History

The first known discovery of Cape of Good Hope was established by a Portoguese exploration. But when they met locals, heavy fights broke out, ant the Portuguese explorers fled.

In the 17th century, Jan van Riebeeck (a Dutch sailor, who worked for the VOC) came ashore at the Cape of Good Hope. His assignment was to establish a trading post at the Cape. Because of the overwhelming power of the VOC, the locals had no other option than to welcome Jan van Riebeeck. The locals, at that time, didn't knew that after just a very short period of time, they would be used as slaves in the various shipyarts.

During the 18the century, the Cape of Good Hope, became a very important trading post. But due to corruption, the VOC went broke. Because of the financial position of the Dutch administration at the Cape of Good Hope, it was easy for the British government to take over the control of the Cape.
A lot of the Dutch colonists at the Cape could not accept the British administration and settled somewhere else in the country.

During the centuries the trading post grew out of proportions, with 20.000 people living at the Cape.
In the 19th century the name of the trading post was changed into the District of Cape Town.

With just a limited amount of 'whites' and a huge amount of slaves living at the Cape, the Apartheid was born. The White civilians of the Cape had power and money, the slaves had nothing. In the '50's more and more people started to reject the Apartheid. One of the most famous people known who rejected to the Apartheid is Nelson Mandela. As one of the leading members of the ANC - later the leading political party of South Africa), Nelson Mandela was the spokesperson, who soon stole the hearts of thousands of locals. Because Nelson Mandela and the ANC supported fights againts the Apartheid, many leading members of the ANC were arrested in the early '60's. Many of them were convicted to solitary confinement at Robben Island. The protest against the Apartheid where stopped, but the new ANC leaders, took control and protest started again, resulting in heavy fights. The government even 'cleaned' city area's. One of these area's is District 6 in Cape Town, where the local's had to leave their ground to make way for the 'whites'.

PM De Klerk would free many of the convicted ANC leaders, including Nelson Mandela. Four years later (1994) the first democraticly held elctions were held. Nelson Mandela was choosen to become the new leader of the coulered South Africa. Which would be a turn of control, but also a change of opinion and a change of changes for the local civilians.
But this doesn't mean that the history can be forgotten. Many of the 'whites' still have control and power within the Government or important companies.

But the government is doing it's utmost best to help the locals, for example the Local Council of Cape Town is giving back District 6 to the former settlements.

South Africa in general has become one of the most violent countries in the world. This is all caused by the Apartheid. Discrimination, violence and suppression were many years used to stop the influence of the locals, nowadays the violence is used by the locals against the 'whites'. In Cape Town this will mean that some area's are no-go-area's for lonely travelling 'whites', if you do so, the change you will get robbed will increase with the second.

Before the Apartheid will be forgotten, many years will have to pass... if the Apartheid will ever be forgotten.