This morning we had a very interesting and informative presentation from Michael Charlton on the evolution of South Africa. We started 20,000 years ago with the San people, then moving through the generations of indigenous tribes until the first Europeans arrived. From there, we traced the history of the Cape Colony, the creation of Transvaal, the arrival of the British, and the creation of the Union of South Africa. He also presented the last 100 years tracing the creation of the apartheid regime and its dismantling after Mandela’s release from 27 years in prison. South Africa is a complicated country with a troubled past, but it’s now on the right path.
Michael did also discuss briefly Admiral Anson’s time in Cape Town 275 years ago in March 1744. But it was only for three weeks, and the Admiral was keen to get back to England with his shipload of gold and silver booty. He had over a million good reasons not to advertise his presence in Table Bay!