BIG READ: However we try to wish them away, the ‘homelands’ are still very much with us
Twenty-five percent of SA’s population still live in these former dumping grounds, but they are surplus people about whom we know very little
Hands up who knows where Roossenekal is. Yes, you at the back of the hall, you’ve got it: in Mpumalanga, a one-horse town and the horse is a 1960s Ford Mustang on bricks. But what I deeply suspect you don’t know, is that one of the most crucial battles in SA history took place there.
It happened almost exactly 140 years ago, during the first violent subjugation of a black people by the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR), after which their land was dealt out in a Kimberley-style claims rush and the two tribal leaders sentenced to death. One was hanged in Pretoria, at a spot where the Kgosi Mampuru high security jail now sprawls, named after him. The other was jailed for 17 years, the Nelson Mandela of the 19th century...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.