World Heritage Sites of South Africa: Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape

Where the Shashe and Limpopo rivers meet, bringing three countries together - South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana - are the remains of an Iron Age kingdom. In 1932, a hunting party found evidence of this past civilization - pottery, iron tools, fragments of jewellery - on Mapungubwe Hill. The discovery was brought to the attention of the University of Pretoria, and an archaeological exploration began, which revealed the existence of a highly developed kingdom some 700 to 1000 years ago. 

Trade beads originating from India, Egypt and the Arab world, as well as evidence of contact with Asia, have turned the theory that Europeans were first to bring international trade to southern Africa on its head. It is also believed the inhabitants of the settlement kept cattle, sheep and goats and cultivated millet and sorghum. A hierarchy is reflected in the layout of the settlement, with royalty housed on Mapungubwe Hill and their subjects below. A small golden rhinoceros, made of wood and covered in gold foil, is the most famous artifact uncovered and has become a symbol of the site; it is housed at the Mapungubwe Museum at Pretoria University. Today the hill, along with another excavation site known as K2, form part of the Mapungubwe National Park. 

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World Heritage Sites of South Africa: Vredefort Dome

The Vredefort Dome in South Africa offers a unique record of the earth’s geological history, which is crucial to our understanding of the planet’s evolution. 

The Vredefort Dome is an enormous, two-billion – year-old meteorite impact crater near the Free State town of Parys. Bigger than Table Mountain, it is the oldest and largest impact site in the world. Visitors can take part in Dome trails, which include full day and overnight hikes, and there is a canoe trail and a mountain-bike trail. 

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World Heritage Sites of South Africa: Cradle of Humankind

South Africa has eight World Heritage Sites. Here is the first of eight articles, describing these sites.

Cradle of Humankind

The Cradle of Humankind, situated in the beautiful Sterkfontein Valley near Johannesburg was proclaimed a World Heritage Sit on 2 December 1999. It was approved by UNESCO on the basis that: “The area contains an exceptionally large and scientifically significant group of sites, which throw light on the earliest ancestors of humankind. They constitute a vast reserve of scientific information, the potential of which is enormous.”

It comprises a unique band of paleco-anthropological sites across 47 000 hectares in the north-western corner of Gauteng and parts of North West Province. It has yielded some of the most extensive fossil and artifact finds on earth, particularly for the period between four and one million years ago, leading scientists to believe that the human family tree took root here.

Over time, these first people used their free hands to shape the first tool, which would herald global technology, spoke the first word and slowly migrated on a journey to populate the earth. 

There are 13 explored sites within the Cradle of Humankind; with many more still to be discovered. Among these are the Strekfontein Caves, where the famous Mars Ples and Little Foot fossils were found; Kromdraai which contains later hominid specimens; Gondolin, which is home to an astonishing 90 000 fossil specimens; and Swartkrans, where burnt bones point to the earliest controlled use of fire at least a million years ago. 

Ivan and the Magic Ring

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Marikana “massacre” in perspective

For the sake of sanity, it is necessary to put the so-called “massacre” at Marikana (Lonmin Mine). In perspective. In times of such crises, it is expected of the Media to give perspective and to calm down emotions. However, this principle applies worldwide, except in South Africa. Therefore, from an independent citizen, here are some perspectives.

First, it is the same Media who wrongfully dubbed the happenings there as a massacre. Please note: ‘A "massacre" is an event where many people are killed indiscriminately. A massacre is a slaughter of many people in the same type of religious group or race.’ The police did not kill any striker or mine worker indiscriminately. They opened fire within the ambit of their duties. The strikers were unruly, threatening and already turned to violence and killings. 

Secondly, it was (is) an illegal strike, but whether it was legal or illegal, what ‘law-abiding’ worker of any country, will arm themselves with dangerous weapons like here? They were armed with pangas, knives, machetes and other dangerous instruments. They had therefore a pre-determined agenda to kill or injure other people. 

Thirdly, the same Media who is now crying foul, was criticizing the same ‘holier than thou’ strikers for reverting to violence and destruction of property and the authorities for not taking control or action. And when the authorities indeed took control and action legally, they cry ‘massacre’!

In the fourth place, the happenings at the mine, is a watershed in the labour relations history of South Africa; or it should be. It is the same Media who is crying ‘massacre’, who recently, before this event warned labour in South Africa that there was (is) a definite tendency for strikes and marches to turn more violent and destructive than ever before. This is true, now a days strikes or marches are aimed at mass disruption and destruction. Workers have the right to strike, this is embodied in our constitution, but they do not have the right, or the right to strike does not give them the right to assault, kill and destruct property. In addition, what about the right of other citizens or even other workers who exercise the right not to strike. The right to strike means to put down tools, go home and wait for your union leaders to negotiate with the employer and then after a satisfactory agreement is reached, informed their constituency and they all come back and work! If the workers do not follow this principle, but choose for disruption, destruction, maiming, and killing, they or the Media should not cry ‘foul’ or ‘massacre’.

In the fifth place, it brings me to the union leaders themselves. They should stop to further their own political agendas and start putting the interest of their constituencies first. Recently, Cosatu made a public announcement that their followers are frustrated and they (Cosatu) cannot be held responsible if strikes or marches turn violent. What message do such ignorant utterances convey to the masses? Then dear Cosatu, you do not call a strike or march until your people are educated!

In the sixth place, the Media should not compare apples with pears. Now they make a big issue and comparison with Apartheid and the Sharpeville incident. But, fortunately, now I can also give perspective on the Sharpeville and Soweto incidents of 1976. In both these cases the police, just as now with the mine incident, was within the borders of their duties and responsibilities.

In the seventh place, what is the difference between the incident at the mine and an incident where a group of thugs, armed with dangerous weapons try to rob a bank or armoured cash transit van and the police kill the perpetrators? The only difference is that in the latter case the Media hails the police as super heroes. And, before I forget, in the case of the bank robbers the bank does not pledge to look after the children of the killed robbers! Or, nor did the SABC started with a fund to assist widows of killed robbers.

In conclusion, the mineworkers, armed with dangerous weapons, embarked on a road of killing, maiming, assaulting and destruction of property, and infringing of the rights of other law-abiding citizens. The police just did what they are paid for! And the strikers just got what they deserved and asked for!

Book Review: Ivan and the Magic Ring

A South African, Danie De Villiers has recently published his first book ever, Ivan and the Magic Ring. It was published in eBook format and it is a book that is recommended.

This is a story for children of all ages; even for adults who still believe in the magic of being a child!

It is about Ivan, a little boy living with his grandparents. They are not rich but they have love in their hearts and this love takes him on a journey of discovering the beauty in life and nurturing the blessing to forget and forgive those with ulterior, selfish motives.

 Yes, it is all about a magic ring, but don’t we all, not only children, want to believe in magic once in our lives? 

Take this journey of discovery with Ivan and let us all see the beauty all around us! Maybe we will complete this journey as better and wiser people!

You can check out more detail on this book by following this link

The People of South Africa

South Africa has a population of more or less 48 million people. 

Black ethnic groups make up more than 80% of the population, whites and coloureds make up about 9% each whilst the balance consist of Asian groups.

The Nguni and Sotho are the major black groups whilst the Nguni is made up of Zulus, Xhosas, Ndebeles and Swazis. The Sotho is made up of South Sothos, North Sothos, and Tswanas. The whites are mostly made up of Afrikaans and English speaking languages. There are also German, French, Greek, Portuguese and Italian speaking communities. Coloureds are mostly descending from slaves from the Old Dutch East Indies. Asians are mostly from India but there is also a strong Chinese group.

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Who was JRR Tolkien?

JRR Tolkien, whose fantastic stories made him a cult figure in the ‘”hippie generation” of the late 1960’s, was born in the South African town of Bloemfontein but moved to England in 1896. After studying at Oxford and taking part in the First World War, he taught at various British universities. 

From 1920 to 1925, he taught English in Leeds and from 1925 to 1959, he was professor of Germanic philology and literature at Oxford.   Inspired by his study of Old and Middle English and Celtic and Germanic myths, he wrote novels as well as scholarly works. “The Hobbit” (1937), originally conceived as a children’s book, an introduction to the world of the Anglo-Saxon and Nordic sages, he created a realm of fantasy inhabited by human-like creatures with a language of their own. In the trilogy “The Lord of the Rings “(1954 to 1955), which brought him an international reputation, he developed the story of the Hobbits still further. The three books describe, in the style of old legendary stories, the fantasy world of the Middle Earth with its struggle between good and evil. Although Tolkien claimed that his trilogy was a “historical report”, it was frequently seen as a utopian of allegorical work. It became a cult book among young people and inspired the fantasy literature, which proliferated in the seventies and eighties. 

Tolkien died in Bournemouth (Hampshire) on 2 September 1973. Five years after his death “The Lord of the Rings” reached wide cinema audiences as an animated cartoon film.  

The Prophecies Nongqawuse

By the middle of the 19^th century the Xhosa people of the Eastern Cape region in South Africa had suffered from eight frontier wars with Boers and a cattle plague brought in from Europe by settlers, which had killed thousands of animals. In their despair, they clung to the prophecies of sixteen-year-old Xhosa women named Nongqawuse who had promised her people the resurrection of all their herds and the destruction of the whites. 

On 18 February 1857, she prophesied that two suns would rise and a whirlwind would sweep the white settlers into the sea, and called for the killing of all cattle and the burning of all food supplies as sacrificial offerings. This was done: at least 200,000 cattle were slaughtered, and as a result more than 40,000 Xhosa starved to death and another 30,000 fled to other parts of the country in quest of food. Nongqawuse was arrested and imprisoned on Robben Island; she died in 1898 somewhere in the Eastern Cape, where she had been living in exile. 

The depopulated region was preoccupied by 2 300 ex-soldiers, veterans of the Crimean War, and 4 000 German immigrants. 

 

Well Done Blade Runner!

South Africa’s own beloved ‘blade runner’, Oscar Pistorius made history last Saturday (4 August 2012) when he made his Olympics debut in the individual 400m. 

Oscar had a long battle to be allowed to compete in the Olympics. He was given the green light for the Olympics following studies that found his prosthetics give him no advantage over his able-bodied rivals.

Unfortunately, Oscar Pistorius's historic Olympic campaign ended on Thursday (9 August 2012) as the South African team failed to complete their 4x400m relay heat after a dramatic fall.

Pistorius competed in the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Paralympics.

He was born on 22 November 1986 without the fibula, the long, slender bone running along the outside of the leg from below the knee joint and down to the ankle, in each of his legs.

His parents consulted with some of the leading doctors in the world before making the heart-wrenching decision to have his legs amputated below the knee. 

They were advised that having the amputation done before Oscar had learnt to walk would be less traumatic for him and would greatly improve his chances of mobility in later life. Six months later, he received his first pair of prosthetic legs and within days, he had mastered them.

Supported and encouraged by his family, Oscar lived an active life, which led to him becoming a keen sportsman during his school years. Whatever the sport, Oscar played it, with his focus being water polo and rugby in secondary school. He also played cricket, tennis, took part in triathlons and Olympic club wrestling and was an enthusiastic boxer.

Oscar is an example to everyone for his courage, dedication and guts!

We are proud of him!

Nigel, South Africa

 In South Africa, in the province of Gauteng there is a little town called Nigel. I am from Nigel and I always wondered where the name came from - I thought it was named after maybe the founder of the town.

I was wrong and then I found this interesting titbit, which is a very interesting story.

In 1882, a farmer Petrus Johannes Marais of the farm Varkensfontein in the Heidelberg district made an agreement with a prospector named Johnstone allowing him to prospect for gold on the farm. 

Johnstone’s prospecting operations continued for a considerable time shrouded in secrecy. Then one day a stranger called on farmer Marais and made him an offer to buy the farm.

Fortunately, farmer Marais was at that time reading “The Fortunes of Nigel" by Sir Walter Scott, a story about a young man, Nigel Olifaunt, also known as Lord Glenvarloch who was the victim of a dishonest intrigue but eventually achieved his goal in life. This Nigel Olifaunt travels to London in order to ask the King to repay his father's loan. Nigel wishes to use the money to pay off a mortgage on his estate—but the Duke of Buckingham and Prince Charles already have their eyes on it. The lord is drawn into the chaotic life of the court, and when he becomes an enemy of the profligate Lord Dalgarno, he finds himself in grave danger.

The stranger's visit immediately aroused farmer Marais's suspicions to the extent that he decided to visit his farm himself. Once at the farm he found that his suspicions were well founded. With the experiences of Nigel, the character in the novel in mind, he determined not to allow himself to be cheated by cunning fortune seekers and at once set about to establish his own company. In July 1888, two years after the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand, he achieved his goal. His company was registered as the Nigel Gold Mining Company. The town, which grew around the mine, still bears the name derived from Scott's book.

In 1888, the State President Paul Kruger declared Nigel as a public digging under notice no. 331 and since then the history and development of Nigel are inseparable from those of the gold mines. The town was little more than a mining camp until 1923, when the control of the town was passed into the hands of a Dorpvillage. The first meeting of this council was held on 2 January 1923.

The town is on the edge of the area known as the East Rand, the industrial engine room of Johannesburg.

Acknowledgment: Nigel.Gauteng

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Dullstroom, Mpumalanga

At 2097m above sea level, Dullstroom is one of the highest towns in South Africa. It has a sub-alpine climate, and is well known for its cool, often misty atmosphere. The town's stone lodges nestle along cool trout dams and streams, where bright yellow arum lilies and 120 other species of indigenous wild flower carpet the region in a kaleidoscope of color every spring. With its many pubs, restaurants, lodges and quaint village shops, this is one of the most appealing tourist destinations in Mpumalanga. 

Dullstroom is ultimately about relaxing, breathing fresh air, be it by fishing, hiking, dining out or snuggling up next to a cosy fireplace on a misty night. The town and vicinity offers a choice of accommodation, ranging from camping to well equipped, self-catering houses, up-market lodges and hotels.

Dullstroom dates back to the early 1880's, when Dutch settlers came to the area. The town derives its name from one Wolterus Dull, chairperson of the Dutch immigrants. The "stroom" (stream) refers to the abundance of water in the area: The Crocodile River, which runs through the Kruger National Park, has its origin in Dullstroom. Other major tributaries, like the Lunsklip, Klip River, Steelpoort and Elands River, do not only feed important rivers and marshlands, but have also become synonymous with some of the best trout fishing in the country.

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Dullstroom and surrounds is primarily a haven for family fun, fly-fishing and country fresh air. The wide selection of elegant hotels and a variety of country accommodation, eateries, shops and activities, have made this an appealing tourist destination and an ideal stopover on the way to the Lowveld and Kruger Park.

Dullstroom - a true paradise for the nature lover.

Holiday Resorts: Badplaas

Badplaas [“Place of the Baths”], one of South Africa’s best-known warm water resorts, is set against the fantastic backdrop of the greenish-blue Hlumo-Hlumo Mountains. The spa complex is equipped with bungalows, chalets, caravan-park and a hotel. There are also four medicinal mineral baths. 

Adjacent is the Badplaas Nature Reserve, which entrance is on the Barberton road. There various species of animals and there are beautiful hiking and horse-riding trails in the park. Horses can be hired from the local stables.

10 Sporting Facts and Milestones

1. The first international cricket match played in South Africa was played in 1889.

2. The first South African to win the world Formula 1 Championship was Jody Schechter for the Ferrari Team in 1979.

3. So far, four cricketers born in South Africa have captained England’s cricket team - Tony Greig, Allan Lamb, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss.

4. Gary player became the fifth golf player in history to win the Grand Slam - the US Masters, US Open, the Open and the US PGA - when he won the US Open in 1965. He is one of golf’s greats.

5. With the 2012 Olympics in full swing now, Reggie Walker was the first South African to win an Olympic gold medal when he won the 100 metres in 10,8 seconds in 1908.

6. Karen Muir was a 12-year-old schoolgirl when she broke the world 110 yards backstroke in 1965.

7. Bobby Lock was the first South African golf player to win a major when he won the Open at Troon in Scotland in 1949.

8. The first Comrade Marathon was run in 1921 from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. Only 23 runners participate but it became an annual event. The comrades marathon was initiated to commemorate comrades who had fallen during World War I.

9. Peter ‘Terror’ Mathebule was South Africa’s first black boxer to become world champion (flyweight division) in 1980.

10. Baby Jake Matlala became the first South African boxer to win four world titles.