THE CHRISTIAN AFRIKANERS - The Works of F. N. Lee

ever encountered by the Whites in South Africa, until 1780.From 1780 to 1850, there were frontier clashes in the eastern part of South Africa -- also betweenthe Afrikaner Calvinists and the various Black tribes. These clashes were notably with the Xhosas,and later also with the fierce Zulu nation.In 1852, the Christian Coloured Members themselves requested to be allowed to secede from theWhite General Assembly of the South African Reformed Church. Thus, they then created their ownColoured General Assembly.In 1930, political legislation was launched to increase the separation of the cultures. The aim was topromote the advance of each culture in its own area toward political maturity and -- as far aspossible -- toward calvinisation.In 1961, the Republic of South Africa was re-established. The Black-governed areas of the country-- the "Bantustans" as they are called -- were developed towards complete political autonomy fromthe White Government of South Africa. At the moment, the following Black areas of differentBlack tribes have that political independence (which is recognised by White South Africa), viz.: theTranskei, the Ciskei, Zululand, Bophutatswana, Qwa-Qwa, Lobowa, Gazankulu and Vendaland.From 1975 onward, consultation has been increasing at a tremendous pace between the WhiteSouth African Government and these now autonomous Black States. The latter have advanced quitea distance toward Christian maturity -- though not yet far enough. The prognosis for the futurewould seem to be the confederation of South Africa, ultimately, as a loosely associated system ofBlack and White States on the basis of formal equality and reflecting the Ontological Trinity ( aliasthe "one" and the "many").Perhaps there can even be an ultimate establishment of a "Confederate States of Christian SouthernAfrica" (The U.S.C.S.A.). At least, I would hope so. I would see this as the fulfilment of Isaiahchapter two. Indeed, I think that will come to pass -- if the outside world (and notably Russia,China, the United States, Britain, France and Germany) would just adopt a more patient attitude towhat the South Africans of all colours are trying to achieve in working out their own commondestiny.A last word or two about the economic situation in South Africa. From 1658 onward, the DutchEast India Company started to make a profit from its enterprise in the Cape. It was, however,chiefly an agricultural economy. This was because the really basic impetus toward theestablishment of a colony in South Africa, was to grow raw green vegetables and fresh fruit -- forthe Dutch merchant ships on their long journey from Holland to Indonesia, to combat the scurvy towhich they were then subject on account of the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables on board by thetime they reached where Cape Town is. So the wealth they developed at that time was chieflyagricultural wealth. There was, to some extent, therefore a rise of landed gentry. Yet they never hadpolitical control of the Cape.From 1700 to 1800 we find the development -- on a small scale -- of local commerce in SouthAfrica. From 1800 through 1860 -- with a dislocation involved through the arrival of the British --we find many Afrikaners trekking away and pioneering the areas to the east and to the north -- ashunters and ranchers, and constantly keeping their livestock on the move.But especially from 1860 onward, with the discovery of first diamonds and then gold, huge wealthbegan to develop in South Africa. So today, some of the wealthiest multi-millionaires in the worldare found in that country.