Over 9000 years ago, the first people to settle in what is today known as South Africa were the San people.
They were nomadic hunters and gatherers, and moved wherever the game migrated to. Their rock paintings
can still be seen throughout the country today. They have survived extinction with a small number of San people
still living in the northern desert areas.
The Khoi people settled in the Western Cape about 1900 years ago. They were pastoralist in nature, farming and
keeping grazing cattle. Other tribes from the north moved down into South Africa with their cattle in search of
better grazing areas. Their arrival caused conflict over grazing land with the San and Khoi people.
Portuguese explorers reached the Cape of Good Hope in the fifteenth century during their search for
a sea route to the east, and the Dutch under Jan Van Riebeck established the first European settlement
in the Cape in 1652 for the Dutch East India Company. The Cape made a prefect stopping point enroute to the east
to replenish fresh water, fruit and vegetables.
Early settlers experienced a shortage of labour, and this resulted in slaves being brought in
from many parts of the world, including Guinea, Angola, Delagoa Bay, Madagascar, Java and current-day Malaysia.
This created the beginnings of a diversity of cultures, which is still true of South Africa today.
The colony of settlers expanded, and stock farmers moved further north and east, making contact with local
African tribes. This resulted in many fronteir wars between settlers and local tribes. In 1820 settlers
from Great Britain arrived in the Cape, bolstering the number of European settlers. Local Boer settlers disliked
being controlled, and thus began moving north in 1836 in what is known as the Great Trek, with the aim of
establishing their own country where they could set their own laws. This resulted in many wars between boer and
zulu people, the history of which can still be traced today in a visit to the Kwazulu Natal battlefields.
Following the discovery of a five-carat diamond and the discovery of gold in the interior, Britain attempted to
take control of the colony. Resistance from the Afrikaner boers who had left the Cape to find their own land
led to the Anglo-Boer wars, which were bloodyand cruel, and without overall victor. The post-war period
was dominated by the British, which resulted in even more resistance from the boers.
The Union of South Africa was formed in 1910 under the leadership of Boer generals Louis Botha
and Jan Smuts who wanted to reconcile the English and Afrikaans white groups, and Barry Hertzog who was
tried to entrench Afrikaner power. Afrikaner nationalism resurged and consequently the majority Black population
were placed under many restrictions and excluded from the democratic political process. Equal status was given to
English and Afrikaans as languages, and the effects of this can still be seen today.
In 1912, African political activity took shape with the emergence of the African National
Congress (ANC). The National Party was created in 1914 and came into power in 1948, creating
legislation to separate Blacks and create homelands within South African boundaries which would
eventually be self-governing (the policy of apartheid - literally meaning separate living).
In 1959, the Pan African Congress (PAC) was founded as a breakaway from the ANC.
Resistance to apartheid grew both in and outside the country. In 1960, police opened fire on
a demonstration at Sharpeville against pass laws and sixty-nine people were killed. In
1961, South Africa withdrew from the British Commonwealth and became a Republic. The ANC and PAC were
banned as political organisations, and many of the leaders and members went into exile. In 1964 Nelson Mandela
was convicted on a charge of treason and attempting to overthrow the government, and was sentenced to life
imprisonment on Robin Island, an island prison off the Cape coast, which can be visited today.
Political unrest and violence continued through the 1970's. In 1976, rioting broke out in Soweto
and black schools throughout the country. A number of so-called homelands (specific areas of the country)
were granted nominal independence with their own puppet governments.
The slow process of reform began during the eighties. Black trade unions were legalised, Pass laws (special
laws regarding identification which limited black people to living in specific areas only) were scrapped,
black people were allowed to purchase houses and property and the Mixed Marriages Act which did not allow
marriages accross the colour bar, was abolished. Unrest levels increased and in 1985 a state of emergency
was declared.
FW de Klerk succeeded PW Botha as president in 1989. Much unrest was followed by peaceful
negotiations, resulting in the release of Nelson Mandela from prison and the unbanning of the ANC as a political
party in 1991. Nonracial elections took place in April 1994 when Nelson Mandela was democratically elected as
president. A Government of National Unity (GNU) was formed with Executive Deputy Presidents,
Thabo Mbeki and FW de Klerk, the former prime minister. Following the adoption of the new
constitution on 8 May 1996, the GNU dissolved when the National Party decided to withdraw and
pursue their role as the leading opposition to the ANC government.
