Rainbow Nation South Africa

Premasara EPASINGHE

This December, 2011, Sri Lanka national cricket team begins an adventurous, tough, challenging cricket tour in South Africa. Way back in 1998, I had the good fortune of touring South Africa, one of the most beautiful countries that I have seen. Johannesburg, Paal, Kimberley, Pretoria, Cape of Good Hope, Robben Island and Bloemfontain are some of the places I visited. The sight from the top of Table Mountain, Cape Town was the most beautiful sight I witnessed in mylife and it is still etched in my mind.

Cape of Good Hope

On the eve of SL-South Africa Cricket tour, for the benefit of our readers, I pen these few lines about the geographical and historical background, apartheid SA before 1995 and a summary of social and political history and specially on the Father of the Nation – the Chief Architect of One Country – One Nation – The Greatest Man of the 21st Century – Nelson Mandela.

South Africa, is the southernmost country in Africa. A narrow coastal margin includes, the India Ocean, Port of Durban; the dry South tablelands, Little and Great Karoo, Cape Town on the Cape of Good Hope and part of Namib Desert.

The interior forms part of the African Plateau. It rises in the East to an escarpment more than 2,000 m (6,000 ft) high, on the fringe Bloemfontein, the judicial capital of SA, capital of Free State. Dutch farmers settled here in the early 19th century. It contains the oldest Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa. Then, there is SOWETHO – South West Township on the outskirt of Johannesburg – a city in North East Republic of SA, capital of Gauteng Province, founded in 1886.

Today, it is the leading industrial and commercial city and the administrative headquarters for gold mining companies, industries etc. The capital of South Africa is Pretoria – in the Gauteng Province, which was founded in 1855. It was named after Andries Pretorius (1799 – 1853) Afrikaner Leader in the Green Trek (1835) to Natal.

He defeated Zulus in 1838. Pretorius was instrumental in establishing the Independence of Transvaal, as the South African Republic (1852). His son, Marthinus Wessels Pretorius (1819-1901) served as the first President of the New Republic (1857-71) and Orange Free State (1859-1863).

The highest peaks in the Drakensberg Range, on the border of Lesotho (Formerly Basutalend) an enclave kingdom within the Republic of South Africa and its capital is Maseru.

In the North lies, the Kalahari Desert. It covers parts of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, between the Orange and Zambezi rivers.

In the North East are Witwattersand gold fields – series of parallel mountain ranges more than 5,000 feet high, forming a watershed between Vaal and Olifant rivers in Transvaal N.E. South Africa. Kimberley has the largest Diamond mines in the world. It is the capital of Northern Cape Provinces founded in 1871.

The Kruger National Park lies on the border with Mozambique. This famous game reserve is in the Northern Province. It was founded on 1898, by Paul Kruger, as the Sabi Game Reserve. It became a National Park in 1926. It covers an area of 20,700 sq km/8000 sq ml, approximately. The longest river in SA is the Orange. It rises in the Drakensburg Mountains in North Lesotho and flows serenely West forming the boundary between free state and Cape Province. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Orangemund. The length of the Orange River is about 1,300 miles or 2,100 km.

Climate – Vegetation

The climate of SA is sub topical. In the South West you find the Mediterarian climate. Plateau is arid. Namib Desert is rainless.

Forest and woodland cover about three percent of the land. Grassland covers the highlands. Scrub vegetation is found in the Cape Region.

History

South Africa possesses a proud history. Its indigenous people were known as San. In 1652, Dutch East India company founded a colony at Table Bay. Dutch Afrikanars known as Boers established farms. They employed slaves. From late 18th century conflict arose with Xhosa Tribes. By early 19th century Britain gained control, and they abolished slavery in 1833.

The Boers began the great trek. In 1852 and 1854, Transvaal and Orange Free State were established respectively. The Britishers were interested in Diamonds and Gold and they fought against Zulus at the Whiles, annexed Zululal in 1897. In 1890, Cecil Rhodes, became the Governor of Cape Colony. Britain defected Boers in SA wars (1880-81) and (1899-1902).

Table Mountain. Picture courtesy: Google

A new era began in 1910, when Union of South Africa was formed with Louis Botha as Prime Minister. Botha (1862-1919) was a politician, and a military leader. During the South African war (1899-1902), he was an outstanding commander.

He led the delegation at the Transvaal Peace conference. In 1912, the African National Congress (ANC) was founded.

In 1919, Jan Smuts succeeded Botha. Jan Christian Smuts (1870-1950) was the Prime Minister from 1919-1924 and 1939-1948. He was a guerrilla commander during South Africa War (1899-1902) at later worked with Botha to establish the Union of SA in 1910. After the 2nd World War, Smuts was defected by the Apartheid Policies of the National Party.

Apartheid

The Nationalist Party, came to power in 1948 Elections, advocately a policy of Apartheid. It is a policy of Racial Segregation practised by South African government from 1948-1990, for 42 years. Racial inequality and restricted rights for the Non-Whites were institutionalized when the Afrikanar dominated National Party came to power in 1948, officially, a framework for Separate Development of races in practice, Aparthied enforced white minority rule. It was based on segregation in all aspects of lie including Residence Land Ownership, and Education. Non-whites eight percent of the population, were also given separate political structures, and Quasi-Autonomous homelands and Bhantustans.

The system was underpinned by extensive repression, the measures such as pass laws which severely restricted the movements of non-whites. In 1990, S. African government, increasingly isolated internationally and beset of economic difficulties and domestic unrest, pledged to dismantle the system. The elections in April 1994 completed the transition to a non-racial democracy.

The African National Congress – ANC – Political party formed in 1912, aimed of securing racial equality and full political rights for non-whites. By 1950, ANC was the main oposition to Apartheid. A military wing – Umkhonte We Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) was set up after the Sharpeville massacre. In black township of Sharpeville, local people – Blacks, demonstrated against the press laws. The Police opened fire on March 1960, to disperse these innocent men, killing 67 and wounding 186. The massacre led to greater militancy in the struggle against Apartheid.

The ANC began a campaign and great leader, national patriot Nelson Mandela formed a military wing Umkhonte-We-Sizwe (Spear of the Nation). In 1961, faced by International condemnation Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd establish South Africa as a Republic. Born in Holland, Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd (1901-1966), was a vocal advocate of Apartheid.

He promoted separate development, which means physical separation of races. He led South Africa out of Commonwealth of Nations in 1961. He was assassinated by a white extremist. Verwoerd was succeeded by Johannes Vorster.

Soweto Uprising - 1976

The South African Prime Minister Balthazar Johannes Vorster (1915-1983), who was imprisoned during the second world war as a Nazi Sympathizer.

He was a staunch advocate of Apartheid. Vorster, established Trankei as a Buntaitan and suppressed the Soweto uprising.

Soweto, South West in South Africa, was a Black Township of more than a million. This town is on the outskirt of Johannesburg. In 1976, Soweto attracted international attention, when a student demonstration against the compulsory teaching of Afrikaners in Bhantu schools sparked a series of Riots against Apartheir Regime. The Police brutally suppressed the disturbance, killing 618 people.

In 1978, P. W. Botha was elected Prime Minister. Pieter Willen Botha, was the longest serving member of Apartheid. He became the first President of South Africa in 1980 and was re-elected in 1987. In 1989, he suffered a stroke and amid National Party factionalism, he resigned and was replaced by more reform minded F. W. De Klerk.

In the year 1989, Frederik Willem de Klerk was the President of South Africa from 1989-1994. In 1989, de Klerk led a ‘Palace Coup’ against P. W. Botha and became the President and National Party leader.

Following the narrow election victory, Klerk began the process of dismantling Apartheid. Further in 1990, the ban on the African National Congress – ANC was lifted and Nelson Mandela was released. He served 27 years in prison, many years in Robber Island.

Father of the South African Nation - Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 at Mvezo, a tiny village can be considered as the Father of the South African Nation. He served as the President from (1994-1999). He ushered the Golden Era of South Africa.

This great patriot joined the African National Congress in 1944 and for the next 20 years led the campaign of civil disobedience against South Africas Aparthaid governments. Following the Sharpeville massacre (1960), Mandela formed Umkhonte We Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) a para military wing of ANC. In 1962, Mandela was acquitted on charges of Treason, but in 1964, Mandela was sentenced to Life imprisonment for political offences.

He spent 27 years in Prison, on Robber Island. It became the symbol of resistance to Apartheid. In February 1993, Mandela was released and he resumed his leadership of the newly legalized ANC. In 1993 Mandela and Klerk shared the Nobel Prize.

In 1994, Mandela gained two-thirds of the popular vote in South Africa's first multinational elections. A fine advocate for the need of reconciliation, he made de Klerk Deputy President (1994-1996) in his government for National Unity.

Rainbow nation

Nelson Mandela struggled for a Democratic South Africa for much of his life. This great leader and patriot spent 27 years in prison, charged with attempting to overthrow the government of the whites. He was largely responsible for the Peaceful Revolution, that transformed South Africa into a Multiracial Rainbow Nation.

Mandela's great Diplomacy, etiquette, mannerism, charismatic, personality, compassion and benevolence made him a figure of great moral stature. On May 16, 1994, at Union Bank Building, Pretoria, Presidential inauguration of Nelson Mandela took place, with number of world leaders in attendance.

In 1999, Thambo Mbeki, replaced Nelson Mandela as the President of the ANC in 1997, became president of South Africa. To be a Freedom Fighter, one must suppress your world personal feelings and must be committed for the cause. Mandela did that.

This great leader, Nelson Mandela, addressed both head and heart, but it was the heart that won the day. Dignity was the hallmark of all his actions. I consider Nelson Mandela, the greatest man of the 21st century.

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