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British diaspora in Africa

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For other uses, see the South African ethnic group.
Anglo-Africans
Cecil RhodesJohnny CleggMark Shuttleworth in Space
Regions with significant populations
South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Kenya
Languages
South African English
Religion
Christian, Protestant, other
Related ethnic groups
English, French, Scottish, Irish, Welsh; Walloons, Coloured

Anglo-Africans are primarily associated with Southern Africa and British ancestry. They number about 2 - 4 million, and are predominantly of English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish and French Huguenot descent who speak English. Some are descended from migrants from other parts of Europe and from other English-speaking states (Australia and Canada).

Terminology

Ethnicity is a politically loaded and historically painful topic in South Africa, and therefore many South Africans do not speak of it. While some conservative Anglo persons still cherish the nametag of "British", others view it as an obsolete when used in an ethnic context. The phrase Anglo African is today used, somewhat loosely, to refer Anglos in Africa, i.e. a person or people of British ethnicity, predominantly in South Africa, but also in smaller numbers in Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zambia.

Unlike the Afrikaners, few early rooineks dressed inappropriate to the climate.

Unlike the Afrikaners, they have not constituted a coherent political or cultural entity in South Africa, hence the absence of a commonly accepted term, although 'English South African' or 'English-speaking South African' has also been used.

An Afrikaans term for Anglo African is rooinek, meaning "red neck" (derogatory depending on context [1]). It arose as a nickname in the early days of settlement, as a reference to the then red collars of British military uniforms, from the red markings the British farmers put on their imported Merino breed of sheep, or to the fact they were sunburnt easily, because unlike the Afrikaners, they were new to Africa, so dressed inappropriately, i.e. wore inadequate hats, e.g. pith helmets, or no hat at all.

History

Scottish-born David Livingstone left Britain behind for Africa.
Further information: History of South Africa, History of Zimbabwe, and History of Kenya

Although there were small temporary British settlements along the West African coast from the 1700s onwards, British settlement in Africa begain in earnest only at the end of the eighteenth century, in the Cape of Good Hope.

Although the creation of apartheid is usually attributed to Afrikaner-dominated governments, it is partially a legacy of British colonialism that introduced a system of pass laws in the Cape Colony in 1809. This was done with the objective of regulating the movement of blacks from the tribal regions to the areas occupied by whites and coloureds, and which were ruled by the British. Pass laws not only restricted the movement of blacks into these areas but also prohibited their movement from one district to another without a signed pass. Blacks were not allowed onto streets of towns in the Cape Colony and Natal after dark and had to carry a pass at all times.

British settlement in the Cape gained momentum following the success of the second British attempt to annex the Cape from the Dutch East India Company, and the subsequent encouragement of settlers in "Settler Country" in the Eastern Cape in an effort to consolidate the colony's eastern border following the Cape Frontier Wars against the Xhosa.

Britain expanded the Cape Colony northwards into Khoikhoi and San lands. Many Britons settled in the region, but developed a culture distinct from that in Britain; a culture which had similarities to developing Australian and Afrikaner cultures. Livingstone famously explored southern Africa, and was the first European to set eyes on Victoria Falls. He is a key character in Anglo African history, being one of the first well-known Britons to believe his heart was in Africa.

Rhodes planned to link Cairo to the Cape.

In the late nineteenth century, the discovery of gold in the Witwatersrand and diamonds in Kimberley further encouraged colonisation by Britons, Australians, Americans and Canadians. Following the defeat of the Afrikaners after the First and Second Boer Wars, Britain annexed the Boer Republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State.

Cecil Rhodes dreamt of a British Africa from Cape Town to Cairo, and the BSAC conquered Mashonaland, Matabeleland and some settlements further north, which became known as Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe and Zambia). The search for gold drove expansion north into the Rhodesias (now Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi). Simultaneously, British settlers began expansion into the fertile uplands (often called the "White Highlands") of British East Africa (now Kenya and Tanzania). In all these colonies, a number of settlers remained to live following independence and the introduction of majority rule in the second half of the twentieth century.

Modern history

File:Bushwar1.JPG
Rhodesian national servicewoman takes aim with a Browning automatic, from 1976 army recruitment poster.

Following the ideological rise of anti-colonialism throughout the Empire, many British protectorates and colonies were granted independence. However, a shift to black-dominated rule was met with a bloody civil war in Rhodesia until 1980, and the fading of Apartheid in South Africa until 1994.

Main article: Apartheid

The South African referendum of 1992 was held on March 17th. In it, South Africans were asked to vote in the last "whites only" referendum held under the apartheid system, to determine whether or not they supported the negotiated reforms begun by State President F.W. de Klerk two years earlier. The result of the election was a large victory for the "yes" side. Election analysts however reported that support to dismantle Apartheid among the Afrikaners was actually slightly higher than among English speakers. [1]

Efforts are being made by a few Anglo-Africans to secure minority rights. However, the vast majority of are supporting South Africa's official opposition, the Democratic Alliance.

Global presence

The British Empire.
File:Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations.svg
The Commonwealth.

Fearful crime and the possibility of South Africa's adopting a policy alike that in Zimbabwe, a significant number of Anglo-Africans have migrated to countries such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand.

A large number of young Anglo-Africans are taking advantage of working holiday visas made available by the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries to gain work experience. The favourable exchange rate with the South African Rand (ZAR) also increases the attractiveness of international experience.

Homeland movement

File:Britishafrica.jpg
The Anglo African homeland in Albany as proposed by the British African Front.

Since the fall of aparthied, the new ANC-dominated government has not been in favour of strong ethnic identity, but wishes for all South Africans to pull together as one for the sake of unity. It forced Afrikaner universities to use the ligua franca of English. There is fear due to farm attacks on whites. In mid-2001 the Freedom Front appealed to the United Nations Human Rights Commission about murder that "had taken on the shape of an ethnic massacre". The chant "Kill the Boer" is not uncommon. Regarding complaints by Anglo Africans about the poor standard of English language on SABC flagship radio station, SAfm, racist Current Affairs producer Kenosi Modisani, as quoted in The Independent, said: "If they don’t like it they can go back to England." [2]

During the years following the new millenium, the British African Front (renamed from English Front for Liberty) was an organisation that stood for the rights of Anglo Africans, who are sidelined and ignored by the South African, Namibian and Zimbabwean governments. It campaigned for recognition of the Anglo African people and is credited by some people for the phrases 'Anglo African' and 'British African' that Ben Castle used interchangably.

Refering to the accent and pronunciation of English by Anglo Africans, a reader of the Sowetan, a newspaper popular with black South Africans, made the comment, "The only place for this band of English speakers is an English Volkstaat." [3] Ben Castle promoted the idea of the British African volkstaat, which he intended to be established in the Anglo African hotspot known as Albany [4]. He pressured for the region to become a enormous gated community, rather alike the Kibbutzum in Israel as a stepping-stone to however much self-rule was possible. He also planned to include outposts in Natal Bay, the top of the Rand and the Zimbabwean Midlands. His proposal was for a capital in Grahamstown. Ben Castle also began the development of a flag for the Anglo African people. There was talk on internet forums of an anthem, but this never fully materialised. The British African Front, has since closed down due to a lack of public support and due to the conclusion by its leader, Ben Castle, that humans lack the power to truly sort the world's problems.

Culture

File:Beit-bridge-c1940.jpg
Typical Rhodesian farmhouse, Beit Bridge, circa 1940.
See also: Culture of South Africa

Anglo Africans generally enjoy an outdoor lifestyle and fondness for sport. The braai [5], although originally Afrikaans, is an important social occasion. Anglo-African culture is often likened to Australian culture. There is a fondness for trekking the Bush which is ideal for camping, and a hardy outlook.

Language

The heart of the Rhodes University campus.
Main article: South African English

Anglo Africans speak a dialect of English unique to themselves. There are influences from Cape Malays, Afrikaners and the Bantu languages, as well as Europe and Asia. The common greeting 'Howzit!' comes from 'How is it?' and can be likened to the US 'Howdy', the Australian 'G'Day', the Irish 'Howya?' or the recent British 'All right?'. The considerable Afrikaans influence can be seen from words such as braai, trek, lekker and ja having become common usage centuries ago. In South Africa many Zulu and Xhosa words (such as shongololo, muti, ubuntu etc.) are used.

Original South African English coinages

"bru" male friend (shortening of brother, see also bru above)
"cozzie" a swimsuit, short for swimming costume
"sarmie" a sandwich
"scheme" to think that (e.g. "I scheme we should go home now"; usage evolved from the hyperbole "What are you scheming?" asked of a person deep in thought.)
"soapie" a soap opera
"tune" to talk, especially to talk nonsense ("Are you tuning me?")
"higher grade" a bit too complicated (from the South African matric division of exams into standard *grade and higher grade)
"now now" An amount of time, could be anything from 5 seconds to 24 hours, could be past or future tense.

Rhodes University (the Anglo African equivalent of Oxford University) situated in Grahamstown houses the Dictionary Unit for South African English [6]. The fourth edition of the Dictionary of South African English was released in 1991, and the Oxford Dictionary released its South African English dictionary in 2002. The English Academy of Southern Africa was founded in 1961. It is an association dedicated to promoting the effective use of English as a dynamic language in Southern Africa. [7]

Literature

Anglo Africans have a long literary tradition, and have produced a number of notable novelists and poets, including Guy Butler, (Ignatius) Roy(ston) Dunnachie Campbell and Denis Vincent Brutus. A traditional Anglo-African storybook is Sir Percy Fitzpatrick's Jock of the Bushveld, which describes his journey as a wagondriver with his dog Jock in the Bush. Other significant writers are Alan Paton, Peter Godwin and Cathy Buckle.

Arts

Theatre is probably the artform most influenced by Anglo Africans. (Harold) Athol (Lannigan) Fugard is a significant playwright. As for music it is typically Anglo. There is Dave Matthews, who emigrated to United States, and is therefore more generally identified as American. Johnny Clegg is an inflential musician, though his music is more Zulu than Anglo. Clem Tholet wrote Rhodesian folk songs, including the Chilapalapa Cocki Robin.

Sport

Rory Byrne with Michael Schumacher's car for the 2005 F1 season.

Rugby, cricket and golf are generally considered to be the most popular sports among Anglo Africans. "Danie" (Daniel Hartman) Craven is arguably Africa's best rugby player. Champion golfers include Nick Price and Gary Player, while top cricket players include (Robert) Graeme Pollock. Regards swimming, there is Olympic winner Kirsty Coventry. Anglo Africans have had an influence on motorsport: Rory Byrne, Formula 1 is a famous Formula 1 car designer, Jody Scheckter won the F1 world championship, and his son Tomas Scheckter (born September 21, 1980) is a South African racing driver, born in Monte Carlo, currently competing in the Indy Racing League and the A1 Grand Prix series.

Notables

(Alphabetically by surname)

References

  1. ^ Countrystudies Toward Democracy

See also


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