Dear Mr President

An open letter to the President in response and with specific reference to the video interview

'Zuma defends his statement that all the problems in South Africa started with Jan van Riebeeck.'

(To watch the video interview - scroll down to the end of this article)

 

By Heidi Croxford

Published 24 January 2015

Dear Mr. President,

Before we move on to the prehistoric history of Africa and Southern Africa, it is imperative to provide a brief factual overview of what history is, the history of the world and the history of humanity as it is recorded, documented, published and freely available to anyone to study, read and learn from, including yourself.

Recorded history begins with the accounts of the ancient world around the 4th millennium BC, and coincides with the invention of writing. Recorded history or written history is a historical narrative based on a written record or other documented communication. You see Mr. President, World history comprises the study of archaeological and written records, from ancient times on, to this very moment in time.

There are written and archaeological records of events that took place across the entire world as far back as 8000 BC and yes, there exist records of Africa and Southern Africa as well, documenting the accounts of events through time.

The history of the world is the history of humanity and it began with the Palaeolithic Era.     

In case you did not know sir, the term ‘Palaeolithic’ in short refers to the era of a prehistoric period of human history. It is distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered to date.  The term "Palaeolithic” means "Old Age of the Stone" or "Old Stone Age”.  

The roots of civilization reach back to a period before the invention of writing. Prehistory begins in the Early Stone Age, later known as the New Stone Age…. and here in South Africa there are cave drawings and carved signs documented and published that recorded the events of Africa and South Africa as far back as the days before the invention of writing… and these records are publicly documented and published.

The age of the revolutions followed after the stone ages Mr. President. The first recorded revolution proceeded the New Stone Age, and was known as the Agricultural Revolution (between 8000 and 5000 BCE) Agriculture advanced, and most humans transitioned from a nomadic to a settled lifestyle living as farmers in permanent settlements. 

In the mid-15th century, Johannes Gutenberg's invention of modern printing, revolutionized communication and helped to end the middle Ages and marked the beginning of the Scientific Revolution. By the 18th century, the accumulation of knowledge and technology, especially in Europe, had reached a critical mass that brought about the Industrial Revolution.

The heritage and decent of the South African population & the history of it's people, the discoveries and exploration of the oceans.

The history of South Africa has been dominated by the communication and conflict of several diverse ethnic groups. The aboriginal San have lived in the region for millennia. Most of the rest of the population, however, trace their history to immigration since. Indigenous Africans in South Africa are descendants of Khoikhoi and Bantu immigrants from further north in Africa, who first entered what are now the confines of the country, roughly 2000 years ago.
Clearly Mr. President, your allegations and statements of events are very far from the facts. 

Historic Timeline - The people of South Africa 
1.  Bartolomeu Dias from Portugese decent was the first European to explore this region in 1488.
     He became the first European mariner to round the southern tip of Africa, opening the way for a
     sea route from Europe to Asia. Dias’ ships rounded the perilous Cape of Good Hope and then
     sailed around Africa’s southernmost point, Cabo das Agulhas, to enter the waters of the Indian
     Ocean.

2.  The first people to settle communities in South Africa were the San Tribes.

3.  The KhoiKhoi began to settle all over the Southern African region ca. 2000 years ago.

4.  One of the best-known Khoikhoi groups also included the Griqua mixed race people
    (San, White, Coloured and Black), who had originally lived on the western coast between
     St Helena Bay and the Cederberg Range.

5.  The Bantu-speaking Settlers had started to make their way south and eastwards in about 1000
     BC, reaching the present-day KZN by around 500 AD.

6.  When Van Riebeeck left The Netherlands in 1651, the Council of Policy, a bureaucratic
     governing  structure for the refreshment station, had already been established. On board the     
     Dromedaris Van Riebeeck conducted meetings with his officials – minutes of the meetings of the
     Council of Policy, dated from December 1651, have been carefully archived. Land was sighted
      on 5 April 1652 and the ships docked the next day.
     The aim was to establish a refreshment station to supply the crew of the Company's passing
      trading ships with fresh water, vegetables and fruit, meat and medical assistance.

7.  The Zulu people are part of the Nguni tribe. The Zulu were originally a major clan in what
     today Northern KwaZulu-Natal, founded  in 1709 by Zuku kaNtombela

8.  The Xhosa are part of the migration of the Nguni which slowly moved south through Africa
     from the region around the Great Lakes, displacing the original Khoisan hunter gatherers of
     Southern Africa.

9.  The Ndebele are part of the larger Nguni ethnic group and were part of the Southern migration
      into the South African region.

10.  The Tswana language belongs to the Bantu group of the Niger–Congo languages.
       Ethnic Tswana make up about 80% of the population of Botswana. In the nineteenth century, a
       common spelling and  pronunciation of Batswana was Bechuana.

11.  Pedi (also known as Bapedi, Bamaroteng, Marota, Basotho, Northern Sotho – in its broadest
       sense), has been a cultural/linguistic term – previously used to describe the entire set of people
       speaking various dialects of the Sotho language who live in the Limpopo Province of South
       Africa, more recently, the term "Northern Sotho" has replaced "Pedi" to characterise this loose
       collectivity of groups.

12.  The Sotho people (Basotho or Basuto) are a Bantu ethnic group whose ancestors settled in
       southern Africa sometime around the fifth century. The Sotho nation emerged from the
       accomplished diplomacy of Moshoeshoe I who gathered together disparate clans of Sotho

13.  Tswana origin that had dispersed across southern Africa in the early 19th century.

14.  By the 19th century, stable patterns of settlement had emerged. Nguni speaking tribes (primarily
       Zulu and Xhosa) occupied the east and southern coastal regions, while a series of Sotho
       kingdoms covered the southern portion of the plateau (present day Free State Province and
       western parts of Gauteng).

15.  The many generations of white children, born in Africa over hundreds of years and originally
       descendants of the original defeated Dutch colonialists, continued to expand, in small groups
       and  communities, into the rugged hinterlands of the north and east of South Africa,

16.  After 1806 a number of  Dutch-peaking inhabitants of the Cape Colony trekked inland, first in
       smaller numbers, then in groups as large as almost a hundred people, after 1834 even in groups
       of hundreds. There were many reasons why the Boers left the Cape colony, among the initial
       reasons were the English language laws.

17.  The first Indian Immigrants : The British turned to India to resolve their labour shortage,
       as the men of the proud Zulu warrior nation refused to adopt the servile position of 
       labourers and in 1860 the SS Truro arrived in Durban harbour with over 300 people on board.

Mr President, if we look at these facts recorded in history and travel back in time, ALL the different cultures co-existed in Southern Africa for 200 - 300 years. 

Humans interacted over long distances for thousands of years. The overland Silk Road that connected Asia, Africa, and Europe is a good example of the trans-formative power of trans-local exchange that existed in the "Old World"


This brief recap on world history below explain the discoveries, development and progress around the world during the same period stipulated in the timeline of the people of South Africa above.

Historic Timeline - the history of the world (progress and development)

1. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Europeans made important discoveries in their exploration of the  
    oceans, including the start of transatlantic travel to the "New World" of the Americas. Global 
    movement of people, goods, and ideas expanded significantly in the following centuries. 

2. By the 18th century, due to extensive world trade and colonization, the histories of most
    civilizations across the world, became substantially intertwined marking the start of world
    globalisation.

3.  Early in the 19th century, the development of new forms of transportation (such as the steamship
     and railroads) and telecommunications that "compressed" time and space allowed for
     increasingly rapid rates of global interchange.

4.  In the 20th century, road vehicles, inter-modal transport, and airlines made transportation even
     faster. The advent of electronic communications, most notably mobile phones and the Internet,
     connected billions of people in new ways by the year 2010.

It is thus clear Mr President, that philosophy, religion, language, the arts, and other aspects of culture spread and mixed as nations CO-EXISTED, exchanged products, knowledge and ideas all around the world as well as here in South Africa. 

What is the REAL problem then Mr. President?
Following the democratic elections in 1994, the truth & reconciliation committee, the land claims and  Black Economic empowerment act, 20 years on, the racial struggle remains problematic. 

We have almost reached the halfway mark of reversed racism with 21 years under the leadership of the ANC Government and sadly Mr President, by comparison to the 46 years of apartheid,  the economical performance & development, the financial stresses and mismanagement,, the corruption from the top down to the bottom, the poor educational system, the ever increasing unemployment rate, the growing poverty and the disturbingly high crime rates, are all facts and events currently being recorded in the history of South Africa.  
Sadly Mr. President, the records show a fast and furious deterioration on every level affecting ALL of the South African people.

I CANNOT HELP TO WONDER WHY THERE STILL EXIST SO MUCH RACIAL HATRED AND WHY IT REMAINS AN ONGOING STRUGGLE. HOW DO YOU PROPOSE US TO OVERCOME AND RISE ABOVE ALL AS A NATION AND GROW TOGETHER, WHEN THE RULING GOVERNMENT TODAY IS DOING THE EXACT SAME (IF NOT WORSE)? 

I CANNOT RECALL ANY OF THE PREVIOUS LEADERS PUBLICLY SINGING LYRICS TO A SONG THAT PROMOTES THE KILLING OF ANY ONE ETHNIC GROUP OR RACE... 

1. How can we move forward when one group is persistently punished for a system that was enforced by the ruling government as far back as 1946?
2. How can we move forward when the new ruling government enforce legislation to promote Black Economic Empowerment and exclude another race completely?
3. What does reconciliation, democracy and equal opportunities then mean Mr. President?
4. What is your short term, mid term and long term plan for fair and equal opportunities for ALL ethnic groups and races?

Mr. President, I was born 26 years after Apartheid was enforced, and even though I was not raised with racial disrespect nor carried any knowledge of or participated in any of these acts, I accept that it was a cruel unfair and inhuman system. 
I voted for change and I believed in the principal of corrective action, truth & reconciliation. I once had faith in a rainbow nation. 
Sadly I  have only seen unfair processes, corruption and absolute political, economical, ethical and social destruction across the board since 1994.


COMPARATIVE MEASURES ON CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY - 3 EXAMPLES

After the National Party gained power in South Africa in 1948, its all-white government immediately began enforcing existing policies of racial segregation under a system of legislation that it called apartheid. Under apartheid, nonwhite South Africans (a majority of the population) would be forced to live in separate areas from whites and use separate public facilities, and contact between the two groups would be limited. Despite strong and consistent opposition to apartheid within and outside of South Africa, its laws remained in effect for the better part of 50 years. In 1991, the government of President F.W. de Klerk began to repeal most of the legislation that provided the basis for apartheid. 

It's history, it's recorded as such and no one can wipe it from the records. 

In Germany, Hitlers rise to power began in the 1930's during the Great Depression and he remained in absolute power until his death in 1945. He brutally killed  6 million Jews and Polish people  over a 16 year period. 

It's history now, it's recorded as such and no one can wipe it from the records.

In August 1945, during the final stage of the Second World War, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The two bombings killed at least 129,000 people.

 It's history now, it's recorded as such and no one can wipe it from the records.

Crimes against humanity happened across the world Mr. President. The above mentioned 3 examples of crimes against humanity were committed in 3 different countries, on 3 different continents and affected more than 15 different nations, groups and or cultures. All of these were unthinkable acts and they are all recorded in the written history of the world.

Undoubtedly there still exist much grieve, anger, pain and feelings of hate. But unlike South Africa, the Japanese, Jewish and Polish nations raised above and are exceeding as a nation. In business they perform in the world trade & investment industries, global supply & technology and business development markets, to mention but a few.

Mr. President, they are moving forward, growing stronger either in supply, product, support, development or investments; while our economic indicators are showing very poor results, our unemployment rates are sky high and ever increasing, poverty is higher than ever and our crime is out of control?


Why is it then that the South African nation remains divided? Why are we caught in racial conflict BIGGER than ever? 
Why is there more blame, more hate, more grieve and more pain? Mr. President, how can we accept the current situation and for how long? 21 years has gone by since we chose to build a stronger nation together. 21 years that were filled with nothing else but reversed apartheid, black empowerment, blame, hate, crime, destruction & corruption.

Mr President, can you perhaps explain why our country is poverty and crime ridden while there exists financial mismanagement in our government beyond understanding?
to mention but a few


QUOTED HEADLINE:
 The Royal Household Trust and Zwelithini,who has been indulged by the government since he switched political sides from Mangosuthu Buthelezi's IFP to the ANC, had a budget of R54-million this year. But the money has run out, with two months of the financial year to go.
HOW DO YOU SPEND R54 MILLION RAND IN 10 MONTHS ESPECIALLY IF YOU DID NOT EVEN EARNED IT ?

http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2014/12/22/zulu-king-blows-r54-million-now-wants-more-of-your-money 

QUOTED HEADLINE:
 'The estimated total cost to President Zuma's Nkandla home is over R240 million, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's report into the matter revealed.' 
CAN YOU JUSTIFY THIS WHEN YOUR PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN POVERTY?

http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2014/03/19/nkandla-estimated-future-costs-over-r240-million

QUOTED HEADLINE:
 'UK gives £19million aid to South Africa - its president spends £17.5million on his palace.'
DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE OTHER NATIONS OF THE WORLD WILL KEEP PROVIDING ?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2238017/UK-gives-19million-aid-South-Africa--president-spends-17-5million-palace.html


Let's get back to the core message of this letter... HISTORY.
While recorded history began with the invention of writing, over time new ways of recording history have come along with the advancement of technology. History can now be recorded through photography, audio recordings, and video recordings. More recently, internet archives have been saving copies of webpages, documenting the history on the internet.  

Today Mr. President, humanity holds the ability to account for events in many more magical ways that are fast, accurate, effective & efficient and with the push of a button information that once could have been kept confidential, are made public. 

Amps SA confirmed in June 2014 that  in South Africa, 13 million people are connected to the internet. 8 million people connected via PC / Laptop (work & home) and 11 million via a mobile device (with a 3 million cross over) It is estimated that by 2015 we will have 17 million active internet users of which 13 million will be via mobile devices, 9 million via PC / Laptop with a 5 million crossover. 

Mr. President, we can safely accept an increase of at least 4 million more active internet users in South Africa during 2015.  That is 4 million more South African people who will have access to the truth through daily news,  constant updates, video clips and social media commentary.
I hope the truth will set us free.

Gone are the days where it was a privilege to be accepted to an University, where the basics requirements to succeed were integrity, honesty, loyalty, business ethics, long hours and very hard work. Instead you gave rights to people who expect and demand it. People who don't want to work, don't want to learn and who don't want to grow. THIS IS NOW RECORDED IN HISTORY TOO.

Everything has become Everyone's RIGHT and the PRIVILEGE of an EQUAL & FAIR opportunity for ALL in South Africa has lost its meaning forever.

Gone are the days where you could apply for an employment position based on your qualifications, skills, experience and abilities. BBB-EE legislation makes it next to impossible to find employment  (with qualifications, experience and the required skills) if you are a white South African.  

YET, appointments are made with EXCESSIVE remuneration packages, based on previously disadvantaged status, race and colour ONLY. To top this Mr. President, the latest amendments to the Empowerment Act now EXCLUDE white woman and white disabled people.

QUOTED HEADLINE:
'White people now finally excluded from the South African job market.
The Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Amendment Bill eliminates all white people including the disabled. “The definition of black people is now clear and aligned with the Constitution,” Tlhoaele said.'
 http://southafricatoday.net/south-africa-news/white-people-now-finally-excluded-from-the-south-african-job-market/

We have Directors and executives in Public and Private Companies who does not hold a qualification, do not have the required skills, blatantly lie on their resume and or simply cannot perform their duties due to lack of basic understanding and or industry knowledge .  

TO MENTION BUT ONE EXAMPLE MR. PRESIDENT,

Quoted News Headline:
'A parliamentary inquiry has found SABC boss Ellen Tshabalala guilty of misconduct and lying under oath, with calls for her not only to be dismissed, but to be charged criminally.'
You Mr. President, made this appointment!

http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/sabc-boss-a-liar-mps-1.1790491#.VMOOBS6mTLo

 AND THIS MR. PRESIDENT IS NOW RECORDED IN HISTORY TOO.

 

You see Mr. President, the history records are not locked away in a dark room somewhere and you don’t hold the keys to such an imaginary room where you can twist, change, alter or hide the truth from the people and the world. Those records are public knowledge freely available to all across the whole wide world. 

Mr. President, you might have taken your autocratic views and sold it to your people as a free for all democracy. You might have passed black economic empowerment acts. You may sing KILL THE BOER KILL THE FARMER and you built your Nkandla with the people’s money. You may destroy cultural landmarks and order the demolishing of ancient historical buildings. You can change city & street names (without even giving the far reaching effects a thought.)
YES! Each time you change a street name, millions of data providers across the world, occur costs. International & National intelligence for one, municipalities, traffic departments, maps centers, satellite navigation, GPS locators, business addresses and printed stationery... and the list goes on.

You can bend the rules for self-gain, self-empowerment and personal profit. You can pass the blame or change the rules of the game. You can even try to change the truth, wipe the facts or tell the stories as you want it to be told and because you are the President, you can do as you please and I accept that....
but the history of the world, of humanity, of Africa and that of South Africa, are accounted for in the written records and you cannot wipe , change or alter that.

You can fool your people and you might even believe that you can fool the world, but HISTORY is written records of events sustained by the truth and based on facts with proof. HISTORY WILL NOT BE FOOLED

The only power that you hold over HISTORY

Mr. President is that through technology today,

(voice recordings, publications, interviews, news reports and public statements)

your every move, your every word, 

your every act and every statement, 

 every single day, 

are being accounted for and recorded 

not only in the history of the South Africa 

but also in the history of the world.

…what happens today is already 
written into history by tomorrow…

Maybe you should take some time to read about the history of South Africa  

and the history of the world. Maybe you should read up about the history of humanity 

and all the nations and cultures spread all over the world. 

Maybe you should read about their heritage and origin, 

their explorations and discoveries. The transitions, revolutions 

and the development of mankind. Maybe you might note the importance 

of co-existence, of exchanging knowledge, products and ideas 

between ALL nations and cultural groups here and across the world. 

Then maybe you can start building on co-existing in peace and reap the benefits
 and maybe you might then start leading ALL the people of South Africa OUR land. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_South_Africa

The History of South Africa as published on the internet by Wikipedia.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14094918  

 South Africa profile- A chronology of key events:

This article was written in response to the Video Interview as published on YouTube, 19 Jan 2015

'Jacob Zuma Responds On Jan van Riebeeck and Zelda la Grange.'

http://youtu.be/vnr0moM4toQ