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Race, Writing and Decolonisation: Lecture 13
Thirteen Cents - K. Sellout Duiker (2000)
Historical and Political Context:
● Modern South Africa formed in 20th century.
● 1910: The Union of South Africa (a dominio of the British empire).
● 1961: The Republic of South Africa (Independence from Britain).
● British and Dutch colonialism. Two dominant languages.
● English and Afrikaans in Thirteen Cents.
● Afrikaans: language of South Africa developed from Dutch.
Settler Colonialism to Apartheid:
● 1652: Dutch East India Company, way station at the Cape.
● 1975: Britain occupies the Cape
● 1836: The Great Trek.
● 1881-2: First Boer War.
● 1899-1902: Second Boer War.
● 1910: Union of South Africa formed. (A dominion of British empire but self-
governing).
● WW2: Upsurge in Afrikaner nationalism.
● 1948: First Afrikaner Nationalist government led by DE Malan.
● Afrikaner: later descendants of the Boers i.e. with Dutch heritage.
● Boers: (lit. Farmer) Dutch settler.
Apartheid
● Apartheid: Originally an Afrikaans word meaning ‘separateness’.
● Radical classification - all South Africans assigned to one of four races: White,
Black, Coloured, Indian.
● Territorial separation - 3.5 million Black South Africans forcibly displaced. Black
South Africans are 70% of population; allocated 13% of the land (Bantustans).
● Occupational segregation.
● Prohibitions on marriage and sexual relationships outside racial classification.
● Spatial regulation - petty apartheid & pass laws.
1. Sharpeville Massacre
● Peaceful protest against Pass Laws.
● 69 protestors shot dead by the police,
● African National Congress (ANC) and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) banned.
2. 1961: Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) - founded by Nelson Mandela.
Race, Writing and Decolonisation: Lecture 13
Thirteen Cents - K. Sellout Duiker (2000)
Historical and Political Context:
● Modern South Africa formed in 20th century.
● 1910: The Union of South Africa (a dominio of the British empire).
● 1961: The Republic of South Africa (Independence from Britain).
● British and Dutch colonialism. Two dominant languages.
● English and Afrikaans in Thirteen Cents.
● Afrikaans: language of South Africa developed from Dutch.
Settler Colonialism to Apartheid:
● 1652: Dutch East India Company, way station at the Cape.
● 1975: Britain occupies the Cape
● 1836: The Great Trek.
● 1881-2: First Boer War.
● 1899-1902: Second Boer War.
● 1910: Union of South Africa formed. (A dominion of British empire but self-
governing).
● WW2: Upsurge in Afrikaner nationalism.
● 1948: First Afrikaner Nationalist government led by DE Malan.
● Afrikaner: later descendants of the Boers i.e. with Dutch heritage.
● Boers: (lit. Farmer) Dutch settler.
Apartheid
● Apartheid: Originally an Afrikaans word meaning ‘separateness’.
● Radical classification - all South Africans assigned to one of four races: White,
Black, Coloured, Indian.
● Territorial separation - 3.5 million Black South Africans forcibly displaced. Black
South Africans are 70% of population; allocated 13% of the land (Bantustans).
● Occupational segregation.
● Prohibitions on marriage and sexual relationships outside racial classification.
● Spatial regulation - petty apartheid & pass laws.
1. Sharpeville Massacre
● Peaceful protest against Pass Laws.
● 69 protestors shot dead by the police,
● African National Congress (ANC) and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) banned.
2. 1961: Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) - founded by Nelson Mandela.
