Hearts exposed in discussion on slavery
At the commemoration of Emancipation of Slaves Day at the Dias Museum in Mossel Bay on Friday, 30 November, a fascinating talk was given on the wreck of a slave ship off Cape Town.
Maritime archaelogist Jaco Boshoff from Iziko Museums SA spoke on the wreckage of the São Josè Paquete d’Afrique, off Clifton.
He explained the process used to ascertain which ship was wrecked there, through the analysis of cargo and wreckage, such as timber and copper sheathing.
It was found that the timber originated from Mozambique and taking into account the timeframe that copper sheathing came in use, it could be ascertained that the ship was not the Dutch ship, the Schuylenberg, as had previously been thought. Copper sheathing was used to prevent barnacles adhering to the ship, which slowed down vessels.
Archival evidence from Portugal was also used to put together the puzzle pieces regarding the São Josè.
Human remains had been found and the teeth had been filed, which had been part of African rituals, so it was deduced that the slaves had come from Africa.
Shackles
Some broken, fragile parts of leg shackles were found.
What was also interesting was the discussion emanating from the audience after Boshoff’s address. Claire du Plessis, a veteran educationist, who attended the event, in traditional attire, said: “I feel quite emotional as I am speaking.” She said her forefathers were slaves from Madagascar and India.
“Which part of our history do we celebrate? I also have Scottish and Jewish roots. Do we fully and truly acknowledge the ‘mixedness’ in our history?” Du Plessis asked. “The enslavement of our past. I don’t think we acknowledge it fully enough.” Du Plessis voice wavered with emotion as she spoke. “We’re confused about our Africanness. You’re told you’re not African because your hair is different. You have to be strong. Cultural identity is still a dilemma.”
Artist James Malgas, also in the audience, known in arts and culture circles in Mossel Bay, said: “Classification is still taking place today. When filling out a form you’re still asked if you’re black, white or coloured. We are supposed to be in a democracy. Also, I would not put it as racism, but I still encounter arrogance today.”
Transformation
One of the attendees said: “I am not condoning it, but until transformation has fully taken place in South Africa, people need to give their classification so that data can be collected.” She said it concerned BEE requirements.
Boshoff said that talking about these issues the way Malgas was, was a positive start to addressing them.
Dias Museum head Mbulelo Mrubata said people thought to themselves: “I see you as a descendent of a slave.” Another might say: “You are a descendant of a master.” He added that because of the “mixedness” of our past, “all of us are descendants of both”.
He added that “racial classification is not wrong, as long as it is not used to discriminate against people”.
The discussion took place in a spirit of empathy and understanding. One could hear a pin drop as people spoke from the heart. Mrubata made a commitment to investigate a further platform in Mossel Bay for discussions such as this.
After the discussion an exhibition on slavery was opened.