Didattica della civiltà inglese - History of South Africa

History of South Africa

Early South Africa

The first inhabitants of South Africa lived by hunting animals, gathering plants and using stone tools. Then people gradually learned to herd sheep, cattle and iron tools were introduced. At the end of the 15th century, the Portuguese sailed past the Cape of Good Hope. Then arrived the Dutch, led by Jan van Riebeeck, who founded a base for ships’ supply. Gradually the Dutch colony in South Africa expanded. In 1688 French Protestants arrived, fleeing religious persecution. Slowly the native people were driven from their land, and many died in a smallpox epidemic.

British South Africa

When the British arrived in South Africa, the Boers (Dutch settlers) resented them and their rules. They began a mass migration away from the British and defeated the Zulus. Eventually, the Boers founded two republics away from the British: Orange Free State and Transvaal (the British recognized these two Republics). However, the situation changed when diamonds and gold were discovered. In 1899 a war began between the Boers and the British. At the end, the British won.

In this period, the social condition of black people wasn’t good: they were considered as second-class citizens. Most lived in tribal reserves, laws prevented them from owning land outside certain areas and they weren’t allowed to vote.

In 1914 South Africa joined the First World War and then in 1939 the Second World War against Germany. In 1948 the National Party came to power and introduced a strict policy of apartheid, which made segregation much stricter. In this period, the figure of Nelson Mandela is really important as he always fought for black rights using non-violent methods. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Meanwhile, in 1961 South Africa left the Commonwealth and became a republic. Botha became Prime Minister but he was determined to continue apartheid. He introduced a new constitution with a tri-cameral parliament, with houses for whites, coloureds, and Indians (with no representation for blacks). At the end of his political career, he was forced to leave and was replaced by De Klerk, who pledged to end apartheid by introducing a new constitution with rights for all and released Mandela. In 1994 Mandela was elected President and retired only in 1999.

South Africa in the 21st Century

In the early 21st century, many South Africans were still poor but the economy grew steadily. Nowadays, tourism is booming and the population is 49 million.