Understanding Apartheid

“I waited over 70 years to cast my first vote. As the world held its breath, South Africans together made their mark to bring into being one of the truly remarkable events of this turbulent century. Once more, we affirmed a truism of human history: that the people are their own liberators.

I chose to do it near the grave of John Dube, the first President of the ANC, the African patriot that had helped found the organisation in 1912. I voted not only for myself alone but for many who took part in our struggle. I felt that with me when I voted were Oliver Tambo, Chris Hani, Chief Albert Luthuli and Bram Fischer. I felt that Josiah Gumede, GM Naicker, Dr Abdullah Abdurahman, Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Yusuf Dadoo, Moses Kotane, Steve Biko and many others were there. I felt that each one of them held my hand that made the cross, helped me to fold the ballot paper and push it into the ballot box.”

Nelson Mandela

State capture is not a new feature in South African politics.

The first men to capture the South African state were the Portuguese. In 1652, the Dutch East India company set up a permanent station in present day Table Bay, Cape Town to be a stopover for sailors’ replenishment of supplies. Their rivals, the British, assumed more direct control of the land after winning the Boer Wars in the 1900s.