We visited War History museum, in Johannesbourg.
Main theme was early dutch, french, and other settlers were being pushed
by british power who occupied southern part of Africa.

Around 15 c, Portugees arrived, then many dutch (Netherland) people came here and they used
black people as their slaves which caused continuous conflict. Even black tribes fought each other.

This was the time when Dutch people came to Japan through East India company, including Hamel and
his group whose boat sank near Jeju Island Korea,  going around Capetown, long before Suez Canal was
opened.

The early white settlers, mainly dutch white people were chased to north, Johanesgurg area 
which is depicted by these carriage on the reliefe sculptures.
This was the war between white and white. 

I lived in Canada, Quebec, an old French colony for 10 years. There again, the late comer british conquered the french settlers and Quebec was finally occupied by the british. Canada became a british colony
like Australia.  In the recent century, the white majority in S. Africa, the dutch descendnets, made their language an  official language, not English.
They gradually thigtened racial segregation policy since 1950, until they finally gave up the segration
policy with the international pressure and internal black people's revolt.

Nelson Mandela became the symbol of black resistance.

It is an irony that S. Africa sent troops to help S. Korea during Korean war in 1950. 

There are about 75 % blacks, 13.6% whites and and 8.6 %mixed races, including indians.
Once they allowed voting right to mixed races, but not to blacks, which did not solve the problem.

Finally, in 1990, Mr Nelson  Mandela, the symbol of black resistance, was released after 27 years of
 imprisonment and became the president in 1994.

New history began.

What is so remarkable for Nelson Mandela was the fact that he did not
approve the  revenge against the previous oppressors, whites, asking for the forgivement of his enemies,
from the black people.  They did not confiscate the properties of the white oppresors like some other
african countries.

I was thinking about those Japanese born in Korea and their properties after the second world war.
Many Koreans born in Japan did not have to return to Korea from Japan.
but Japanese were not allowed to remain in Korea after the WW II. 

 

Wall sculpture depicting racial conflict among blacks, whites, and whites.






A bit more history:

1953: Bantu Education Act:
Through this law, the white government supervises the education of all blacks.

Schools condition blacks to accept white domination.
Non-whites cannot attend white universities.

· 1970s: Resistance to apartheid increases. Organizing by churches and workers increases. Whites join blacks in the demonstrations. · 1970s: The all-black South African Students Organization, under the leadership of Steven Biko, helps unify students through the Black Consciousness movement. A typical protest poster is shown below.

· 1976: The Soweto uprising: People in Soweto riot and demonstrate against discrimination and instruction in Afrikaans, the language of whites descended from the Dutch. The police react with gunfire. 575 people are killed and thousands are injured and arrested. Steven Biko is beaten and left in jail to die from his injuries. Protesters against apartheid link arms in a show of resistance.

Selection 8
(Note: This selection has examples of resistance only.
The term "Africans" is used to refer to black Africans.)

· 1991: South Africa President F.W. de Klerk repeals the rest of the
 apartheid laws and calls for the drafting of a new constitution.

· 1993: A multiracial, multiparty transitional government is approved.

· 1994: Elections are held.
The United Nations sends 2,120 international observers to ensure
the fairness of the elections.
The African National Congress, representing South Africa's majority black population.
 
Nelson Mandela, the African resistance leader who had been jailed for 27 years,
 is elected President.
  

Johannesbourg seen from the history museum

Hotel we stayed in.
Many Employees were of mixed races. 

Around the airport of Johannesburg,  a very modern city.