While its on record of the Anglo-Boer war of the 19th Century and prelude to that, the revolt to the Dutch Republic and the establishment of a separate republic in the Southern Africa, its worthy to note that the discovery of diamonds in 1867 and gold in 1884 in the interior started the Mineral Revolution and increased economic growth and immigration. This intensified the European-South African efforts to gain control over the indigenous peoples. The struggle to control these important economic resources was a factor in relations between Europeans and the indigenous population and also between the Boers and the British. This utmostly defined the relationship between all the parties concerned and began the process of establishing independence and the creation of Union of South Africa on 31 May 1910.

By 1913, The Natives Land Act was passed, severely restricting the ownership of Land by the Blacks. By 1948, racial segregation became fully strengthened in South Africa with the classification of people into three races with rights and limitations for each.

The white minority (less than 20%) controlled the vastly larger black majority. The legally institutionalized segregation became known as apartheid. While whites enjoyed the highest standard of living in all of Africa, comparable to First World Western nations, the black majority remained disadvantaged by almost every standard, including income, education, housing, and life expectancy.

In 1990, South Africa began the process of dismantling the apartheid program and it culminated in the election of Nelson Mandela as the first Black President of South Africa.

In post-apartheid South Africa, unemployment has been extremely high as the country has struggled with many changes. While many blacks have risen to middle or upper classes, the overall unemployment rate of blacks worsened between 1994 and 2003. Poverty among whites, previously rare, increased. In addition, the current government has struggled to achieve the monetary and fiscal discipline to ensure both redistribution of wealth and economic growth.

I have gone to great lengths to highlight this historical perspective to the relationship between lacks and whites in South Africa and if we would scale it up, to the relationship that exists throughout Africa and by way into the United States.

So who owns the land? God actually owns the land thats one fact i would like set aside. But he had placed the indigenous people there to be the custodians of the land before the whites (Boers,British, Portuguese) came in and usurp the land as we see in the historical narrative.

So its not in the place of any white South African to lay claims to ownership or to been righteously indignant over what the blacks are doing. Foreigners laying claim to ownership. 

Be it as it may, the truth be told of the blacks as well, yes hey have been deprived of much needed opportunity to excel and make their voice heard, but what have they done to turn the situation around and ride on it to success. Political Power lies with the black ever since Dr. Nelson Mandela took over and ANC has been the majority/ruling party. But the economic power lies with the whites who bring in the business and directs the affairs of the country’s economy. But if the Political Power lies with them, how has it been used to equate the scale and bring about a balanced development and good standard of living for both the blacks and the whites? How cultured, disciplined and committed are the Black South Africans to the development of themselves and the country as a whole? Are they claiming entitlements or adding value to the land upon which they dwell?

To be Continued