History and Government of Southern Africa Class Update

Our semester began with learning the geography of the African continent with a focus on the newest democratic nation of the South Sudan. The struggle for democracy is a theme that we will discuss throughout the semester. With current knowledge of South African’s political structure and leadership, students have looked to the beginning of colonization and the roots of the Afrikaner identity through readings and discussion. While visiting the Southern Cross school, we had the wondrous opportunity to talk with a freedom fighter from the anti-apartheid movement. He gave the students a brief history and focused on his participation in the ANC (African National Congress) political party beginning in the 1980’s. Having been imprisoned several times for political crimes, he gave the students a unique perspective on race and identity in South Africa today. Discussing the importance of perspective has been a theme and will continue to be as the students visit the site of the famous Battle of Blood River next week, where they will compare and contrast the perspective of the Afrikaner (Boer) and the Zulu during the battle in 1838.