ST.

AUGUSTINE UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA

FACULTY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
COURSE NAME

BAED 3A

COURSE CODE

HI. 362

SUBMITTED BY

TWIGA GROUP

SUBMITTED TO

Kalumbete

SUBMISSION DATE

07th November 2014

PARTICIPANTS

TWIGA GROUP

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NAMES
JOHN JOYCE W.
MBWAMBO LUCY A.
MDOE EDITH
MGALE NEMROD J.
MKINDI ASIA W.
MLELWA PASCHAL
MRITHA JACKLINE E.
MSAFIRI SAMWEL
MUSHI EMMANUEL F.
MWASOMOLA EMMANUEL
NKURWA LAMECK J.
NOE VICTOR
NYIKA JOSEPH
RUNYORO SETH
STEVEN JOHN
TAKIRINDI MOSSES
TAMBARA PRIVATUS
MWAIPOLE AFSA
RUTA CLEMENT

REG. No.
38139
38385
38389
38392
38415
38428
38455
38457
38491
38516
38571
38572
38588
38652
38718
38728
38729
38892
38912

Signature

QUESTION: Though Dutch and British originated from the same continent and settled
at the same place in South Africa, their interest greatly differed leading to the emergence
of hostility in colonizing the cape. Verify.

The region of the Western Cape in South Africa which includes the Table Bay area
(where the modern city of Cape Town is located) was inhabited by Khoikhoi pastoralists who
used it seasonally as pastures for their cattle. When European ships landed on the shores of Table
Bay they came into contact with Khoikhoi. In the summer months the Khoikhoi moved around
between the areas of Table Bay, Swartland and Saldanha Bay in search of fresh grazing pastures
with their cattle herds. It was the gradual dispossession of local Khoikhoi pastoralists by early
Dutch settlers that opened up the area for European settlement. Cape Town was founded by the
Dutch East India Company or the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC) in 1652 as a
refreshment outpost by Jan van Riebeeck. The outpost was intended to supply VOC ships on
their way to Asia with fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and to enable sailors wearied by the sea to
recuperate. What influenced the location of the town in the Table Bay area was the availability of
fresh water which was difficult to find in other areas. Dutch expansion into areas around Table
Bay and beyond resulted in conflicts with the Khoikhoi who lost grazing pastures as settlers
occupied their land and in some instances seized their cattle. Tensions over loss of pastures
between 1654 and 1659 resulted in open conflict in the first Khoi-Dutch war from 1659-60. In
the 1670s the VOC committed itself to establishing a permanent settlement at the Cape.
The growing influence of the British and the French who also had interests in the Indian
Ocean posed a danger that they might lay claim to the Cape because of its strategic location
before the Dutch. In 1670 the French attacked Saldanha Bay, exposing the vulnerability of the
settlement. When war broke out between the United Provinces of Netherlands against both
Britain and France; the VOC declared itself the rightful owner of the Cape district, which
included Table Bay, Houtbay and Saldanha Bay in 1672. The Dutch claimed that they had
purchased the land from Osingkhima leader of the Khokhoi group known as the Goringhaiqua
with brandy, tobacco and bread. Thus, the order to set up a permanent settlement was an attempt
by the Dutch to exclude the British with whom the Dutch were at war. In 1795, the British, who
were at war with France, invaded the Cape Peninsula from False Bay and took over the Cape
(including Cape Town) from the Dutch until 1803 when the colony was handed back to the
Dutch. When war between the British and French broke out once more in 1806, the British
permanently occupied the Cape Colony.

It is true Dutch and British originated from the same continent which is Europe and
settled at the same place in South Africa at the Cape, their interest differed greatly then the
hostility broke out in the process of colonizing the cape. The following were the reasons for the
emergence of this hostility among the Dutch and British:The first reason is the difference in the ruling system, British used direct rule in South
Africa. Many Dutch farmers were dissatisfied with British rule as they had been with that of the
Dutch East Indian Company, Moravian Missionaries had been established for their own benefit
where Khoikhois grievances were not regarded anymore because these missionaries caused
much dissatisfaction among the Dutch due to their intervention at the cape. The abolition of slave
trade also was gaining strength in England and the missionaries appealed at length from the
colonialist all these actions annoyed the Dutch therefore hostility between them appeared.
Abolition of slave trade by the British being the second reason, it was among the cause
why hostility among the Dutch and British had appeared although they are from the same
continent, Europe. After Dutch colonization in South Africa they established the slave trade as
the means of getting wealth. Slaves were forced to work and strictly controlled by performing
different activities to serves their masters and according to law they were severely punished for
acts such as running away or disobeying owners law. But after British occupied the Cape in
1815 they took over the colony and establish their rules. One among them was to abolish slave
trade and these results to hostility among them. Dutch regards the non-whites (blacks) as the
slaves to the whites. The idea of abolishing slave trade was not acceptable by them. The Dutch
decided to move with their slaves from the Cape colony to the interior to establish their new
republics.
Also the establishment of court system and imposition of heavy penalties harsh treatment
of slave of slave in 1828 and finally the emancipation of slaves was proclaimed in 1834
moreover the inadequate compensation awarded to slave owners and suspicious engendered by
different bad methods of payment, caused much resentment and in 1835 the trend where farmers
trekked into unknown country in order to escape from a disliked government recommenced. The
use of British direct annoyed much the Dutch and hence the hostility between them.
Moreover the introduction of land registration by British lead to hostility among Dutch
and British, the introduction of land registration by the British was not suitable to the Dutch
because they need huge land to perform their activities. The Dutch were the first to colonize
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South Africa before the British. Although British and Dutch came from same continent but they
have different interest which results to hostility among them. Land registration was one of the
causes of hostility among them. Dutch were not ready to accept the system of land registration.
Due to this system they decided to move from the Cape to the interior to establish their new
republic there. Due to this hostility the British were to remain at the Cape and the Dutch has to
move to the interior.
Also there was a question of language by which there was introduction of English as new
official language in 1823 as proclamation ordinance (announce publically). This brought about
hostility between British and Boers as the result of Boers together with large numbers of
Khoikhoi and black servants decided to trek off into the interior in search for great independence.
Also the Dutch did so because they wanted to maintain their language superiority and prohibit
the integration of Dutch language from their language.
Population pressure especially for agriculture and settlements, though the Dutch and
British originated from the same continent and settled at the same place in South Africa their
interest greatly differed lead to emergence of hostility. This is also because of population
pressure. Scarcity of land for agricultural activities and areas for settlement made hostility
between the Dutch and British to the Cape for the number of people became so high compared to
the available land; which made these groups to fight for the few available land for cultivation and
building their settlement hence hostility between the Dutch and the British in South Africa.
The question of mining especially that era of discovery of diamond mine and gold in
South Africa. Both Dutch and British had their interest in South Africa especially at the Cape
and their interest meet to the point that one should lead the other. Now after the discoveries of
diamond and the question of gold mines became a problem where both of them wanted to control
and rule the other. Now the Dutch seemed themselves to have the right to own everything in
South Africa for the fact that they were the one who came there early now how comes British
wanted to control and to seize her from the place. This also contributed the hostility between
these two European giants at that time in South Africa.
Also religious especially denomination differences had contributed a certain points in the
hostility between Dutch and the British in South Africa. Both Dutch and British were the
Christian but they belong to the difference religious sects. Dutch were the Presbyterians while
the British were the Anglicans and Moravians. These two sects though belongs to Christianity
2

faith but have got different doctrines and conducts. Each one saw superior than the other and in
that question it became very difficult to bring them together therefore if were never came
together they stayed in hostility despite they originated from the same continent.
The question of racism in South Africa also contributed to the hostility between the
Dutch and the British. Both Dutch and the British were the European are the whites from Europe
but since they came in South Africa it was the time now their differences started to be showed
off. It is about their race now not their origin. Each one in terms of their race classified herself as
superior to dominate not to be dominated. The results of this were the later outbreak of great first
and second Anglo-Boer war in South Africa. This is what we call the hostility between the Dutch
and British in South Africa.
Generally land for agriculture, mines especially diamond and gold, areas for settlements,
ruling systems, their religious denominations differences, the essence of abolition of slave trade,
racism and the economic status just to mention few which found between the Dutch and the
British created hostility between them causing a lot of impacts in South Africa including the first
and the second Anglo-Boer Wars from1880-81 and 1899-1902 respectively.

Reference;

Cleote, H (1844). The History of the Great Boer trek and the origin of the South African
Republic: London, London J. Murray Publishers.

Giliomee et al. (2007), New History of South Africa. Tafelberg Publishers: Cape Town.

Mwijage J. F. (2004) Major events in African history. Salvatorianum Press. Morogoro.

Shillington K. (2014) Encyclopedia of African History.