April 6 2008 marks 356 years since Jan van Riebeeck brought the blinding light of White, Western civilisation to this dark, savage continent. Up until the Marxist criminal regime stole power back in 1994, 6 April was a public holiday in South Africa. However, the ANC quickly banned this "Eurocentric, racist" holiday. We, the sons and daughters of our European ancestors salute our glorious, brave and industrious forebears who civilised and constructed the mightiest country in all of Africa. How utterly predictable and tragic that their almost unimaginable toil, hard work and sacrifices are quickly coming to naught...
European settlement in South Africa started in Cape Town, which is why it is still called the Mother City to this day. After the British had decided against establishment of a colony at the Cape of Good Hope, it was the Dutch who realized the strategic and economic importance of the Cape. On a commission for the Dutch-East India Trading company the merchant Jan van Riebeeck anchored in the picturesque bay at the foot of the Table Mountain on April 6, 1652.
He was accompanied by 82 men and 8 women, his own wife amongst them. They had been instructed to establish a strong base to provide the Company's ships with fresh groceries, mainly meat and vegetables on the long journey from Europe to Asia.
First of all, van Riebeeck's men erected the "Fort de Goede Hoop" for their own protection, and they laid out a large garden and started to grow fruit and vegetables. They tried to obtain the meat provisions through trade with the natives.
Despite many set-backs - during the first winter 20 of Riebeeck's men died - the settlement started to flourish. The number of sailors who anchored at the Cape to stock up on milk, meat and vegetables grew steadily. The construction of a pier rendered the bay safer and even more attractive. Soon there were workshops to repair ships and a hospital for the ill.
With the rapid development of the port the need for labour increased dramatically. Firstly slaves and politically banned people were imported from Indonesia (Java and Sumatra), but soon Dutch settlers arrived and immigrants from all over Europe followed. In 1688, a large group of French Huguenots who were fleeing religious persecution at home, settled at the Cape.
Because the demand for agricultural land, especially pastures, grew continuously, the settlement steadily spread from Table Bay towards the north and north-east.
http://www.southafrica-travel.net/history/eh_cala1.htmApologies Boeregeneraal, this is a UG article: http://southafricasucks.blogspot.com/2008/04/celebrating-355-years-of-white.html
Topic: The blinding light of White, Western civilisation to Africa - 6 April (Read 1774 times)