ALKEBULAN INDIGENOUS is a division of KROTOASA RESEARCH INTENSIVE INSTITUTE (KRII), which refers to all Alkebulan communities and Diaspora Slave Descendants who lost their claims to land through colonialism and slavery, also communities with deep historical indigenous ties to the lands, natural resourses and environment, who maintain unique cultures, traditional practices and self-governance,. Alkebulan is considered the oldest and indigenous name for the continent of Africa, translating to "Mother of Mankind" or "Garden of Eden". Used by ancient Moors, Nubians, and Ethiopians, it predates the European-imposed name "Africa" and represents a push to reclaim pre-colonial African identity and history.
Alkebulan Indigeon also points to the rich diversity of Africa's original inhabitants, whose traditional lives and rights are central to understanding the continent's complex history and ongoing social dynamics. These are groups of people native to a specific region, people who lived here before colonist arrived.
Indigenous People like the San and Khoekhoe population both carrying mtDNA +100 000 years in Southern Africa are recognised indigenous peoples by the United Nations and UNDRIP., These two groups chose different lifestyles as hunters and herders but after colonialsm many Khoekhoe populations became hunters due to dispossesion and Genoicide by European and Bantu Settlers. Bantu Settlers was named by the Khoekhoe people as "Xhosas" and adopting the cultures and rituals of the KhoeKhoe population, Bantu's are distinct from the majority African populations who migrated and lost their historic continuity of their culture, tribes, indigenous livestyles, territories and surrounding natural resources.
Political Participation: Indigenous People lack political representation and participation, economic marginlization and poverty, lack of access to social services, discrimination, and protection of rights.
Alkebulan's marginalization in global politics and economics stems from a mix of historical legacies of colonialism, global politics and global economic structures that favor commodity exports, leading to asymmetrical trade, capital flight, and limited industrialization. Key factors include dependence on external powers, poor infrastructure, illicit financial flows, and structural disadvantages within global trade rules, despite rich resources.
Alkebulan's revolution of sweeping transformation, primarily the anti-colonial independence movements (Decolonisation of Africa 1950 -1970s), the anti-colonial restistance, the political revolution, the economic and social revolutions, the labour revolutions with key drivers and goals of self-determination by ending foreign control and achieving political independence and economic independence by moving from exporting raw materials to manufacturing in areas where extraction taking place.
Tauriq Jenkins represented himself in the Cape High Court. Photo: Steve Kretzmann
A bitter battle is playing out in the Western Cape High Court over who can speak for a First Nations tribe in the controversial R4.6 billion Amazon development in Cape Town.
The development, at the confluence of the Black and Liesbeek Rivers where Khoi people were first dispossessed of their grazing lands, has been fiercely opposed by the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council with litigation led by Tauriq Jenkins. But in court this week, lawyers said that Jenkins did not represent the council and that it was in fact in favour of the development.
As Supreme High Commissioner of the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council, Jenkins has led the Goringhaicona in challenging the development at the River Club since 2016. The development includes a new Africa headquarters for global giant Amazon.
Heritage Impact Assessments, commissioned by the landowners and the developers Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust, have confirmed the intangible heritage of the site.
In November last year, the council and Observatory Civic Association (OCA) sought an interdict against construction on the site pending a review of the decision taken by the City of Cape Town and provincial authorities. The interdict was granted in the High Court by Deputy Judge President Patricia Goliath on 18 March this year.
The developers’ leave to appeal was denied by the High Court, but then granted by the Supreme Court of Appeal, and construction on the site started again on 27 June.
This appeal against Goliath’s order was heard by a full bench in the High Court over the last two days.
In the interim, there has been a flurry of litigation since July, including an application for intervention in the case, brought by attorney Tim Dunn acting for a group also claiming to be the legitimate Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council. Dunn’s clients claim Jenkins had no authority to take the council into litigation opposing the development and say they are in fact in favour of the development. This application was granted by Judge Mokgoatji Josiah Dolamo last month.
Before a full bench of judges Hayley Slingers, Elizabeth Baartman and James Lekhuleni on Tuesday, advocate Anton Katz, acting for Dunn, accused Jenkins of fraud, of misrepresenting his authority in the council and of “bullying” First Nations leaders into signing affidavits opposing the development. He said Jenkins – who had legal representation for the council at the time – had told Judge Goliath the majority of Khoi leaders had not been consulted on the development. Goliath’s order had hinged on this matter of lack of consultation, said Katz.
He made much of Jenkins having named |Xam Bushman leader Petrus Vaalbooi as someone opposing the development. Yet, Dunn had an affidavit from Vaalbooi stating he had never met Jenkins and in fact supported the development. Thus, Katz said, fraud had been perpetrated against the court. Katz stated Jenkins’ papers before Goliath were “replete with this kind of invective” which was Jenkins’ “modus operandi”.
Jenkins, who did not have legal counsel was given 30 minutes to respond. He had tried to file a 1,500 page responding affidavit, but Judge Baartman said it had been filed too late and had not been paginated or indexed according to court standards.
In court, Jenkins, a lone figure against an array of five full legal teams, listed his qualifications and said he was being subjected to a SLAPP suit.
He said he had simply listed Vaalbooi as one of a number of First Nation leaders who had not been consulted and had not claimed to have spoken to Vaalbooi. He said national chair of the |Xam council, Cedras Kleinschmit, had told him Vaalbooi was opposed to the development at the time.
He also argued the council represented by Dunn claimed to have deposed him as Supreme High Commissioner, and also to have deposed Paramount Chief Aran, at a Goringhaicona National Executive Council meeting to which neither he nor Aran were party. He said they had irregularly appointed themselves and had no right to bring legal action on behalf of the council.
Advocate Sean Rosenberg, acting for the developers, also insisted Jenkins had defrauded the court by claiming leaders such as Vaalbooi were in opposition to the development, rather than having simply been excluded from consultation.
Following these responses, Jenkins requested the court allow him time to obtain legal counsel, but this was denied by Baartman.
Appeal
For the next day and a half, the court considered the appeal against Goliath’s ruling. The appeal was not opposed by the Observatory Civic Association, who, according to chair Leslie London are saving what little money the civic has for litigation for the pending review proceedings.
But lawyers for the developers, the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council represented by Dunn, the Western Cape Government, the City of Cape Town, and the First Nations Collective, a grouping that emerged in favour of the development in 2019, all took turns over a day and a half to argue that Goliath’s judgment was wrong.
Goliath, in her judgment, had stated: “The fact that the development has substantial economic, infrastructural and public benefits can never override the fundamental rights of First Nations Peoples” who have a “deep, sacred linkage to the development site”.
She had ordered that meaningful consultation and engagement with all affected First Nations peoples take place as described by Heritage Western Cape, pending a determination of the review proceedings.
The five legal teams argued that meaningful consultation had not been defined, that no timeline for engagement and consultation had been set, nor who was to be consulted.
Regarding the heritage value of the site, the lawyers focused on the degraded nature of the landscape before the development, with a short golf course alongside a canalised and polluted part of the Liesbeek River.
Advocate Ron Paschke, for the City, said elements such as the inclusion of Khoi symbols and road names within the precinct, an indigenous garden, amphitheatre, and First Nations media centre meant heritage would be promoted.
Paschke said the City had allowed ample opportunities for consultation at forums such as the Municipal Planning Tribunal, and the council and Observatory Civic Association had participated in these.
He revived the developers’ claim that construction delays would prompt Amazon to pull out of the development, which would mean a loss of R4.5-billion in direct investment and R8.55-billion in increased economic output. There would also be the loss of 19,000 job opportunities.
Advocate Ismail Jamie, for the First Nations Collective, said while it was clear there were groups opposed to the development, “the majority are in favour and within the First Nations Collective”.
After all the parties had exhausted their arguments, Judge Baartman said a number of Khoi elders, including First Indigenous Nation of Southern Africa representative Dr Gregg Fick, who had asked if they could address the court, should step forward. She then said they would not be allowed to speak. Jenkins was not allowed to speak to the court either.
Baartman said the court’s decision would be delivered “sooner rather than later” and adjourned the hearing.
Speaking outside the court, Fick said he and the other elders had wanted to let the judges know they had not been consulted about the development, an issue at the core of Goliath’s judgment. He said they had been “brought like small little children” or “slaves” to the front of the court only to be told they cannot speak. “The judgment is about us, about those people who were not consulted.”
He said he would lay a complaint with the Judicial Services Commission and approach the SA Human Rights Commission.
MATT FUCHS LIVES IN MARYLAND AND WRITES ABOUT HEALTH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY.
Glowimages RF—Getty Images
Right now, it’s politically hot to spit out fluoride. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long railed against fluoride in public water supplies, claiming that it correlates to lower IQs in kids. (Research suggests that fluoride may be linked to lower IQ scores only at very high exposures.) Dozens of places in the U.S.—including Miami-Dade County, Fla., Peshtigo, Wis., and the entire state of Utah—have recently passed restrictions banning the fluoridation of public water supplies. Florida just announced plans to ban fluoride beginning July 1, 2025.
More states and localities may follow suit after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on May 13 that it is taking steps to remove ingestible fluoride supplements prescribed to children from the market. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also said in April that it’s studying the health risks of fluoride, and Kennedy has signaled that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will stop recommending water fluoridation.
These concerns contrast with the views of most U.S. dentists and pediatricians, who advise that fluoride is safe in small doses and one of the few bright spots in the fight against cavitiessince its addition to water in 1945. About 1 in 4 kids have dental decay by kindergarten, with those at lower economic levels affected most.
“I am concerned about the fluoride issue,” said Dr. Mike Simpson, a Republican congressman from Idaho, to Kennedy during a May 14 congressional hearing. “I've seen the benefits, having been a practicing dentist for 22 years.”
“If you are successful in banning fluoride...we better put a lot more money into dental education, because we're going to need a whole lot more dentists,” Simpson said.
Here’s what you should do if your water stops being fluoridated, and what to know about the various sources of the mineral.
Why fluoride helps
Fighting cavities is important throughout life, but especially during childhood, from infancy through early adolescence. “There is a critical window for getting fluoride to protect teeth as they’re developing,” says Dr. Erica Caffrey, clinical assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. When kids miss this window, they have more cavities and, as adults, higher rates of dental disease. “Treatment is a much different game” than prevention, Caffrey says.
An expensive game at that: the U.S. spends billions of dollars treating cavities, even though they’re preventable. Caffrey deals with serious complications from dental disease in her Maryland practice, including kids with swollen faces and so much pain they can’t eat. Sometimes their dental infections spread elsewhere in the body, causing dehydration and fatigue. “What affects your teeth can also affect cardiac health and your child’s behavior, nutrition, and speech,” Caffrey says.
Fluoride helps protect teeth by making the hard outer layer—the enamel—more resistant to acid attacks by bacteria and sugars. When acid starts to wear down enamel, fluoride draws in calcium and phosphate to rebuild the weakened areas, in a process called remineralization.
When fluoridated, drinking water applies fluoride to the teeth continually and passively, without people needing to think about it. “The fluoride sits in the oral environment and makes the teeth stronger over time,” Caffrey says. This is critical for the millions of Americans who struggle to access dental care.
Cavities are mainly caused by eating excess sugar and refined carbohydrates. Just by having a healthier diet, people can reduce their vulnerability to cavities and the need for fluoride supplements to make up for its absence from community drinking water.
Refined carbs are processed by the bacteria in our mouths, creating the acid that breaks down tooth enamel. When bacteria are fed less, it’s harder for them to create the tiny holes in teeth known as cavities, Caffrey explains. Liquids, such as juice and soda, are especially problematic because they soak the teeth in sugars, she adds. Sugar-free soda doesn’t help much; the carbonation harms the enamel because it’s acidic.
“The fundamental cause of cavities is sugar and starches,” says Dr. Philippe Hujoel, professor of oral health sciences at the University of Washington, so limiting intake is important for dental health. Talk with your dentist or primary care doctor about replacing these foods with fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins for oral and overall health, especially if your community doesn’t fluoridate the water. You could also opt for foods that are naturally higher in fluoride, such as tea, shrimp, and, if you can tell from the label, products grown or packaged in other communities that do fluoridate the water, Caffrey recommends.
It’s just as important to reduce risk through good oral hygiene: brushing in the morning and before bed, flossing once per day, and attending regular dental checkups.
Varnishes
Fluoride is most effective for oral health when it’s topical, or applied directly to the teeth. This is “the predominant effect of fluoride,” Wright says.
Your dentist may recommend a topical fluoride, depending on your diet and dental hygiene. One option is painting the teeth with a concentrated form of fluoride, called varnish. It sticks to the enamel, gradually releasing fluoride that bolsters the tooth surface. Applied by a dentist, pediatrician, or nurse, these treatments are especially recommended for kids and adults with high risk of tooth decay.
An extensive research review found that fluoride varnish lowers the risk of cavities in kids and adolescents by about 40%—and it has this benefit regardless of whether kids live in communities with fluoridated water. Varnish offers significant protection on its own, even without other fluoride exposures. It’s applied as frequently as every three months for children with high cavity risk.
Toothpaste and mouth rinse
Another topical approach is fluoridated toothpaste. “Using toothpaste with fluoride twice per day is among the most critical ways to prevent dental disease,” Caffrey says.
Researchers have found that using fluoridated toothpaste regularly is protective enough that access to fluoridated water offers only a small additional benefit.
Children under 3 should brush with no more than a rice-grain-sized smear of fluoridated toothpaste on a soft toothbrush. For ages 3-6—after which kids can typically rinse with water and spit out the paste—a slightly larger pea-sized dollop suffices. After age 6, a slim ribbon is okay.
Depending on your oral health, dentists may also recommend a mouth rinse with fluoride. Rinses can help kids with braces, who may have a harder time reaching the whole tooth.
“As with anything, there’s such a thing as too much fluoride,” Caffrey explains, but “it takes a significant amount of ingested fluoride daily to get into the worry zone.” Hujoel is more concerned about this threshold. “There are many fluoride exposures” even without fluoridated water, such as fluoride in food, he says. “You can easily go above the recommended dose.” One risk, researched by Hujoel, is fluorosis, a condition causing mild discoloration of teeth. Discuss cumulative intake with a dentist to better understand your personal risk.
Bottled fluoride
Bottled water with fluoride is another supplement option. In communities without fluoridated water—like Clifton, N.J., where pediatrician Dr. Bob Jawetz practices—it’s ideal to combine bottled fluoride water with a topical supplement (like toothpaste, mouth rinse, and/or a varnish), Jawetz says. Although topical fluoride has the strongest effect, when you drink fluoride, too, it’s absorbed into the inner structure of the tooth, providing some degree of additional benefit.
Prescription gels, drops, and chewables
Some fluoride supplements are prescribed, including stronger versions of the mouth rinses, but also lozenges and tablets that can be chewed and swished around the mouth. To maximize fluoride’s effect, keep them in the mouth for 1-2 minutes before swallowing. You could also dissolve such chewables into water, in which case “you’re back to water fluoridation,” Wright says.
Kids too young for chewables might instead be prescribed drops or gels. A 2015 reviewfound gels—a topical treatment applied in a tray—are effective without adverse effects, but Caffrey rarely uses them because kids could end up swallowing more than is ideal, she says.
Dentists may recommend these supplements in communities lacking fluoridated water for infants whose teeth haven’t erupted yet. Follow the recommended dose. Your dentist may advise minimizing other fluoride sources to reduce risk of fluorosis.
The consequences of forgoing fluoride
Removing fluoridated water can negatively impact kids who may not brush regularly or optimally, and whose diets may increase cavity risk, Caffrey says. “When you take a blanket health measure away, such as community water fluoridation, the most at-risk children are the ones likely to suffer most.”
“The dental community is very worried” about fluoride’s removal from the water, Wright says. “Increasing the burden on an already-stressed health care system is going to be challenging to manage.”
Thousands of people navigate the busy streets of Cape Town every day, yet very few know about the mysterious world that lies below their feet.For this stor
Wannabe vlogger Adam Spires has done it again, This time, he has provided us with some exceptional footage from inside a shipwreck on our coastline.
The BOS 400, a French wreck located on a rocky stretch between Hout Bay and Llandudno known as Duiker Point, ran aground on June 26th 1994. Follow Adam on this epic adventure to a little-known, but by no means unimpressive, shipwreck here in the city.
Atlantis Dunes is located just outside Atlantis and is exactly what the name says, a hug sand dune – or sandpit. Adventurers are able to take their 4x4 vehicles and no low range is required. A high clearance vehicle is recommended. This is a great day activity when visiting Atlantis.
Hey Peeps, check out this awesome hidden secret on Table mountain called tranquility cracks.
Tranquility Cracks is a series of secret caverns and caves inside the Table Mountain National Park called the Tranquility Cracks, which a lot of people go in search of, but never find.
Tranquility Cracks refers directly to deep fissures in the rocks above Camps Bay through which one passes, about halfway along the Twelve Apostles. Beyond the cracks is a labyrinth of rocky corridors.
There are a number of passages to choose from, all of which offer incredible views. Inside the cracks grow yellowwood trees that have earned the hike the alternative title of Yellowwood Cracks. Here you are sheltered from any wind and sun.
Corridor Ravine is one of several paths that lead off the Pipe Track and is considered the easiest. It is the ravine after Slangolie (Slangolie is considered treacherous and not advisable to take), but has no marker of its own, so you need to keep your eyes peeled.
The track up Corridor Ravine, which actually is more of a valley between Corridor buttress and Verreaux Crag, is steep with loose stones and some slippery sections, so it can take you about an hour to reach the top. Numerous breaks will afford you views over the Atlantic and across to Lion's Head.
The top of the ravine is rocky but from the top you should see the backside of the Table with views of Muizenberg, Constantiaberg and the dams of the Orange Kloof forest. From the top you join a path that follows the spine of the Twelve Apostles, turning north towards Table Mountain. The path should take you straight to the cracks.
How long you spend here is dependent on how much you want to explore. It's a perfect place to stop and picnic and, if you are lucky, you will have the place to yourselves.
For the route back down, take the Kasteelpoort, one of the easiest descents off the mountain (although it can feel pretty tough going if one is tired) and join up again with the Pipe Track.
Drone vs Jet Boat! In this VLOG I put my drone against one of Cape Town fastest boats. If you are looking for things to do in Cape Town then Jet Boating at the V&A Waterfront is a must. Remember to check out my other VLOGS for things to do in Cape Town whether its today or on the weekend, have some family fun!
Keywords: Things to do in Cape Town Things to do in Cape Town Today Things to do in Cape Town this weekend Things to do in Cape Town as a Group jet boat adventure cape town jet boating in cape town jet boat ride cape town jet boat cape town waterfront top things to do in cape town 10 things to do in cape town top 10 things to do in cape town things to do in cape town this weekend things to do in cape town today things to do in cape town adventure things to do in cape town as a group things to do in cape town before you die V and A Waterfront things to do at the cape town waterfront
Crazy helicopter acrobatics above Cape Town! - VLOG_053 Shot to the guys at Cape Town Helicopters for an AMAZEBALLS experience! Grab a few mates and do this peeps, it's well worth it.
Table Mountain is the very first thing you will see after take-off on any route and you will see it again on the return part before landing. They cannot land on Table Mountain and we did not fly over Table Mountain. Table Mountain is one of the 7 Wonders of the world and a National Park.
Keywords: Things to do in Cape Town Things to do in Cape Town Today Things to do in Cape Town this weekend Things to do in Cape Town as a Group top things to do in cape town 10 things to do in cape town top 10 things to do in cape town things to do in cape town this weekend things to do in cape town today things to do in cape town adventure things to do in cape town as a group things to do in cape town before you die V and A Waterfront things to do at the cape town waterfront
Discovering a MAZE of HIDDEN TUNNELS deep INSIDE Table Mountain...99% of people DON'T even know this exists! Oh, and we were NOT the only large creatures down there!
PLEASE SHARE THIS VIDEO // LIKE MY PAGE // TAG A FRIEND WHO WOULD DO THIS :)
If you are wondering about things to do in Cape Town or things to do in south africa then this is definitely it. But make sure you go with someone who knows what they are doing. These Table Mountain mine tunnels were super fun.
The Vredehoek tin mine operation was short-lived, 1910-1912, employed a staff of 100 people at one stage and was listed on the Cape Town Stock Exchange – Sammy Marks was reputed to have been a shareholder.
Tags: Table Mountain tunnels, table mountain, cape town, south africa, things to do in cape town, things to do in south africa, travel
VLOG 2/3 in collaboration with Times Live! I went to uncover some little known springwater vaults at the base of Table Mountain and I found some seriously weird stuff. We are sitting on a ton of water!
In partnership with Times LIVE and Good Hope Adventures. Special thanks to City of Cape Town for maintaining this heritage site.
Cape Town water crisis 2017 is far from over however the aquifer under Table Mountain is pumping out quite a bit. See what the City of Cape Town is doing to try utilize it.
South Africa is an amazing place and if you are looking for things to do in Cape Town Western Cape then go to goodhopeadventures.com to find out more.
Tags: cape town water crisis,table mountain water,table mountain springs,aquifer,city of cape town,south africa,cape town,things to do in cape town,cape town south africa,water crisis,western cape,drought,cape town water shortage,water crisis 2017,travel,vlog
Cape Town is hurtling towards “Day Zero”: the day taps run dry. This is expected in mid-May, just weeks after the city’s new water supplies are due.
Cape Town is quite used to surviving dry years. Water restrictions get it through and then dams refill, thanks to the wet years that usually follow.
But this time it’s different. Never in recorded history has Cape Town encountered a drought of such severity for three consecutive years.
One of the biggest debates is whether local government is handling the crisis effectively. Investigating this question exposes politics, not rainfall, at the heart of the problem.
The Western Cape is the only province in the country run by the Democratic Alliance, while the African National Congress runs the rest. This means that the relationship between national government and the Western Cape is complicated, as the water crisis shows.
Two tiers of governance – the Western Cape province and the City of Cape Town – went above and beyond what was required to prepare for drought. The system failed, however, at the level of national government.
Wasteful expenditure in the national Department of Water and Sanitation, erroneous water allocations to agriculture and a failure to acknowledge or respond to provincial and municipal calls for help obstructed timely interventions.
National government’s numerous spanners jammed up the works of a system that could have managed the crisis quite effectively.
The Western Cape’s water situation Six major dams make up 99.6% of the volume of water in the Western Cape Water Supply System.
Cape Town’s strategy for handling droughts is based on a warning system that kicks in when dam levels are lower than normal for a particular time of year. About once every ten years, there is extremely low rainfall around the major Theewaterskloof Dam. The last dam level scare was in 2004-2005.
In 2007, the national Department of Water and Sanitation issued a warning about Cape Town’s water supply, saying the city would need new water sources by 2015.
The deadline was based on normal rainfall and water demand trends. Unusually dry winters and higher water consumption could shorten this deadline considerably.
Two tiers of governance – the Western Cape province and the City of Cape Town – went above and beyond what was required to prepare for drought. The system failed, however, at the level of national government.
Wasteful expenditure in the national Department of Water and Sanitation, erroneous water allocations to agriculture and a failure to acknowledge or respond to provincial and municipal calls for help obstructed timely interventions.
National government’s numerous spanners jammed up the works of a system that could have managed the crisis quite effectively.
The Western Cape’s water situation Six major dams make up 99.6% of the volume of water in the Western Cape Water Supply System.
Tags: cape town,cape town water crisis,south africa,south africa drought,water shortage cape town,saving water cape town,conspiracy,city of cape town
Picture: Armand Hough / African News Agency (ANA) / January 25, 2023 – Thousands of DA, ACDP, and Cape Independence Party (CAPEXIT) supporters marched to the ANC provincial office. For the Cape Independence Party, the democratic order in South Africa is no utopia, and they are desperately seeking an old-world order nirvana, on the ether of apartheid nostalgia, the writer says.
By Kim Heller
Many epochs ago, a rather wayward employee of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), Jan van Riebeek, was tasked with setting up a refreshment and supply post at the Cape Peninsula. This was for ships travelling along the lucrative spice trade sea-route from Holland to the Far East.
Few history books log that Van Riebeek was assigned this seemingly arduous and unrewarding mission after being found guilty of corruption by the VOC. It could not have been foreseen that this opportunity for Van Riebeek to redeem himself to his employer would result in considerable and irreversible damage to the fate and fortunes of the indigenous people living on the land of South Africa.
Although there was no formal instruction to colonise the Cape, Van Riebeek and his band of merry travellers were to dislodge and disfigure the very contours of the native African topography. The spores of colonialism were to seep so deeply into the African soil that centuries later it continues to shape the South African economy and cultural landscape.
In South Africa, the colonial ecology is largely intact and unlike in many other colonised countries, the coloniser has stayed. The coloniser is always an uninvited, destructive, and ungrateful guest; and never fully sated. For now, it looks like the greedy coloniser has eyes fixed on seceding the Cape from the rest of the country.
For the Cape Independence Party, the democratic order in South Africa is no utopia, and they are desperately seeking an old-world order nirvana, on the ether of apartheid nostalgia. In the smash-and-grab of colonial conquest the Cape Independence Party now wants copyright and control over the Cape.
The Cape Independence party is on a mission to secede the Cape from South Africa and create a sovereign state. In order to justify this move, the party insists that the people of the Cape are entitled to an independent state given their distinct cultural and linguistic character. Last year, the Freedom Front Plus submitted the ‘Western Cape Peoples Bill,’ in a drive to get recognition of ‘Western Capetonians’ as a distinct people.
Self-determination is the new whine of the largely white Cape Independence party. There is a mischievous portrayal of self-determination as secession. Secession in this instance appears to be little more than a code word for white supremacy. The very motion for Cape Independence is both anti national unity and unpatriotic. It is active resistance and disdain for black majority rule in an African country. The call for secession is the very antithesis of national unity.
Section 41(1)(a) of the South African Constitution speaks to the issue of patriotism and national unity. “All spheres of government and all organs of state within each sphere must preserve the peace, national unity and the indivisibility of the Republic.”
The party speaks of “Becoming the Cape of Good Hope again,” by “creating our own first world nation on Africa’s southern tip”. Research conducted by Victory Research showed high support for Cape Independence across white and coloured people in the province (62% and 78% respectively). In contrast only 31% of black people were supportive.
Joan Swart a supporter of Cape Independence and executive member of the Referendum Party, was quoted in the City Press, on January 21, 2024. She said “The dismal performance of the national government is undeniable. In all but a handful of aspects, South Africa is a failing state and well on its way to a dystopian future. Beyond controlling our economic policies and resources, leading to more efficient and beneficial economic development tailored to local needs, we also believe that the region’s cultural or ethnic identity is distinct. Only independence can allow for the preservation and promotion of this unique identity. But, most of all, independence ensures that the governance processes are entirely in the hands of the local population, potentially leading to a more representative and accountable governance structure.”
The African Transformation Movement (ATM) describes the preposterous call for “Cape Independence” as a thinly veiled attempt to further marginalise Black South Africans in South Africa. On January 23, the party released a statement expressing its opposition to the proposal for Cape Independence. “We view this bill as a dangerous attempt to divide South Africa along racial lines and exclude the native population from their rightful land.”
This divisive agenda, masqueraded under the cloak of a legislative proposal, is reminiscent of the painful history South Africa endured during the arrival of settlers in the Western Cape. The ATM recognises the historical implications of such proposals and stands firm against any form of invasion or segregation that threatens the unity of our democratic state.” The ATM argues that the proposed Cape Independence is nothing but a "thinly veiled attempt to perpetuate hatred and intolerance, thereby undermining the considerable progress our nation has made in fostering unity and inclusiveness”.
The recent fight for Cape Independence must be located both within the geo-political context of resident colonialism and century long battles for and of white supremacy.
In the turbulent and uncertain seas of global conflict, warfare, and political reconfiguration, the Cape is a highly prized strategic asset. Control over the Cape is as important today in the game of global power and control, as it was in the seventeenth century fight of and for imperialism.
The Cape Independence pipers are unlikely to succeed to ‘steal’ the province and its strategic riches. An Independent Cape is a never-never land. Those who are unhappy with the current state of the South African democracy must either leave for better shores, return to their own homelands across the sea, or be part of building a prosperous South Africa.
The ATM is correct when it says, “South Africa must not be compelled to regress to the colonial agendas that led to the shedding of blood, the deliberate hunting, and lynching of the freedom fighters of this country, especially where retribution and atonement were never sought for the mistakes and injustices of the past.”
Kim Heller is a political analyst and author of ‘No White Lies: Black Politics and White Power in South Africa’.
Yes, a network of hidden underground tunnels exists beneath Cape Town. These tunnels, some dating back to the 17th century, were primarily used to transport water.
Here's a more detailed look:
History:
The tunnels were built primarily to transport water across the city, with some dating back as far as 1652.
Location:
The tunnels are located beneath the streets of Cape Town, with a network rumored to span kilometers near the Castle of Good Hope.
Purpose:
Initially, the tunnels served as a water distribution system, supplying fresh water to the Company Gardens and passing ships.
Exploration:
Today, guided underground tunnel tours are offered, allowing visitors to explore these hidden passageways and learn about Cape Town's history.
Modern Use:
Some tunnels may still be used for utility services, while others are now part of the tour experience.
Specific Tunnels:
A tunnel running from Table Mountain to the ocean is also mentioned, along with an extensive web of passages near the Castle of Good Hope.
Good Hope Adventures:
Good Hope Adventures offers guided tours of these tunnels, allowing visitors to explore the historic network.
During the Dutch arrival in South Africa, Goringhaiqua and Goringhaicona people were initially used for trade, with some assisting the Dutch in their interactions with the local people. However, as Dutch settlement and land claim occupation grew, Goringhaiqua and Goringhaicona were displaced and forced into various forms of labor, including farm, building construction labourers and slavery.
Here's a more detailed look:
Initial Trade and Relations:
Initially, the Dutch relied on the Goringhaiqua and Goringhaicona and other clans/tribes for bartering goods like meat and other items. Some Khoikhoi also acted as "compradores," assisting the Dutch in understanding and respecting their customs.
Displacement and Land Loss:
As the Dutch established settlements and claimed land, khoikhoi were gradually displaced and lost access to their traditional grazing lands.
Forced Labor:
Goringhaiqua and Goringhaicona and others were forced into labor on Dutch farms and building construction as indentured servants or as slaves in Cape Town and the Cape Colony.
Coerced Labor:
The Goringhaiqua and Goringhaicona were seen as free labor and faced conditions of subjugation.
Resistance:
Goringhaiqua and Goringhaicona resisted Dutch rule through various means, including stock raids and attacks on Dutch settlements.
Khoikhoi-Dutch Wars:
Conflicts arose over land, resources, forced labour and slavery , with the Goringhaiqua and Goringhaicona fighting against the Dutch, as seen in the Khoikhoi-Dutch Wars.
Boomslang Cave lies up above Kalk Bay, Cape Town, South Africa a relatively easy cave to access, and a great cave for novice caving if you have not done any before, as the cave tunnels right through the mountain. Most Capetonians don't even know these cave tunnels exists...AMAZING DAY OUT!!!
To claim a 10% discount from www.futurestore.co.za, use "ADAMSPIRES" as a promotional code.
Tag a friend who you want to do this with and if you enjoyed this video, please like my page.
It is also a fairly popular cave because of this. The bonus is that the round trip is perfect for children and a great day out for families in Cape Town.
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It was one of those days we as a family we take a day out and adventure into the near bay Kogelberg Nature Reserve.
Just an hour out of Cape Town at the southern tip of Africa, lies an area of such natural beauty and floral diversity as to be recognized as perhaps world's greatest biodiversity hot-spot. Size for size, the 100,000 hectare UNESCO designated Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve is home to the most complex biodiversity on our planet with more than 1,880 different plant species ... the next richest is the South American rainforest with just 420 species per 10,000 square kilometers!
The Color Run Stellenbosch. SERIOUSLY!!! Is it legal to have this much fun in one morning? Check it out and tag someone who you want to go with next time. Thanks to The Color Run South Africa.
WHAT IS THE COLOR RUN?
We’re The Color Run, the world’s first COLOR 5K™ event. Founded in 2011, our mission is to bring people together and make the world a happier, healthier place. By creating an experience that’s more about the memories you make than your mile per minute, we made running feel accessible to a broader demographic. Now the largest running series in the world, “The Happiest 5K on the Planet” has been experienced by over 6 million runners worldwide in 35+ countries, and continues to be a leader in the fun running space. See http://thecolorrun.co.za/ for more info
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Many hear of the "crazy" people that swim to Robben Island. They brave the icy cold waters of the Atlantic to take the plunge from the Cape Town shoreline and head to the shores of Robben Island. What does it take to swim to Robben Island? This short gives a brief look into a swim from Camps Baty to Robben Island. The 18km swim was done by Lyle Jacobs with fellow swimmer Tyron Venter.
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In this Vlog I show you some of Cape Towns finest trails! This is my first MTB vlog...what do you guys think?
This awesome mountain bike route can be found along the Walker Bay Wine District’s famous R320 and meanders through the picturesque area known as the Hemel-en-Aarde Area.
We did a round trip that starts and finishes at Euadia Cycles in Hermanus.
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Cape Town underground tunnels flow with so much water. I explore just how much is down there and where it leads.
Is there really a drought in the Cape? What is happening with the water that runs off Table Mountain? All these questions need answers.
People need to know, please share this video.
Special thanks to timeslive.co.za and goodhopeadventures.co.za for the collaboration, not to forget Garth Malpas (facebook: @itsgarthmalpas)
Connect with me: Facebook: facebook.com/adamspiresvlogger Instagram: http://bit.ly/2lNKhar
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