Exposing the myths of 'white history'

(1)

Exposing the myths of 'white history'

Panelist Lezlie W'l:! _

euctec

^liyel^y

'esponse j ,om tre e.oerce.

By Hans Pienaar

D URING

^th,'

p.", '''''' ,h -"d,',

^,^{I n}

.,Im, ,,' in..." i"bl,-

. 1'1""" '-

^h.1S .1'''',-1''1'',,1

t",

^hb''''y ^In S""th Afnca. ~,.", ~.,ti"n

n,·w,p.,p'" (',','ry ,",wk d"q>l<', "-'n'r,,1 F"I""

«,

hi""rv ,'m' (~'('" th.-

R(',,,,,,,,

⁽^>i.

1"'" TIIu""t,-.t IIi' h " V

"f ~"Jlh

Ai,,,,,,

^h,,, ""Id l:1lI IIX)""r~"

H ,'", "h"·n'.ti,,,,;

W"T<'

rn."t.,

by 1'Tt,fColin Bund y "I tht, UnlH'",ity

"f th., \\' ,,,,I<'m COl'" in hi,

,,,,,,,Ju"' i,,"

^to> ^,^h,·

W,,'klv M,'ll 11.0,. W,.·.

p.",.!,

db,u,,;,," on

"I\'<'Iinl' tht> Mvt h, "ft S" ulh IIfrk,," Hi" ory"

in I"h.'nn....hur~ in ~,..

""ml>o.'•.

n,,-,,·

^w,'^{n '} ^I',~>J

ro''' '

,,'n, I,,, th" . he ",id.An ,-ntin' 1'.'nt'T.'i<>n', "m-

I,-mpl h,,- U,,· hi""ry ,,1- f,·",j .t """,.,Is ,'nd

,h,-

Ik~'<l f"r .l ,,,,",'itulo' h."

1,'<1 to a 1'.11'.,,1.,

p ""-

,uro' ""

""'",,,n,

^fwm

,~,. m",' ,ur p ", , ~ !,

~"Mh''''

('"mmu~i ti,·, wh"

~limp;<', ... f''',i~,h'yof

• d,H'-" 'nl tu lu,,' .1,,, w.,n' 'n k" n w ,,'mt'l~in~

.~"", '~t'ir p.I" I><~·.u,,'

""it~,,,,, ,~i, 1.~""' I,,jI'"

,h,·y ",,,·m~I,· "~ild,,·,,

""i'-~"'" ^k" " w l" d )\,-

"t

'~dr

1""'"'' .

i"""u,,',

"nc,'r',,,n "" d i"". li - d" ,,'>!,

Dr N" " ill,' AI,·,."d",.

"t

,~,. S"",h Atri... "

('"m ", i1"~' f", Hi~~,'r Educ"""" in C"P"

r"wn. I.,"" illu ,Ir"t,'>! ,h,' "')\""cy

"t . ,

"'"",,'m~ ,>f ~i,'''')'

.. '..."

~t' It'. d

te"m

,~"

"",'n'h' "'<Ii,,·,,,·,·,,'d ""'I'I><~,k, h,· h"d

""1" ,m .

^kind

"t

"I"~n,"i"" ~i,'n,y """rl.·

,11<,1'

""hic~ ""., ~" Id d"rjn~ ~;, "1t~y".,

"""",." ",

,~,.

· · lJ",,"·""Y

"f R,obl><'n 1,- I""d" ,

"C,m,i,kr ",,~," ...n"ld ""pl~'" it

>"" .

^di^d

''''' h . ,' , ·

^'^{~ i}^, ^(,^,,,,,,it^{l" nl} im"!,,' " f

,h"

p.",." ... ",id. "T ....•"'""I"",,n would ,h,'"

h.' ,uf"' "m F""''>! up',n "n "Ii,'n

,,,,I,

^i'

..."uld "PP"" ., • n"',,r.1 C",."",ph,'.

Iri~htful . nd i",-" phc.~I,'."

lit- ,,·,·,·.kd

, h", ,...

Rn~I><'" 1,1.,,,d ill·

""'"., M'tU" Uy d,,,id,'>! '''''' • t"und . tin"

,h"uld .". '·".~Ii,h,·d f", h;,' """n, to ,,'Til,' ""

. l',-",.,h,·"

~i,',,')'. ""i'h",, ' kn" ...-

jn~ 'h.1 • "'""J"'~m i" hi,'"ric.1 ,'udi<., h. d "I" " d y ,1.,,1,'>! ,h"rtly aftt'!" 'h" 1'17~

,Iud,,,,' "p'i,in!\

By n"w ,~;, "". h.,·nnl<· • 'id ,'••, I''',f Bu,,'dy d",,,,il><'>! it. withi n w~i<' h •

1"".

t~--uI.,r1y ,'''m~ "",,'.'n' n"ws: Th,' ",,,,,, It

"" p.,m-i""l ... i><l"m' "r m,·th, T..." d,'m-

"n,Irali"n, ,.".". )\i""n "I Ihi' "",..

,,, It"

St·lf"""pl,,,,,'>! hi, '",i.,,, J.'~' I".,id••,

'f" '"

"n th,' I,m ".'" Ri,+O...-k mYl~.•md Xh,,,,,,

~i ,'n,y ^"' f"'Yt

j"n

1','i"" nn ,~" ^mt"m" " ,

"."1,, l.iJIin)\ in,h~.",'>! ~y )\;" n!\,!" u ,,' m

,~" NIh " 'n lu,,,.

~.Tid,~" • 5<,,,'h Atrit·"" ""h" ...nrk, m

The Dutch East Indian Company knew that Van Riebeeck was an advocate of plun- der , and not of peace

Fr.""",

^ca^{lle d}

J."

^,'aⁿ Ri"I><"d "",~it"

S<""~ Africa'" liM I",,,," ••

" ,,, n<!

^",1K^,m ^•

dd;"'·"",· my,h ",,,, ""',>I'od i" a "f",,-ihc y,.... lH'i2. by • 'f""ific insti'uti"n. ,h,' Dutch R,,,,,m ,,'>! Ch" ....1i

Fn' mOl" 'h"n • ",n lu')' h" '" ,,an, em -

~,njd,''''>! "" ,hi" ti,,' I"'rt"yal

"t

V.n

Riel><~~'k dS 'h<' ""''' ",IK, ~,,,u~hl Chri", Ii,n eh.,.;" ,,, S""th Afl'ka.A, I.",as 1'176

",'h"I"", in,iSl',j lh.lI h,> "''' " h.'li,·y,' , in

I"'''' '"UI ..,...·,i, ' t'n'·" ••1I1K,,,)\h ,h,'Tt, "".,

no>,,,·,,,.,1"Yi,h'''''' ,,, "' rr~>rt Ihi, .-.'nl,"'- ti" n

Th,' f.w, .."uld "."i1y h...'" h",·"

c~,,,k,'>!, I""i d,. , ",id••" V." Ri,+O" ,'I.·,

d,~'>!, I,,"'" w ,), w<'ll d".."m,·n' ,'>! in ,...

",mp"I",')' dl., ')' "I h. . ..-ti",'i,., .m d hi' ,I,'.dv ,wn"I",,,d,''''''wilh 'he Du,.-h E."

'ndi a C" ml"'''v ^([}HO, '" f,,,·t. lJ."'id til'inI' - ,t" ,,,, .I,,·.,dy "'phkJ 'h,' myt ~ in w ;)• ....h,·"

he f",inl,'>! "", ,'''', V,1n Ri,'I><",,1. h"d ,u~,,,,,'<1

II><' ,'n,I.,',,,,,,'nl

"t

Khoi

"'nm,'n .nd ,-hild ,,'n ""

,hip< h."'''d

t",

^1I."^.,'^ia^.

.nd I",..ed

I.~"",

t",

Kh "i n",n••, 'h,' only

"'" y by .... hich lhey ",,,I:J

"" d,'pri ",'<1

"t

'hti,

1i"'L

st."'I.. ill

, ,,,h·,

^I"

""'"n.'

a ,t,,,dy ,upply

" t

"" 'a ,

' 0

p.' ' 'in)\ ' hip'_

The DElC 'hem""I\'", kn,''''

' h., V ."

Ri" ",~d

,,'. , an ad",~-.t" "I 1'1",,- d," , a"d "lOt " j p"a c", Th,')' ",,,, i, h'nlly d"ni,'<1

hi,

,eq"e. ' ,

^{f" r m}^{m e}

m" ,kd. and ~""''' .,nd

"nt",,'t'<! him

", w

^. ^nd

''''", a)\.in I" di,p lay m,,,,. t'i,,"d,h il'

, ,,,,,.,,;1,

'he Kh"i Th"y finally 10" Ihd' pa h" ",·,, "Ih"

he h"d p",v"h'<1 a ....,"

"'il h Ih" Khoi . a"d 'r" n.- t..rTl'<l ~im 10

Ba'." iiI,

I'oi,~, ,...kl"d '~e

myth that " "ditf" " 'n ' m(,J,·

"t

_u"d'·"'"nd i"~". or ' '' f''''' h ti" n. ~.,d 1,'<1 I" lh" inla m" u , " tt le killi,,)\ in.Ii~.,,'d by Mhlal.. , o, N"n~~au ",,'. "nd", • m)'lh

<l'n'"od a",und ,h,' J, ·'ipti"n

"t

^h^im ^.,

'~t' Xh,,,,,

".,Ii",,·, )\"", , ....

^itch

d""',,,

)\;,~ '"'. h" ",id, Mh1.lh ,.. a.-tu" lIy ..., ,he ti"" Xh,... '''.... t>apt i"od in II", An!,li-

('a" Chu r,h_ Wi,h h;,

lit·,, ·

^{n. m",} ^W^il~"l m ,

~e L,ckt't! "" ,,, A"'hd".""n M,·"ima n ot G,.,h" m, l"w"••nd was a' hi' happi""

....h,'n h" a"com pa "i,'t! the 1,,1l,' r

0"

hi.

I" n)\ ,,,,·.n)\<'Ii, i,,)\ ~",,,,,.Y" I" F...,l,'''' C"P"

""""'-

Il."k in G,aha m. ,,,..'n 'h"

""-M,'."",,

e...."'''.ny "';""'h'<1 him

10""", . : ",. ",,,,

^a

la'Y "",'a " t. Thi. I"d I" Wilhelm',

"" "rn

,,, hi, X~,,,,, "illal'''' ."d Ihe "L"doption ot

~iI "';I'i"a l ""mt'_ Am " n!, ,~" XIK"" IK' bo.·j\oln to ,p"'ad hi'"...n 1'''''1'''1

"t

,he R...-

urT~c'; "n. which

Was " "0 "t

t~" ma i n f""", hTi"!,i"!,.bout 'h" ..."1,, kilh")\

SIi)\~'ly .d.pti,,!, ., n ada)\e "f Am~"...•

Bejrc~, r"ir.... 'aid I~a' mylh. "'e'" de· ,i)\""l I" co"c~.1 a trul~, "Clr>ce a my'h i, 'f"it" od. i' i. ,,,,. li>4 "I I],., hi,I,,";"n t" "n- ,·"" h ,h,· partio:"I,.. ""In lh., i, .... j" l(

c",,-

s

(2)

A vailable n ow fro m Idasa

All a va ilabl " Ir om ldn a a l 1 P"n Qlnc: . Ro. d , Uow bllly, 7700 lOt Idal8 ·. R" gional Olli ce . - a d dre lles on Pige 2)

,

_., _._-~-

Joumey 1 0

^the

ANC

- Op _._ rete - ---- na

_die

ANC

THE FREEDOM CHARTER AND THE FUTURE

No ...in

,r.

Th'r</Imp",• .,on

O r

Popuitl, o"mand

Based o n the

p

ro c e ed ing s ot Ihe F re e d om Charter Conterence , it

refle c t

s t he vie we of lead ing pol

it ica

l actors o n t

h is

irnpcrtam doc ume nt around wh ic h mu ch of

the

debate o n a n o n-ra c ial, d e m oc ratic South Africa

has c e ntre d s ince 1955.

Editfld by J a m es A. Poll ey Publishfld by Ad. Do n lt:er

R12

( P o s ta g e incl uded )

STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE

DEMOCRACY AND THE JUDICIARY

Le adil'lg lega l practi tione

rs

an d acade mics e

xp

lore the

re

la tio n s h ip betwee n democr .ali c va lues a nd the jud icial f unction in Sou th Af rica. The book anajyses tn e

^re

c o rd of the

judici a

r

y since 1910, the ro le 0 1 la wye rs in a

deep ly d iv id ed society and

t

h e pnen crnenon of " pe o pl e's co urts",

Edi ted b y Hugh Corder Publish ed by Idii sil

R16 ,9 5

(Postage inc lu d e d)

THREE NEW BOOKS ON CHANGE IN SOUTH AFRICA

COmpiled by C hris Lo uw

JOURNEY TO THE ANCI OP REI$ NA DIE ANC

Th is book rellects

0 1'1

t h e s tra teg ies ado

pted

t o attam a non-rectar democracy

jn

So uth At r ica . Esse l'ltja l re adi l'lg

lo r ul'ldersta

ndj l'lg the d Yl'la mi cs o f ccnstantty c h a l'lg ing s

tr

a-

te gi e s fo r c hange ,

Edi ted

by

Ste phen Fo urie Published by Idasa

R14,95

( P o s ta g e in clUded)

A

d

i~e r si ty

ot opi nto ne

⁰^1'1

a meetjl'lg

w

ith t he

A

NC,

O rd il'll ry S o uth Africans report on their tmpre sston s of a journey to

Na m ib ia

,

Z

im ba bwe an d Zambia

.

R12

(Postage

included }

H.n

.

Pi. nu

, is

• f",.l.n,~

joum. llfil

b. - r In loh.nn.sboug.

cealed

."

Throug houl the ..,.,;On the pa ndisl' in various ways wa rned tllal

progl'<'SSiv~

hi..

lorian> should aL ""

be

awa", of lhe da nger of devdo ping lheir ow n mylhs,

In Stl"h a vein Sleven Friedma n, policy ...reher

.01

lh" Sooth AlIkan I ""litule

of Rol,...

ltelalion. , .peculaled on a provoca- 'ive

theory he ",U,,j

"W"llingluTli.m".

This w.s

n.""'-'<l

.h". W"llinglon Buthe-

le~i,

who in the 1921ls

had

amassed a huge following by p",,,,,hing the

Iibera1i,, " of

bl., k Soul h Afric.n, by Russi. n. and Am...,-k.n

n~gmes

w ho wo uld d..ctnd from tlw h.. avens

.

A . imilar lint> of

thinking dominated T<"-

si"an, ... polil;e,; u nlil lh" lorti...., Friedman said. In'I<'ad of mot>ili>ing thei. ,u pport-

e""

^A^NC ^...

' ivislS pou",j m<lSt

0/ tn,~r

en-

"rgy into a ."a'egy of petitioning the gov- ernm enl and lhe Crown .

The

myth. su

rro.mdlOl\

lhi, h;,;" ,ry

be-

rome da ng..rous when latter-day activisl, It'ach IN t aft..-r Ih" f orti"" Ih" ANC dra,ti_

calfy ..hang<'<! """"'" and ttan,formed il-

,<,1/

inl" a milil.lnt m.,..

ba".,J

organisa- tion. On Ihe rontrary, frkdman ..-gued, many 'lral'1lio." which lhe Conlin.". mow-- ment ado pled I....n

had

be<'n d<'Sign,,j

10

u ndermine lh e mo ral legili macy of lhe S o

ulh

Alri,a n

gov~rnment by

appealing 10 foreign opinion.

The

earl;"r .

trat<1;i""

of peillioning had m"rdy b....n Iran,laled, aod not aba n- doned

.

Forrm of ""'''

prot..

t

_wer~

u«ed primarily

10

inAuen", lhe United

~ation.,

Sin,... Ih"o a lot

of

a nti-apartheid politi'"

Ila. b<~

domi"" ted by Ih<

idea

thai

fret>.-

dom rom ... from abroad, That h., bel;Un

10

Cha nlle ooly io the

l

ast few y""s,

Th,>

Irad.. union mowm ,,", and civic .0"""'""-

tion. have begun 10 in. fill lhe idea lhat b lack. d o have pow...,- a nd t hai Ihe f"",.

dom Ihey long

lor, is

going

10 be

won

by

their own "fforts.

10 an earli..,. ...ioo on I<'al"hing a lterna- tive history in the d","",oom.. Wits hist<>- na n Cynlh ia Kross "

'p,,,,«ed

h..,. ronc...., abou. the ".nappy h<ad lin..." of ne w. pa- pe' pag"" d evoted

to

al.",native hi.tory.

She

gol the feeling lhal journali>.t,

be-

1iev~d

thai tbey had "e "'rocted t he .n- .w.... ito m fumbling a cademics", an atti_

tude which had

iI.

da ngers beeao.., it im- plied lhat it w" possil>l" to be in .,."..,,- .ioo

of

the "n"I.lory.t la"C.

Allernative m"hod.

of

k,,,,,hi ng hifilory we", p...ted by Ishmail Waadi aR<l

1....

,ley Wilz, wh ich elid.ed ,orn e lively ...

'pon'" fro m the . ud i""", on

the .01"..,..

insurmo

unta ble prob lem. presenled by working

in

a hostile syfilern

still

v..ry m och devoted

to

government po lici"",

In hi. 1.lk on

the

Inkalha school syllabus Blade Nd zimandze .howed how Ih"

class-

room remains. political a reo. fo, apartheid fo,..., ln katha cynically employ.

black cu ltural CO",""pl' li ke ubun tu

(broth-

",hood)

.nd hlonipa (1"<'SJX"ll in il. ,yll.·

bu.

'0

.einfo.ce ' he e"abli, hm,>nt

01 Inkatha Y

ou lh Brigad""

in

schools

Al the same lime he worned agoin.t viewing eth oicily

m terms of

the g""""'-

men!'. divid.. and rule .Irateg y and nol from th< p''1'SJX''liV<'

of

lived trad itions ••

part of th" daily "'peri"nc" of black

p""ple