While South Africa is denoted as the ‘rainbow nation’ it is critical to remember that many of the people of the rainbow nation are descendants of slaves and share a common inheritance of displacement, bondage and exploitation. South Africa once had the most culturally and ethnically diverse slave population contributing to today’s rainbow nation. Thus, it is important to understand the history of slavery as well as other forms of imprisonment in South Africa and the impression racism and discrimination has left on the nation.
As a class, we were introduced to the South Africa’s history of slavery during our visit to the Slave Lodge in Cape Town. This building was created to remember and raise awareness of slavery in South Africa. According to the Slave Lodge, slavery is defined as the “most extreme form of control and subjugation of one person by another; most often enforced through violence.” After settling at the Cape, the Dutch East India Company decided to take up farming using slave labor as the means to produce profits; thus, establishing an extensive system of slave ownership in South Africa. From 1653 to 1806 over 63,000 people were brought to the Cape by boat from other countries in Africa, as well as China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, and Madagascar. Slaves were purchased and transported. They were treated as commodities or material possessions such as cattle and sheep and subject to the whims of their white masters. Furthermore, upon arrival to the Cape slaves were stripped of their identity and names changed to a version of their real name or their country of origin. Slaves were denied of their religious practices and taught Christianity as well as Dutch. It astounds me that people can be so demeaning and callous. The displays and pictures of the transatlantic slave trade map and slave communities were very intriguing.
Under rule of the Dutch East India Company, slaves were forced to provide the heavy labor as well as their skills as artisans. They are said to be the backbone of the Cape’s economy. Resistance to work led to harsh punishments such as brandings and whippings. While working, slaves were not allowed to take to each other; therefore, they would make sounds to promote social cohesion. The Afrikaans language, a combination of Dutch and Arabic, developed as the primary means of communication among slaves. To this day, Afrikaans is one of the eleven recognized languages of South Africa and the traditions previously started by the slaves are still practiced.
Unlike slavery in the United States, there was no significant underground movement; however, select people aided slaves in escape despite facing potential arrest. By 1806, the British gained control over the Cape and the ownership of the Company’s slaves. Economic and humanitarian reasons pressured the Cape to change their slave labor laws. A year later the British established the 1807 Act of Parliament for Abolition of Slave Trade outlawing oceanic slave trade. This law not only applied to South African slave trade, but also the United States’. In 1811 the Slave Lodge was officially closed; the slaves were sold and set free. Pressure from the British government finally convinced the Cape to formally emancipate slaves in 1834, almost 30 years earlier than the Emancipation that freed the slaves in the United States. Initially, emancipation led to resistance and acts of violence by former slaves and their owners. Freedom was gradually accepted, although it was difficult for former slave owners to tolerate. While slavery disappeared, discrimination and racism continued to exist. Overall, the Slave Lodge was a very interesting and informative experience. It gave me the opportunity to compare slavery and the dehumanizing effects it has had on the United States to South Africa.
On our trip to Robben Island, the class was informed of other types of imprisonment that existed in South Africa during apartheid. On a guided tour with former prisoner Lionel Davis and Nelson Mandela’s former prison guard, we visited a museum that was previously a prison during apartheid and living corridors of banished prisoners. We listened to their stories about the time they spent on Robben Island and they enlightened us with their knowledge in regards to the atmosphere and attitudes that existed during apartheid.
As a former political prisoner, Mr. Davis was charged with conspiracy to commit acts of sabotage against white authority. According to Mr. Davis, political prisoners were often seen as a bigger threat than criminal prisoners. This is not surprising considering political people are leaders who can largely affect numerous people that can generate change. Upon entering the prison and being processed, each prisoner was given a card with their classification and an identifiable number. For example, Nelson Mandela’s prisoner card indicated that he was ‘black’ and his number was 466/64. Clothes were given to the prisoners based on their classification. Black prisoners were treated differently than white and colored prisoners, often mistreated and discriminated against. White and colored prisoners wore clothing that made them look like men, while blacks were given outfits suggesting they were little boys robbing them of their dignity. Meals and freedom were limited, visits from family and outsiders were rare, and the few letters prisoners were allowed to read were often censored to only a few words. Similar to slaves, prisoners were put hard to work. Seeing the lime quarry in which prisoners, such as Mr. Davis, were put to work to chip limestone was quite a nostalgic view.
Within their confining corridors, prisoners were allowed to read. This enabled them to share knowledge and information with other prisoners while working, as well as prison guards. Prisoners of different races and religions were able to come together and educate each other frequently picking up new skill sets. For example, former prisoner James Matthews expressed his hopefulness in leaving the Island through poetry. Rather than writing poems for the art form, he wrote for the stories of his hardships. We got the privilege of hearing a few samples of his work on the Island and they were very interesting.
It was interesting to hear Nelson Mandela’s former prison guard share his experience as a former employee of the prison. He told us how he was ordered to treat Mandela and other prisoners. I was surprised to hear that as a young employee for the government he was brave enough to risk his job and defy orders by allowing Mandela to see his newly born grandchild. It’s uplifting to know that while in a world of white supremacy there are still people who are willing to take risks, however small or large they may be, to do good.
Outside of the prison were separate living corridors for those who were banished from society. Robert Sobukwe was one such prisoner displayed on the premises who endured this treatment. He was confined to a fenced area with a small structure as his place of living. After being closed in 1991, these living corridors and the prison grounds are now a museum.
Nowadays, Section 13 of South Africa’s Bill of Rights states, “no one may be subjective to slavery, servitude or forced labour.” While slavery and other government supported forms of imprisonment are no longer present, the resulting wounds of discrimination and racism have profoundly influenced the evolution of South African culture and society. As we hear the stories of those affected by apartheid and study about the impacts in class and through readings, I better understand where the roots of the white supremacy, exploitation, and displacement stem from in South Africa.
Unresolved question: How can we change the views of South Africans and people around the world so that people are not discriminated against based on their race?
Tweet: Listening to the stories of past experiences has allowed us to grow as a class and better understand slavery and imprisonment’s affects on society in South Africa.