
Dutch settlers arrived in 1652 to start a victualling station for the Dutch East India Company. Shortly afterwards, in 1688 the French Huguenots arrived and then, after the British occupation of the Cape, British settlers arrived in 1820. During the 18th and 19th centuries, British and Boer settlers fought a series of wars with the local tribes. The British and Dutch argued over control of the Cape region and the British finally gained control in 1806. As a result of this the Boer pioneers, or Voortrekkers, moved northward to establish the independent republics of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal.
When diamonds and later gold were discovered in the Transvaal around 1869, large numbers arrived to seek their fortune, many of whom were British. Because of the huge numbers of British, the President Paul Kruger of the Transvaal brought in strict franchise requirements as he worried the british would take over. Britain’s attempts at intervention resulted in the Anglo-Boer War, and the British victory in 1902 eventually resulted in the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910.
In 1948 the National Party came to power, and had remained in office ever since the abolition of apartheid in 1994. The National Party continued to cement the policy of apartheid, officially by separating development of all racial groups, effectively creating the semi-autonomous ‘homelands’ (Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei) comprising 13% of all land in the country. Though the homelands were officially styled ‘independent’, the ‘homelands’ were not recognised internationally as they remained entirely dependent on South Africa.
On February 2, 1990, President de Klerk announced the un-banning of the ANC (African National Congress), the South African Communist Party and 30 other anti-apartheid groups; the relaxation of the state of emergency; and the unconditional release of Nelson Mandela. Unfortunately the deep schism which emerged between the ANC and Inkatha exploded into violent clashes and loss of life while negotiations between the ANC and government defined a new constitutional structure for South Africa.
The elections in 1994 were monitored throughout the world as a celebration of democracy and ultimate destruction of apartheid; the last minute acceptance of the elections by The Inkarta Freedom Party, Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s ‘jig of joy’ and an almost carnival atmosphere concluded in Nelson Mandela being sworn in as President (less than half a Decade since his release from jail), the return of South Africa to The Commonwealth and the lifting of all economic and sporting blockades.
By and large the transformation of power has, to date, been relatively calm in comparison to some of the respected predictions. The world waits as one of the planet’s most important areas settles into a new and hopefully less hostile era. The continent of Africa certainly needs South Africa to take the reins in the most positive, harmonious and above all humanitarian fashion. Anyone lucky enough to have stepped foot in Africa knows they deserve the best.
South Africa’s economy completely dominates the southern part of the African continent. Agriculture is strong enough to allow South Africa virtual self-sufficiency in foodstuffs: livestock is widespread, sugar, maize and cereals are produced in large quantities. The foundation of the modern South African economy, however, is mining. The country has considerable deposits of common minerals such as coal, but also FO valuable ores which are in high demand: chromium, manganese, vanadium and platinum appear in the largest concentrations anywhere in the world. Its most valuable minerals, however, are gold and diamonds and South Africa has been the world’s largest producer and exporter of both.
Dutch settlers arrived in 1652 to start a victualling station for the Dutch East India Company. Shortly afterwards, in 1688 the French Huguenots arrived and then, after the British occupation of the Cape, British settlers arrived in 1820. During the 18th and 19th centuries, British and Boer settlers fought a series of wars with the local tribes. The British and Dutch argued over control of the Cape region and the British finally gained control in 1806. As a result of this the Boer pioneers, or Voortrekkers, moved northward to establish the independent republics of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal. When diamonds and later gold were discovered in the Transvaal around 1869, large numbers arrived to seek their fortune, many of whom were British. Because of the huge numbers of British, the President Paul Kruger of the Transvaal brought in strict franchise requirements as he worried the british would take over. Britain’s attempts at intervention resulted in the Anglo-Boer War, and the British victory in 1902 eventually resulted in the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910.
In 1948 the National Party came to power, and had remained in office ever since the abolition of apartheid in 1994. The National Party continued to cement the policy of apartheid, officially by separating development of all racial groups, effectively creating the semi-autonomous ‘homelands’ (Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei) comprising 13% of all land in the country. Though the homelands were officially styled ‘independent’, the ‘homelands’ were not recognised internationally as they remained entirely dependent on South Africa.
On February 2, 1990, President de Klerk announced the un-banning of the ANC (African National Congress), the South African Communist Party and 30 other anti-apartheid groups; the relaxation of the state of emergency; and the unconditional release of Nelson Mandela. Unfortunately the deep schism which emerged between the ANC and Inkatha exploded into violent clashes and loss of life while negotiations between the ANC and government defined a new constitutional structure for South Africa.
The elections in 1994 were monitored throughout the world as a celebration of democracy and ultimate destruction of apartheid; the last minute acceptance of the elections by The Inkarta Freedom Party, Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s ‘jig of joy’ and an almost carnival atmosphere concluded in Nelson Mandela being sworn in as President (less than half a Decade since his release from jail), the return of South Africa to The Commonwealth and the lifting of all economic and sporting blockades.
By and large the transformation of power has, to date, been relatively calm in comparison to some of the respected predictions. The world waits as one of the planet’s most important areas settles into a new and hopefully less hostile era. The continent of Africa certainly needs South Africa to take the reins in the most positive, harmonious and above all humanitarian fashion. Anyone lucky enough to have stepped foot in Africa knows they deserve the best.
South Africa’s economy completely dominates the southern part of the African continent. Agriculture is strong enough to allow South Africa virtual self-sufficiency in foodstuffs: livestock is widespread, sugar, maize and cereals are produced in large quantities. The foundation of the modern South African economy, however, is mining. The country has considerable deposits of common minerals such as coal, but also FO valuable ores which are in high demand: chromium, manganese, vanadium and platinum appear in the largest concentrations anywhere in the world. Its most valuable minerals, however, are gold and diamonds and South Africa has been the world’s largest producer and exporter of both.
