Showing up the racist bigot

Colonists’ views regarding the intelligence of natives in the countries they colonised are well documented. The diary of Jan van Riebeeck contains some of the worst opinions about the intellectual capacity of South Africa’s indigenous people. Hendrick Verwoerd, known as the architect of apartheid, took these views a step further. He stipulated that Blacks must be denied the opportunity to study mathematics and physical sciences because the intellectual capacity of an adult native, he claimed, was equal to that of a six-year-old white kid.

In response, Blacks used this to their advantage ‒ often to annoy colonists!

Remember Chief Maqoma, the son of Chief Ngqika? Once he put Harry Smith, the governor of the whole colony, in his place.

Smith had a tradition of assembling Xhosa chiefs and boasting about the military might of the British.

In one of these meetings, he threatened to invite the invincible British navy of the time, the (1800s), to wipe out Xhosa resistance to colonialism.

Jong’ uMsobomvu, as Chief Maqoma was called, retorted, ’’Will your ships sail on the Amatola mountains?’’

This made Harry Smith look like a fool. Fast forward to the 1940s. A native commissioner called a meeting in the Qumbu district to recruit men to fight in the Second World War. After his presentation, the assembled natives asked questions.

The first one; where are you going to send the men to fight?

Answer, East Africa. Lindinxiwa Mahlasela