2015-12-01: Government cannot unilaterally and willy-nilly change the name of the Anglo Boer War to the South African War. Researchers, historiographers and historians determine such a name which is then established through usage. In the last couple of decades, the name Anglo Boer War has been established and a unilateral government decision will not change it that easily.
The question is whether it is the government’s task to change history and an acknowledged name in this fashion. If the Board of the War Museum in Bloemfontein decides to change their name to the South African War Museum, it is certainly within their powers. It however does not mean that the war now automatically has a new name.
Historians were not consulted anywhere, not in the parliamentary portfolio committee or through public participation, about such a name change. With the changing of town names, strict requirements are in place regarding the way in which and with whom consultation should take place.
In the period 1899 to 1902, during which the war took place, South Africa did not exist. South Africa is a concept which only came into being in 1910 with the establishment of the Union. It makes it problematic to refer to the war as the South African war. The war was declared between the governments of the Zuid-Afrikaanse Republic, the Republic of the Orange Free State and Britain. The former Natal and Cape Colonies did not declare war against anybody, although the war naturally also impacted on their residents.
With this, the role of the black people in the war is not being denied. Research has confirmed that there had been up to 65 concentration camps and 49 white camps, with black people fighting on both British and Boer sides. That is why the book which has been released by the museum, ‘Black Participation and Suffering in the South African War 1899-1902 – An Untold History’ is being welcomed. It places the large number of deaths and serious suffering of black people during the war in perspective.
The war has over the years had various names. My grandmother Maria Mulder, who suffered greatly in the British concentration camps, referred to the war as the “English War” or “Second Liberation War”, because she felt very strongly that the British had caused the war. She seriously objected to it being named the “Boer War”. The name “Anglo Boer War” has been established internationally and in South Africa in the past century
REGERING KAN NIE OORLOG SE NAAM VERANDER NIE – MULDER
“Die regering kan nie eensydig en na willekeur die naam van die Anglo-Boereoorlog (ABO) na die Suid-Afrikaanse oorlog verander nie.”
So sê die Vryheidsfront Plus nadat Nathi Mthethwa, minister van kuns en kultuur, aangekondig het dat die ABO amptelik na die Suid-Afrikaanse Oorlog verander is.
Die Vryheidsfront Plus se leier, Pieter Mulder, sê navorsers, geskiedskrywers en historici bepaal so ʼn naam wat dan deur gebruik gevestig word.
Mulder sê die laaste paar dekades het die naam Anglo-Boereoorlog gevestig geraak en gaan ʼn eensydige regeringsbesluit dit nie so maklik verander nie.
“Die vraag is of dit ʼn regering se taak is om die geskiedenis en erkende name op hierdie wyse te probeer verander? As die raad van die Oorlogsmuseum in Bloemfontein besluit om hulle naam na die Suid-Afrikaanse Oorlogmuseum te verander, is dit sekerlik binne hulle magte. Dit beteken nie dat die oorlog nou ook outomaties ʼn nuwe naam het nie”, sê Mulder.
“Nêrens is met historici of in die parlementere portefeuljekomitee of deur openbare deelname gekonsulteer oor so ʼn naamsverandering nie. By die verandering van dorpsname is daar streng voorwaardes van hoe en met wie almal gekonsulteer moet word.”
http://100punt6.co.za/regering-kan-nie-oorlog-se-naam-verander-nie-mulder/
Zuma verdraai die geskiedenis
2015-07-09
ALSO READ:
■ #Geloftedag16Desember: Jacob Zuma is reported to have said that it is his goal to “avenge Blood River”
Jacob Zuma is reported to have said that it is his goal to “avenge Blood River”. Having recently read a graphic account of the battle and the events leading up to the battle, this got me thinking – following are some points:
ALSO READ:
● Link
"We are not talking about apartheid now...We are talking about vandalizing and diminishing peoples history. All over the world where people tried to diminish a groups history, GENOCIDE FOLLOWED"~SABC-TV journalist Link
#CulturalGenocide
#StopWhiteGenocideInSA
