| Sir Francis Drake declared it the "Fairest Cape of | | | | backwards and forward began with the Cape being |
| them all" when he passed the Cape of Good Hope in | | | | surrendered back to the Dutch in the treaty of 1803 |
| 1577 in search of the coveted spice route to India and I | | | | and then returned to the English in 1806. |
| agree, it is really an amazing city, tucked neatly in a | | | | However, from 1806, once the English were decisively |
| natural harbour, protected by an iconic mountain. | | | | in, they took control of the town and set about making |
| With such an incredible city, there of course is always | | | | it a more advanced city to live in. They sent home for |
| an attention grabbing history and I thought I would | | | | colonists and soon in 1820 the English began to arrive |
| impart a concise overview of the trials and tribulations | | | | in their multitudes. With more people arriving each day, |
| of the "Mother City" of South Africa. | | | | this initiated the expansionism (mainly by the original |
| Although many sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, | | | | Dutch, now known as Afrikaner or Boer (farmer) |
| it wasn't until 1652 when the Dutch man Jan Van | | | | settlers) into the inland of the country and soon |
| Riebeeck, a member of the VOC (Dutch East India | | | | colonies were set up in the Transvaal and Orange |
| Company) arrived in the Cape and settled down to set | | | | Free State. |
| up a service station to provide fresh fruit and | | | | Soon, conflicts between the Boer republics in the |
| vegetables to all the passing ships that the European / | | | | interior and the British colonial government in Cape |
| colonial development really began in South Africa. | | | | Town ended in the Second Boer War of 1899-1901 |
| Jan Van Riebeeck landed in the Cape with 3 ships - | | | | being fought. Britain with its stronger military strength |
| Reijer, Dromedaris and Goede Hoop, accompanied by | | | | and man power eventually won the war, however, not |
| 82 men and 8 women (including Maria de la Quellerie, | | | | without some considerable effort fighting against the |
| his wife). The Walvisch and the Oliphant ships arrived | | | | Boer guerrilla warfare tactics. |
| later, having experienced a dire sea voyage where | | | | In 1910, Britain established the Union of South Africa, |
| they had to bury 130 souls at sea, a large quantity due | | | | which unified the Cape Colony with the two defeated |
| to the dreaded disease "scurvy". Until their arrival the | | | | Boer Republics and the newly recognized British |
| land had mainly been dominated by the Hottentots and | | | | Colony of Port Natal. Cape Town became the |
| Khoi San, local hunter gather tribes. | | | | legislative capital of the Union, and later of the Republic |
| With the arrival of the new settlers, a whole new | | | | of South Africa. |
| society was created in this new and exciting "De | | | | Over the next few years, both English and Afrikaans |
| Kaap". A truly eclectic mix of cultures, races and | | | | people resided in comparative harmony in this new |
| religions. | | | | union and many beliefs and values become common |
| In the beginning the VOC had no desire to conquer or | | | | among the people in the Union of South Africa. |
| colonise the land (they didn't want the governmental | | | | In the 1948 national elections, the National Party won an |
| headache), they only wanted a fresh fruit and | | | | amazing amount of support based on their policy of |
| vegetable supply, however with war breaking out | | | | Apartheid (racial segregation). They succeeded this |
| between the Dutch Republic and England, there was | | | | under the slogan of "Swart Gevaar" (in English this |
| an intense strain to obtain as much land as possible to | | | | means Black Threat). They taught people to beware |
| help provide for the war relief. | | | | of the Black people and wanted them to see them as |
| To ensure the security of the new land, Jan set about | | | | a danger to their lives and their jobs. This soon lead to |
| constructing a castle in Cape Town, right on the sea, | | | | strategies such as the Group Areas Act being put in |
| he christened it after the first ship to arrive in the Cape | | | | place, which meant that all people who lived in South |
| "de Goede Hoop" and made it of mud, clay and timber, | | | | Africa were classified according to their race and skin |
| with 4 corners named after the first 4 ships to arrive in | | | | colour. Many severe tests were put into place to |
| the Cape. (The Castle of Good Hope is still standing | | | | establish people were either black, coloured or white; |
| nowadays on Adderly Street in Cape Town, with the | | | | one of the most ridiculous ones being the pencil test, |
| recession of the sea and the land reclaiming in Cape | | | | where a pencil was inserted into a person of |
| Town, it is now located more inland than it would have | | | | suspicious colours hair, and if the pencil stuck in the |
| been when it was originally built. It is the best surviving | | | | persons hair, it meant they were black as these |
| example of VOC architecture and the oldest building in | | | | people were more likely to have more woolly hair. This |
| Cape Town) | | | | is quite logical of course!? And meant that same |
| This edifice required a huge quantity of labour and it | | | | families were split amongst themselves being classified |
| was then that slaves started being sent to De Kaap, | | | | as both black and white in the same family which of |
| chiefly from other Dutch territories including Angola, | | | | course caused immense hardship and suffering to the |
| Madagascar and Batavia (now known as Java). | | | | whole family. |
| These slaves grouped together and became | | | | With the race classification, soon came the living |
| recognized as the Cape Malay, nowadays they are | | | | segregation where people of colour and non colour |
| the heart and soul of Cape Town with their culture, | | | | were not authorized to inhabit the same areas. |
| traditions and religious ceremonies. | | | | Formerly multi racial environs of Cape Town were |
| When the war settled down (around 1657), the VOC | | | | purged of people of colour and their homes were |
| granted the first permits to free 9 company servants - | | | | demolished. One of the most infamous examples of |
| who became known as Free Burghers - to cultivate | | | | this is "District Six" where in 1965 it was decreed a |
| land along the Liesbeek River. This was the start of | | | | white's only area and more than 60,000 people were |
| permanent settlement in the Cape. | | | | compulsorily removed and their homes destroyed. |
| Jan Van Riebeeck stayed director of the Cape until | | | | Nothing further was done with this land; it was just a |
| 1662, at which stage the settlement only numbered 134 | | | | declaration of segregation! Many of these residents |
| officials, 35 free burghers, 15 women, 22 children, and | | | | were moved to areas such as the Cape Flats and |
| 180 slaves. | | | | Lavander Hill. |
| Simon Van Der Stel, after whom the city of | | | | Under the Apartheid rule, Cape Town was considered |
| Stellenbosch is named, arrived in 1697 to supplant Van | | | | a "Coloured Labour preference area" meaning that |
| Riebeeck as governor of Kaapstadt. Van der Stel is | | | | you could provide work for a coloured person, but you |
| generally credited with starting the Cape wine industry | | | | could not employ a "Bantu" black person. Whites |
| by taking the first grape vines with him on his ship. As | | | | obviously had first preference, but in serious need you |
| the terrain in the Stellenbosch region was perfect for | | | | could employ a coloured person. |
| grape harvesting, this commerce settled well and | | | | As you can visualize, with this many rules, acts and |
| rapidly grew to be a crucial part of their trade and | | | | forms of segregation, life for many people was truly |
| economy. Wines from the Cape were prized and | | | | tyrannical. However, not all white and coloured people |
| were soon imported back to the Dutch Republic. | | | | supported the Apartheid regime and there were many, |
| Simon Van Der Stel also supported territorial | | | | especially in the Cape Town area that started and |
| expansion in the Colony. | | | | joined the Anti Apartheid struggle. |
| The first non-Dutch migrants to the Cape (apart from | | | | Sadly, it took a long time and a lot of heartache and |
| the slaves being brought in to work the land) were the | | | | suffering before things began to make progress. |
| Huguenots who arrived in 1688, and were fleeing from | | | | Robben Island, a former [penitentiary|prison] island 10 |
| anti-Protestant persecution in Catholic France. At the | | | | kilometres from the city, was [famous|well |
| beginning they fled to the Netherlands, where they | | | | known|renowned] for its many political prisoners, some |
| were given free passage to the Cape as well as land | | | | of whom were held for years. The most famous |
| for cultivation by the VOC. This was an inherent move | | | | [inmate|prisoner|convict] was Nelson Mandela who was |
| by the VOC to enhance the wine production in the | | | | incarcerated for 27 years, yet in all that time, he never |
| Cape. The Huguenots who knew a lot about wine | | | | gave up [hope|faith|belief] that a "New" South Africa |
| making made their home in an area they called | | | | could be [achieved|created|established]. |
| "Franschhoek" (French Corner) and immediately set | | | | The end of the apartheid era was firmly symbolised, |
| about making it home; including celebrating all their | | | | when Nelson Mandela made his first public speech in |
| French Traditions. (Today, they still celebrate Bastille | | | | decades on 11 February 1990 from the [balcony|gallery] |
| Day in Franschhoek.) | | | | of Cape Town City Hall, just hours after being |
| The settlement in the Cape grew quickly over the next | | | | [released|set free] from Robben Island. His emotive |
| few years and by 1754, the population of the | | | | speech, filled with passion and joy |
| settlement on the Cape had reached 5,510 Europeans | | | | [heralded|announced|indicated] the beginning of a new |
| and 6,729 slaves. | | | | era for the country. |
| However, as usual, war had a great bearing on the | | | | The first democratic election in South Africa was held |
| fledgling Cape Colony and when in 1780, France and | | | | four years later, on 27 April 1994. |
| Britain went to war against each other, The | | | | This was the beginning of the new Rainbow Nation, |
| Netherlands entered the war on the French side, and | | | | the land for everyone. |
| thus a small battalion of French troops were sent to | | | | To me, South Africa really does symbolize the best of |
| the Cape to defend it against the British. They didn't | | | | human spirit, the triumph of good over evil and the |
| stay long in the Cape and were soon transported | | | | power of people and persistence. If you have faith in |
| back to France in 1784. As usually happens, old allies | | | | something hard enough and work at it, ultimately it will |
| soon became adversaries and when in 1795 France | | | | come to pass. |
| invaded the Netherlands, the Prince of Orange was | | | | From 1994, with the new South Africa firmly in place, |
| forced to flee to their old enemy England for safety. | | | | the people could concentrate on show casing their |
| As news took so long to travel to the Cape, and the | | | | amazing city to the rest of the world. And amazing it is. |
| Governor of the Cape only knew of this new | | | | There is so much to see and do in Cape Town that |
| agreement when the English arrive in Cape Town | | | | you need a minimum of 4 or 5 days to explore this |
| bearing a letter from the Prince of Orange stating that | | | | fantastic region. From the City itself, to Cape Point, to |
| they be allowed to protect Cape Town from the | | | | the winelands, to township tours, whale watching, sky |
| French. | | | | diving, deep sea fishing, Harley Davidson riding, |
| Sadly, the reaction from the commissioner was mixed | | | | mountain biking, horse back riding, hot air balloon safaris, |
| and the English had to fight their way into the Cape in | | | | fine dining, museums, great shopping to just relaxing at |
| the Battle of Muizenberg. Typically, a period of | | | | the Victoria and Alfred waterfront and taking it all in. |