When some of us tell you that we have been programmed,some among us think that it has always been their choice to act like white people...now listen to Paul Kruger: South Africa has room for only one form of civilization, and that is the white mans civilization; and, where there was only a handful of white men to keep hundreds of thousands of black natives in order, severity was essential. The black man had to be taught that he came second, that he belonged to the inferior class which must obey and learn. Lest it should appear as though the friendly and reasonable position adopted by the Boers in this matter had only developed gradually in recent years, I may point out that, in 1882, Mr. Kruger spoke to the following effect in his program issued before his first election and, afterwards, in the name of his people, as President: Native politics in a Republic such as ours, where so many Kaffir tribes live among us and all around us, offer very exceptional difficulties. The chief principle that must always be borne in mind is that savages must be kept within bounds, and always overruled by justice and morality. And again: Much is being said about a universal native policy for the various states of South Africa. All who know the difficulties of this problem will most certainly agree with me when I say that the greatest benefactor of South Africa would be the man who could provide a completely satisfactory solution to this question. That man is perhaps as yet unborn. Meanwhile, as regards our Republic, her duty, or, rather, her mission is clear and simple. Every Kaffir tribe within our boundaries must be taught to respect the authority of our Government, and, in order that the laws, by which these tribes also benefit, may be equitably administered, they must bear their share of the public burden. When once the disastrous influence of foreigners and enemies of the Republic, who now so often try to persuade these unfortunate Kaffirs that they need not consider themselves subjects of the Republic, when once this influence has been done away with, then the time will have come when the native tribes will reap the prosperous fruit of the old principle of the Republic, by which every tribe of any importance has a fixed territory appointed to it, under the protection of the Government. For what was determined in the Convention regarding this distribution of territory is nothing more than the old law of the Republic. As for the future, I cherish the hope that some time, under Gods blessing, it will come to this, that order, industry and the fear of God will make the Kaffir also a happy and contented subject of the South African Republic.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 07:55:51 +0000
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