Official: Government says no to celebrations for centenary of Union of South Africa

[antowan]

Palo Jordan was on 702 explaining that the government does not see a need to celebrate the centenary of the Union of South Africa because it was the beginning of suffering for the majority of South Africans.

He considers the date significant, but does not feel it should be celebrated.

Read more about the Union of South Africa here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_of_South_Africa

 

[antowan]

Personally I think this is a slap in the face of history. In essence South Africa was born in 1910...

Yes there were racial undertows in the era but that must be seen in historical context. South Africa was pretty much frontier country up until then...

 

[icyrus]

Hardly surprising. The ANC is only interested in their version of history.

 

[DJ...]

Personally I think this is a slap in the face of history. In essence South Africa was born in 1910...

100%. Palo Jordan needs to consult a history book before publicly making a fool of himself. Apartheid began in 1948 you twat and racist laws were introduced well before the unionisation of SA. The Brits started it in the 19th century already with pass laws. One would think that celebrating the unionisation within this context (the actual history of our country) would be welcomed. However even though we became self-governing, we were still a dominion of the British Empire thereafter, so their negativity comes as no surprise. Any event of such significance should still be celebrated, and we should take the opportunity to unify South Africans as one at all available opportunities, instead of piggy-backing on the racist past of nearly 100 years ago...

 

[Telkomisaloser]

ANC = proudly south african where it suits them

 

[Alan]

History is written by the victors

 

[dappled]

Union would reaffirm solidarity between white South Africans, so the ANC is typically not interested.

 

[samuelp]

Just a thought : South Africa was born in 1910. The first mistake was to don't include Botswana, lesotho, Swaziland to the Union of South Africa (may be the British empire was not willing to give so much power to one ot its dominion). Sure Namibia would have been integrated more easily afterward.
Anyway, I don't understand why the government don't allow a public celebration. Apartheid only trully appeared in 1948 (mixed relationship was allowed till 1948)

 

[grayston]

Just a thought : South Africa was born in 1910. The first mistake was to don't include Botswana, lesotho, Swaziland to the Union of South Africa (may be the British empire was not willing to give so much power to one ot its dominion). Sure Namibia would have been integrated more easily afterward.
Anyway, I don't understand why the government don't allow a public celebration. Apartheid only trully appeared in 1948 (mixed relationship was allowed till 1948)

No-one's stopping YOU from celebrating this, if you really want to. The celebrations just won't be government sponsored - so you won't be able to dance to the latest kwaito chunes and listen to Bra Julius say daft things in front of the Union Bulidings.

What a fuss about nothing. Honestly.

 

[sox63]

Never thought I would agree with anything Jordan says, but he is right. As significant a moment it is, it certainly not to be celebrated, IMO.

And as grayston says, if you want to celebrate it, knock yourself out.

 

[DJ...]

Never thought I would agree with anything Jordan says, but he is right. As significant a moment it is, it certainly not to be celebrated, IMO.

And as grayston says, if you want to celebrate it, knock yourself out.

Look, I'm with you on the fact that it's not something entirely worthy of holding massive celebrations about if I really think about it, however his reasoning for not wanting to celebrate what in essence is now a fairly trivial issue, is absurd. If we had a history of celebrating this day (like independence day in the US) then I could understand it, but we don't...

 

[rwenzori]

Apartheid only trully appeared in 1948 (mixed relationship was allowed till 1948)

That is perhaps naive. The mining magnates ( Rhodes in particular ) IIRC lobbied strongly after the 2nd Bore War ( 2nd War of Liberation to the Afrikaners ) that any political settlements and dispensations be set up in such a way as to ensure an ongoing supply of cheap ( black ) labour. Apartheid has its roots way earlier than Nat rule in 1948 - the Natives' Land Act of 1913 which restricted black ownership of land, various disenfranchisements etc.

That said, I still think we should commemorate Union - it is a major event in our history. It would be nice for the Western Cape to declare UDI from this "Union" though

 

[R13...]

That is perhaps naive. The mining magnates ( Rhodes in particular ) IIRC lobbied strongly after the 2nd Bore War ( 2nd War of Liberation to the Afrikaners ) that any political settlements and dispensations be set up in such a way as to ensure an ongoing supply of cheap ( black ) labour. Apartheid has its roots way earlier than Nat rule in 1948 - the Natives' Land Act of 1913 which restricted black ownership of land, various disenfranchisements etc.

That said, I still think we should commemorate Union - it is a major event in our history. It would be nice for the Western Cape to declare UDI from this "Union" though

amen brother!
the ignorance is mind boggling... who's union exactly was this? you don't have to be the anc to realise this.

 

[Albereth]

Just a thought : South Africa was born in 1910. The first mistake was to don't include Botswana, lesotho, Swaziland to the Union of South Africa (may be the British empire was not willing to give so much power to one ot its dominion). Sure Namibia would have been integrated more easily afterward.
Anyway, I don't understand why the government don't allow a public celebration. Apartheid only trully appeared in 1948 (mixed relationship was allowed till 1948)

South West Africa was German.

The Union had it's own government, the other countries you mentioned were under British rule. But for many years you could travel through all of the parts of southern Africa that used to be coloured pink on the maps without a passport.