CHRONOLOGY
Millennia B.C.
Hunter-gatherers, ancestors of the Khoisan (Khoikhoi and San: “Hottentots” and “Bushmen”), living in Southern Africa
By A.D. 300
Mixed farmers, ancestors of the Bantu-speaking majority of the modern population, begin to settle south of the Limpopo River
1487
Portuguese expedition led by Bartholomeu Dias reaches Mossel Bay
1652
The Dutch East India Company founds a refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope
1652–1795
Genesis and expansion of the Afrikaners (“Boers”); the Khoisan conquered; slaves imported from Indonesia, India, Ceylon, Madagascar (Malagasy), and Mozambique
1795
Britain takes the Cape Colony from the Dutch
1803
The Dutch (Batavian Republic) regain the Cape Colony by treaty
1806
Britain reconquers the Cape Colony
1811–12
British and colonial forces expel Africans from the territory west of the Fish River
1815
Rising of frontier Boers (later known as the Slagtersnek rebellion)
1816–28
Shaka creates the Zulu kingdom; warfare among Africans throughout much of southeastern Africa (the Mfecane)
1820
British settlers arrive in the Cape Colony
1828
The Cape colonial government repeals the pass laws
1834–38
Cape colonial slaves emancipated
1834–35
Xhosa defeated by British and colonial forces
1835–40
Five thousand Afrikaners (later known as voortrekkers) leave the Cape Colony with their “Coloured” clients; a movement later known as the Great Trek
1838
An Afrikaner commando defeats the Zulu army at the battle of Blood River
1843
Britain annexes Natal
1846–47
Xhosa defeated by British and colonial forces
1850–53
1852, 1854
Britain recognizes the Transvaal and Orange Free State as independent Afrikaner republics
1856–57
The Xhosa cattle-killing
1858
Lesotho wins war versus the Orange Free State
1865–67
The Orange Free State defeats Lesotho
1867
Diamond mining begins in Griqualand West
1868
Britain annexes Lesotho (“Basutoland”)
1877
Britain annexes the Transvaal
1879
British and colonial forces conquer the Zulu after losing a regiment at Isandhlwana
1880–81
Transvaal Afrikaners regain their independence
1886
Gold mining begins on the Witwatersrand
1895–96
Leander Starr Jameson leads an unsuccessful raid into the Transvaal
1897–98
Rinderpest destroys vast numbers of cattle
1898
Transvaal commandos conquer the Venda, completing the white conquest of the African population of Southern Africa
1899–1902
The War between the Whites: Britain conquers the Afrikaner republics
1904–7
Chamber of Mines imports 63,397 Chinese workers
1906–7
Britain gives parliamentary government to the former republics; only Whites enfranchised
1910
The Cape Colony, Natal, the Transvaal, and the Orange Free State join to form the Union of South Africa
1912
South African Native National Congress (NNC) founded; later becomes the African National Congress (ANC)
1913
Natives Land Act limits African landownership to the reserves; the beginning of a series of segregation laws
1914–19
As a member of the British Empire, South Africa participates in World War I
1917
Anglo American Corporation of South Africa founded
1921
Communist party of South Africa founded
1922
White strikers seize control of Johannesburg but are crushed by government troops
1936
African parliamentary voters placed on a separate roll
1939–45
South Africa participates in World War II on the Allied side
1946
70,000 to 100,000 African gold-mine workers strike for higher wages; troops drive them back to the mines
1948
The Afrikaner National party wins a general election and begins to apply its policy of apartheid
1950
The Population Registration Act classifies people by race; the Group Areas Act makes people reside in racially zoned areas
1950 ff.
Security legislation gives the government vast powers over people and organizations
1952
The ANC and its allies launch a passive resistance campaign
1953
The government assumes control of African education
1955
The Congress of the People adopts a Freedom Charter
1956
156 members of Congress Alliance charged with high treason
Coloured parliamentary voters placed on a separate roll
1958–66
Verwoerd is prime minister
1959
Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) founded
1960
African and Coloured representation in Parliament (by Whites) terminated
Police kill 67 African anti–pass-law demonstrators at Sharpeville; the government bans African political organizations
1961
South Africa becomes a republic and leaves the British Commonwealth
1964
Nelson Mandela and other ANC and PAC leaders sentenced to life imprisonment
1966–68
Lesotho, Botswana, and Swaziland become independent states
1975–76
Mozambique and Angola become independent states
1976–77
At least 575 people die in confrontations between Africans and police in Soweto and other African townships
1976–81
South Africa grants “independence” to the Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda, and the Ciskei Homelands, but they are not recognized abroad
1977
The U.N. Security Council imposes a mandatory embargo on the supply of arms to South Africa
1978–84
Botha is prime minister
1979
African trade unions can register and gain access to the industrial court and the right to strike
1980
Zimbabwe (previously Rhodesia) becomes independent
1981–88
South African forces invade Angola and make hit-and-run raids into Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Zambia; anc guerrillas sabotage South African cities
1983
United Democratic Front (UDF) formed
1984
A new constitution gives Asians and Coloureds but not Africans limited participation in the central government; Botha becomes state president
1984–86
Prolonged and widespread resistance to the regime in black South African townships; violent government reactions
1985
First contacts between the government and imprisoned and exiled ANC leaders
1986
Pass laws repealed
The government proclaims a nationwide state of emergency, detains thousands of people, and prohibits the press, radio, and television from reporting unrest
The U.S. Congress passes the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act over President Reagan’s veto
1986–95
Violent conflict between Zulu supporters of Inkatha and the ANC in KwaZulu and
on the Witwatersrand
1987
Three-week strike by 250,000 African mine-workers
1988
South Africa undertakes to withdraw from Angola and cooperate in U.N.-monitored independence process in Namibia
1989
De Klerk succeeds Botha, first as leader of the National party, then as president
1990
De Klerk unbans the anc, pac, and sacp; releases Mandela and other political prisoners Namibia gains independence
1990–91
1913 and 1936 Land Acts, Group Areas Act, Population Registration Act, and Separate Amenities Act repealed; political organizations unbanned; state of emergency revoked; amid widespread violence, delegates from 18 parties start formal negotiations
1992
White voters support the negotiation process in a referendum
The ANC breaks off negotiations with the government after an Inkatha mob massacres 46
1993
Negotiations resume; de Klerk, Mandela, and leaders of 18 other parties endorse an interim constitution
1994
Governments of the Bophuthatswana and Ciskei “Homelands” collapse
The ANC wins first nonracial election (April 27–30)
Nelson Mandela is sworn in as president (May 10) and forms Government of National Unity
Foreign governments lift sanctions; South Africa rejoins the British Commonwealth
Crime escalates
1995
Racial conflict in the police force (January)
Inauguration of the Constitutional Court (February); it abolishes the death penalty (May)
Disturbances in universities (March)
Inkatha withdraws from the Constituent Assembly (April)
Inauguration of the Commission for the Restitution of Land Rights (May)
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission starts work
1996
The Constituent Assembly enacts a permanent constitution
The National party withdraws from the Government, leaving the Inkatha Freedom party as well as the ANC
1998
Publication of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report
1999
General election: the anc wins 66 percent of the vote
The Democratic party replaces the National party as the official opposition
Mandela retires, succeeded by Thabo Mbeki
Strikes by government employees, including teachers
2000
Large-scale industrial strike
Crisis in Zimbabwe has repercussions in South Africa
The National party merges with the Democratic party
13th international conference on AIDS meets in Durban
2001
Promotion of Access to Information Act takes effect
Grootboom right to housing case decided by Constitutional Court
2002
Treatment Action Campaign case on access to anti-retroviral drugs decided by Constitutional Court
Formation of Democratic Alliance
African Union launched in Durban
New Partnership for African Development created
2003
Patricia de Lille forms Independent Democrats
Cabinet overrides Mbeki and announces antiretroviral drug rollout plan
Enactment of Broad-Based Black Empowerment Act
2004
Mbeki elected for second term
Law on Anti-Terrorism adopted
Jaftha v. Schoeman right to housing case decided by Constitutional Court
2005
New National party disbands
Mbeki removes Jacob Zuma as deputy president
Zimbabwean parliamentary elections
2006
Zuma acquitted of rape charges
Judicial Service Commission rejects public inquiry into activities of Cape judge John Hlophe
U.N. Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa says South Africa promotes “lunatic fringe” attitude toward AIDS
2007
Scorpions indict Zuma on corruption charges
Constitutional Court judges file charges against Judge Hlophe
Zuma defeats Mbeki for ANC presidency at ANC conference in Polokwane
2008
Power-sharing agreement in Zimbabwe
Corruption charges against Zuma dropped
Mbeki resigns
Kgalema Motlanthe inaugurated
Barbara Hogan becomes minister of health
Congress of the People (COPE) founded
2009
Zuma elected president
Zuma appoints Sandile Ngcobo as chief justice
Zuma gives World AIDS Day speech announcing policy to distribute antiretroviral drugs widely
2010
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report labels South Africa one of the world’s most unequal societies
Government acknowledges that Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Program has been largely a failure
South Africa does not issue visa to Dalai Lama to attend Desmond Tutu’s eightieth birthday party
2011
Activist Andries Tatane killed by police during service delivery protest
South African Human Rights Commission investigates complaints about water quality and supply
2012
ANC centenary celebrations
Marikana Massacre
Moody’s downgrades South Africa
ANC conference at Mangaung, Zuma reelected ANC president
2013
Mamphela Ramphele forms Agang SA
South African troops killed in Central African Republic Passage of Secrecy Bill
Julius Malema forms Economic Freedom Fighters
2014
Twentieth anniversary of end of white rule
CHAPTER 1
The Africans
The Significance and Problems of Precolonial History
Modern Western culture is inordinately present-minded. Politicians are ignorant of the past. School curricula foreshorten the historical record by focusing on recent events. People lack a sense of their location in time and fail to perceive that contemporary society is constrained by its cultural as well as its biological inheritance.
Many historians of the white South African establishment start their history books with a brief reference to the voyage of Vasco da Gama round the Cape of Good Hope in 1497-98 and then rush on to the arrival of the first white settlers in 1652.. Other historians are so committed to emphasizing the role of capitalism as the molder of modern Southern Africa that they ignore the processes that shaped society before Europeans began to intrude in the region.
The precolonial history of Southern Africa is significant in its own right, providing examples of the constraints and possibilities, achievements and setbacks of preindustrial and preliterate communities as they established their niches in a variety of environments. It is also significant as providing essential links in explaining what has followed. Indigenous Southern Africans were not a tabula rasa for white invaders or capitalists to civilize or to victimize. Over many centuries, they had been developing social forms and cultural traditions that colonialism, capitalism, and apartheid have assaulted, abused, and modified but never eradicated. One cannot understand how Africans have endured the fragmentation of their family life by migrant labor unless one has knowledge of their customary social values and networks. Nor can one fathom the vigor of black resistance to the apartheid state without knowledge of precolonial African ideas about the social and economic obligations of rulers and rights of subjects, and the basis of political legitimacy.
A History of South Africa Page 2