From England to Africa

Facilitator: Sarah Coutts

Objectives: By the end of this lesson, trainees will have a better understanding of

the influence England had on South African culture as well as education in South

Africa. Trainees will also do a traditional African craft during the session and make

a Zulu love letter.

At first glance, England and South Africa are worlds apart not only geographically,

but also culturally, ethnically and linguistically. You may be surprised to learn

though that the two countries have more in common than it may seem.

What comes to mind when you think of South Africa?

South Africa at a Glance

DEMOGRAPHICS (2014)

Black 80.2%

Coloured 8.8%

Indian/Asian 2.5%

White 8.4%

9 PROVINCES

Gauteng 23.9% KwaZulu-Natal 19.8% Eastern Cape 12.6% Western Cape 11.3% Limpopo 10.4% Mpumalanga 7.8% North West 6.8% Free State 5.2% Northern Cape 2.2%

POPULATION

54 002 000+

CURRENCY

Rand - R13.50 = USD1

An Overview of South African History

1652 Jan van Riebeeck, working for the Dutch East India Company, founds the Cape

Colony at Table Bay and Dutch settlement of South Africa starts

1816 1816-1826 Shaka Zulu founds the Zulu empire

1820 First British settlers arrive

1835 1835-1840 The Boers leave the Cape Colony and found the Orange Free State and

the Transvaal

1858 Boers proclaim the Transvaal a republic

1867 Diamonds are discovered at Kimberley

1877 The British and the Boers defeat the Zulus in the Zulu War

1880 1880-81 The Boer War – The Boers rebel against the British

1880s The South African gold rush

1910 Formation of Union of South African by former British colonies of the Cape and

Natal, and the Boer republics of Transvaal and the Orange Free State

1913 Land Act: Prevented black from purchasing land

1948 Policy of apartheid adopted by the National Party (NP)

1950 Group Areas Act: To segregate black and white people

The African National Congress (ANC) led by Nelson Mandela initiates civil

disobedience

1961 South Africa is declared a republic

1964 Nelson Mandela sentenced to life imprisonment

1970s-80s Civil unrest, sanctions imposed on South Africa, forced resettlement process and

Township revolts

1976 Soweto Uprisings: Black students rebel against the Bantu Education Act

1990 Nelson Mandela is released from prison

1991 De Klerk repeals remaining apartheid laws and international sanctions are lifted

1994 First democratic elections are held – Nelson Mandela becomes president

Relationship Between England and South Africa

The first British settlers arrived in South Africa in 1820 although some British

military arrived in the Cape 14 years prior to that to establish a colony. Some

4,000 settlers were sent to South Africa to strengthen the colony. These people

introduced English culture to South Africa, spreading it to the rest of the country

as they dispersed.

They also brought with them their English beliefs, mainly rooted in the Anglican

Church. With them came missionaries who worked among many of the

indigenous peoples of South Africa, often siding with their plight. This led to

upheavals, among these the Great Trek exodus from the Cape.

The British introduced the first newspapers and played a role in the country's

development into an economic powerhouse. Their influence extended to the

country’s laws, religion, traditions and education. English is now spoken

throughout the country and some of South Africa's finest literature − including the

novels written by Nobel Prize winners Nadine Gordimer and JM Coetzee − is

written in English.

Although all white South Africans are descendants of the Dutch and British

settlers who first came to South Africa in the 17th and 19th centuries, they do not

identify as British-South African or Dutch-South African as Americans tend to do.

White people consider themselves to be as African as the black people who were

already in the country unless their parents were born overseas.

Looking into Apartheid

Apartheid was inspired by

Nazism during World War II.

It encouraged the idea that

a group of people could be

superior to another. In South Africa, this translated into white people being given

preferential treatment over black people in all aspects of life. Institutionalized

racism was reinforced by several laws, which began in 1948, when jobs were

sanctioned as “white-only” and interracial marriages were prohibited; the last of

these laws was repealed in 1990 when Nelson Mandela was released.

Tensions escalated over the next 50 years as defiance campaigns began (1952),

black people were forcibly removed from Sophiatown (1955), large groups of

black people refused to carry pass books (Sharpeville shooting, 1960), South

Africa left the Commonwealth due to increasing international pressure against

apartheid (1961), anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was imprisoned (1964),

thousands of non-white residents forcibly removed to homelands (1970s) and

students in Soweto protested educational policies (1976). A state of emergency

was declared in 1960 following the Sharpeville shootings; this lasted for 156 days

and left 69 people dead and 187 people injured.

Major Apartheid Laws

Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, Act No 55 of 1949

Prohibited marriages between white people and people of other races.

Immorality Amendment Act, Act No 21 of 1950 (amended 1957)

Prohibited adultery, attempted adultery or related immoral acts (extra-marital sex) between white and black people.

Population Registration Act, Act No 30 of 1950

Led to the creation of a national register in which every person's race was recorded. A Race Classification Board took the final decision on what a person's race was in disputed cases.

Group Areas Act, Act No 41 of 1950

Forced physical racial separation with different residential areas for each races. Led to forced removals of people living in "wrong" areas such as colored people in Cape Town’s District 6.

Suppression of Communism Act, Act No 44 of 1950

Outlawed communism and the Community Party in South Africa. Communism was defined so broadly that it covered any call for radical change.

Bantu Authorities Act, Act No 68 of 1951

Provided for the establishment of black homelands and regional authorities and, with the aim of creating greater self-government in the homelands, abolished the Native Representative Council.

Natives (Abolition of Passes and Co-

ordination of Documents) Act, Act No 67 of 1952

Commonly known as the Pass Laws, this ironically named act forced black people to carry identification with them at all times.

Bantu Education Act, Act No 47 of 1953

Established a Black Education Department in the Department of Native Affairs to compile a curriculum that suited the "nature and requirements of black people".

The

Post-Apartheid

Although Apartheid officially ended in 1990, the tension that developed over this

period still remains. The introduction of Affirmative Action (AA) and Black

Employment Equity (BEE) policies were initially accepted as an attempt to balance

power and wealth in the country. However, it’s been 20 years since the country’s

first democratic elections and the gap between haves and have-nots has widened

and racial discrimination remains prominent.

Reservation of Separate Amenities Act,

Act No 49 of 1953 Forced segregation in all public amenities, public buildings, and public transport with the aim of eliminating contact between whites and other races.

Public Safety Act and Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1953

Gave government power to declare states of emergency, increasing punishments for protesting against or supporting repeal of a law: fines, imprisonment, whippings.

Afrikaans Medium Decree, 1974

Forced all black schools to use both

Afrikaans and English as languages

of instruction beginning in Grade 7.

The Apartheid Museum

The Apartheid Museum opened in 2001 and is acknowledged as the pre-eminent

museum in the world dealing with 20th century South Africa, at the heart of

which is the apartheid story. A series of 22 individual exhibition areas takes

visitors through a dramatic emotional journey that tells a story of a state-

sanctioned system based on racial discrimination and the struggle of the majority

to overthrow this tyranny.

Watch the video about the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. Listen carefully

and answer the questions below.

1. What does the speaker say that the museum will offer you? 2. Name three parts of the building mentioned by the speaker. 3. What happened after Nelson Mandela was released from prison? 4. What can visitors do at the museum?

The

Watch the video again and complete the following sentences with one word.

1. Leave the Apartheid Museum off your________ and you’ve missed the essence of a nation.

2. Steel and _________speak a universal language of oppression. 3. The museum offers an auditorium, a banqueting hall, conference room and

a ______ where guests can take in the Johannesburg__________. 4. Consider the theme “Triumph of the Human Spirit” for your next

__________, then a party or lunch in a place that reverberates with the triumph of a nation.

The

The speaker uses a large number of negative words when talking about apartheid. Complete the following list: 5 nouns (e.g. tragedy): _____________, ______________, _______________, ________________, ________________. 2 adjectives (e.g. harsh): ____________, ______________. The

The Apartheid Museum (Transcript and answers) Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASsuKKvvHXI

Leave the Apartheid Museum off your itinerary and you’ve missed the essence of a nation. No other place will offer you a deeper look into the soul of South Africa as this award-winning, internationally-acclaimed museum. Its corridors whisper tales of human tragedy, its walls shout of destruction and brutality. Yet, it is a place of remembrance, a monument to hope, where tragedy meets courage and heroes are born of tyranny. It is a celebration of the peace, freedom and forgiveness that grows from the chaos and ashes of a nation. The starkness of the building’s line and form are symbolic of apartheid’s legacy of spiritual impoverishment, harsh lines and raw brick walls are reminders of the poverty forced upon its citizens through apartheid’s many laws and policies. Steel and cement speak a universal language of oppression, fear and menace permeates the dark images on walls and monitors and there’s an absence of colour everywhere, testimony to a time when hope was in short supply. Sounds and interactive displays lend pertinence to a journey through the darkest years of South African history. The museum’s telling of the Apartheid story is one not only of tyranny but of the determination of the human spirit and that the oppressed will not remain so forever. Monitors shout the rage of generations; children fight for a future denied to them. A display of weapons, both sophisticated and homemade speaks a thousand words. Black consciousness is born and the armed struggle takes resistance to a new level. South Africa is a country in flames. Here the journey takes a turn, as abrupt as apartheid was brutal. Out of the ashes of a nation is born a spirit of compromise and compassion, Nelson Mandela released after 27 years of imprisonment and two years of peace negotiations begin. Re-live the tension and joy of that journey towards peace, the building of bridges, the hall of mirrors, a nation’s wait in mile-long queues at polling stations; then the emergence into the brightness of the election corridor, at last a democracy is born. The Apartheid Museum is a living complex. As a venue for hire, the museum offers an auditorium, a banqueting hall, conference room and a roof-top where guests can take in the Johannesburg skyline or enjoy the splendour of a high felt sunset. The

The amphitheatre hosts poetry readings, oral history sessions and corporate theatre events. The felt garden outside the building is a place for contemplation and remembrance, a gathering space for larger groups. Consider the theme triumph of the human spirit for your next AGM, then a party or launch (or lunch?) in a place that reverberates with the triumph of a nation. The Apartheid Museum is an experience no visitor to South Africa would want to miss. It is the perfect place to contemplate the past and celebrate the future. ANSWER KEY Watch the video on the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. Listen carefully and answer the questions below:

1. What does the speaker say the museum will offer you? A deep look into the soul of South Africa.

2. Name three parts of the building mentioned by the speaker. corridor, amphitheatre, auditorium

3. What happened after Nelson Mandela was released from prison? There were two years of peace negotiations.

4. What can visitors do at the museum? Go to a concert, have a coffee, attend poetry readings etc.

Watch the video again and complete the following sentences with one word:

1. Leave the Apartheid Museum off your itinerary and you’ve missed the essence of a nation.

2. Steel and cement speak a universal language of oppression. 3. The museum offers an auditorium, a banqueting hall, conference room and

a rooftop where guests can take in the Johannesburg skyline. 4. Consider the theme “Triumph of the Human Spirit” for your next AGM, then

a party or lunch in a place that reverberates with the triumph of a nation. The speaker uses a large number of negative words when talking about apartheid. Complete the following list: Nouns: tragedy, destruction, brutality, tyranny, chaos, impoverishment, poverty, oppression, fear, menace etc Adjectives: harsh, dark, abrupt, oppressed The

Reading Comprehension Activity

Nelson Mandela: Fighting Apartheid

Nelson Mandela is probably the most well recognized figure from Africa, and he is among the most respected people in the world. He is loved by millions of people for many reasons. Nelson Mandela had a turbulent life and he visited many countries all across the globe during his lifetime. In 1918, Mandela was born in South Africa, which at the time was divided by race. During that time, South Africa had a system of apartheid, in which people of different races were treated differently. When Mandela became a lawyer, he studied apartheid and decided to fight against it. He became part of the African National Congress, a political party that he later led. The government of South Africa was intimidated by Mandela’s popularity and tried hard to prevent him from spreading his message of equality for all races. They considered him a terrorist and a threat to the country. Eventually, the government put him in prison, where he stayed for 27 years. Many people around the world campaigned for his release. Mandela became the symbol for freedom in South Africa. In 1990, Mandela was released from prison and continued his fight for equality. Three years later, together with then President F.W. de Klerk, Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize for his fight against apartheid and helping South Africa to transfer to democracy. In 1994, he became the first ever black president. Since then, April 16 has been a national holiday to celebrate democracy in South Africa. Mandela, more popularly known as Madiba to South Africans, is also known for his charity work—especially with children. He established the 46664 Children’s Foundation, which is widely supported by celebrities and people around the world. On July 18, Mandela’s birthday, people are encouraged to help those in need for 64 minutes. Although Mandela passed away in 2013, at the age of 95, he will remain an icon for equality and peace worldwide.

Are the following statements about Nelson Mandela true or false?

1. Nelson Mandela was born in Africa.

2. Apartheid is a system of equality.

3. During apartheid in South Africa, black people had more rights than white

people.

4. Mandela was a lawyer before he became a politician.

5. Mandela was jailed because he was a terrorist.

6. Mandela spent most of his life in prison.

7. Many people around the world wanted Mandela to be released from

prison.

8. Mandela escaped from prison in 1990.

9. In 1994, Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize.

10. Mandela was the first president of South Africa.

The

Match the words from the article on the left to the synonyms on the right.

respected

turbulent

apartheid

intimidated

prevent

terrorist

symbol

campaigned

prison

worldwide

contested

jail

global

admired

tumultuous

afraid

inequality

representation

avoid

rebel The

Unscramble the words. Hints are given below.

1. aiitrnb __ __ __ __ __ __ __

A country that colonized South Africa in the past

2. iddnamso __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

A resource that other countries import from South Africa and other African

countries

3. haeiratpdr __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

A period of inequality in South Africa

4. abidam __ __ __ __ __ __

An affectionate name used by South Africans when talking about Nelson

Mandela.

5. medoccray __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

The political system now followed in South Africa.

Education

Under the Bantu Education Act of 1953, students received separate and unequal

education. According to H.F. Verwoerd, “Natives (blacks) must be taught from an

early age that equality with Europeans (whites) is not for them.” This resulted in

imbalanced student-teacher ratios of up to 58:1 with under-qualified teachers,

poor facilities and overcrowded classrooms in many black schools.

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

- Nelson Mandela

When Nelson Mandela became president in 1994, the government instituted

universal access to a single system of education. In 1996, the constitution was

changed to extend compulsory education to Grades 1-9 (6-15 years of age).

Despite many changes to the education system, including the largely unsuccessful

Outcomes-Based Education (Curriculum 2005), which sought to focus on justice,

inclusivity and human rights.

Wildlife

The table below contains words that have been chopped in half. Find the pieces

that together and write them in the answer area.

SOMA EX UPS MIDS

CO SAN PYRA KHOI

AFR PORT ICA LIA

KRU PALA ANI HIP

CHEE GER IM TAH

1. __________________

2. __________________

3. __________________

4. __________________

5. __________________

6. __________________

7. __________________

8. __________________

9. __________________

10. __________________

Unscramble the words, match them with the pictures and complete the

crossword.

( ) hhcatee ( ) eleibtdsew ( ) onbboa ( ) leaezgl ( ) hiorn ( ) aerpdlo ( ) niol ( ) malce ( ) hltneape ( ) uablfof ( ) zreab ( ) eimnechazp ( ) ihopp ( ) corsiht ( ) arefigf ( ) roilalg

Zulu Beadwork

The Zulu tribe is famous for its beadwork. The tradition of using beads to decorate

their clothing – particularly for women – dates back hundreds of years. Unmarried

women in the tribe typically wear grass skirts and beaded necklaces with their

breasts exposed. Upon marriage, women will cover up their breasts and wear a

special beaded hat as a symbol of their union. One of the best-known examples of

their beadwork is the Zulu Love Letter. These are beaded messages that were

given by Zulu maidens to their lovers as symbols of their love and affection for the

recipient. Each color in the love letter has a special meaning.

WHITE: symbol of hope, purity, cleanliness and true love

BLACK: grief, loneliness; My heart has turned as black as the rafters in the hut as I hear you have another maiden.

YELLOW: wealth (or lack of); If we marry, I will be hungry as you own no bull to slaughter.

GREEN: love-sickness, jealousy; I have become as thin as a blade grass from pining for you.

BLUE: faithfulness; If I were a dove, I would fly through blue skies to reach you.

TURQUOISE: impatience; I am losing hope that you will marry me.

RED: intense love, longing; My heart bleeds with love for you.

PINK: abject poverty; If you keep gambling and wasting money, you will never save enough for my Lobola (dowry paid in cattle).

BROWN: My love is like the earth that gives rise to new life.

STRIPED BEADS:

doubt, accusations, two-timing; You are like the Ntothoviyane (striped grasshopper) springing from bush to bush.

Make Your Own Zulu Love Letter

You will need:

- Large Safety Pin

- 1.2 metres of 0.5 jewelry wire

- Seed Beads: White (85), Blue (23), Red (15), Yellow (10)

Step 1: Fold the wire in half. Place the folded side in the middle of the open safety

pin and wrap one side of the wire 3 times around the bottom of the pin then

through the hole of the pin. Repeat this on the other side of the pin with the

second half of the wire. This is to hold the wire in place.

Step 2: Put 11 white beads on one piece of the wire. Then, take the second piece

of wire (that has no beads) and place it through the 11 beads from the opposite

direction. This will create a loop. Pull the wire gently until the beads lie evenly

against the edge of the safety pin. This is one row.

Step 3: Repeat the process until all the rows are complete (follow the pattern on

the next page).

Final Step: When all the rows are done, thread the end of the remaining wire

through the side loops of each row until you reach the middle row. Thread it

through the middle row twice to secure it, then cut off the remaining wire.

NOTES