Survey shows ignorance about big moments in South Africa’s history – like the Sharpeville massacre (TheConversation.com)

The yearly Human Rights Day public holiday in South Africa in late March commemorates the Sharpeville Massacre, when police opened fire on a crowd of unarmed black protesters outside the Sharpeville police station on 21 March 1960. An estimated 69 people were killed and 180 injured, many shot in the back as they fled the scene.

The protest, led by the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, was against the hated identification document, known as a “dompas” (dumb pass), that the apartheid regime forced black people to carry, and which controlled their movements.

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Patensie, Eastern Cape

Patensie is a Town in Sarah Baartman District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Patensie lies along the R331 road just South of Noorshoek.
The Antoniesberg Pass is not a lazy Sunday afternoon drive. This Pass is a remote, sheer gravel pass that links the Groot River with the Northern side of the Baviaanskloof Mountains. The Pass itself is not long, only 5 km, but there are several access roads that combine to make it something of an adventure, depending on how you drive it. First things first - You will not be able to drive this Pass without being in a 4x4 vehicle with good ground clearance. 'Soft-roaders' will not have sufficient ground clearance. Adventure bikers will need to be experienced to handle this Road, as it is long, rough, steep and dangerous over many sections, including the entire Eastern section between the Pass and Patensie.
Patensie is the last stop before entering the Baviaanskloof Wilderness area. Guarded by the majestic Cockscomb Mountain, this little Town's activities revolve around the Citrus Industry. It has become a very popular tourist destination with many B&B's and self-catering establishments, as well as fuel-stops, banks and shops to choose from.
Tourism Information can be obtained from the Tolbos Country Shop and Tea Garden. Visit the impressive Kouga Dam built in 1967 - the first double-arched Dam engineered in South Africa.

The Farm "Patentie" of 3000 morgen was awarded to David Keyser jnr. In 1852 the Farm was sub-divided and in 1858 Patensie was declared a Town. The name Patensie has a Hottentot origin and means "lêplek van die beeste" (where the cattle lie). At first, because all of Patensie was privately owned, Town development was difficult and the Citrus and Tobacco co-ops had to develop their own Residential Areas.
The first oranges were exported in 1907 by Mr Bean and in 1929 the Patensie Citrus Co-op. was founded. The first packing facility was built in 1937. The Co-op is today known as the PSB company and is the biggest citrus packing facility in the Area. Export citrus is the main crop of the Patensie Area! The season runs from April to October.
The Tobacco Co-op. was founded in 1936 and played a vital part in farming of tobacco in the Area. It has since been sold to KaapAgri. Although tobacco is still planted the Tobacco Co-op no longer exists!
The narrow gauge railway, was extended from the Town of Loerie to Patensie in 1914, the improvement of access Roads and the construction of the Kouga Dam in the sixties, sped up the development of Patensie through the stimulation of agriculture and supporting industries. Despite the ever present threat of flooding, the Community is thriving and apart from citrus, vegetables, chicory and tobacco are also planted. Game Farming is growing into a lucrative business and the Area is fast becoming a big tourist attraction.

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-33° 45' 10.8", 24° 47' 31.2"

Augrabies Fall National Park, Northern Cape

Augrabies is a small Town in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, situated on the South bank of the Orange River about 100 kilometres downstream from Upington. The Khoi people called the Augrabies Falls 'Aukoerebis', the place of the Great Noise, referring to the Orange River thundering its way downwards for 60 metres in a spectacular Waterfall.

The Town has been totally overshadowed by the Augrabies Falls National Park. Not only does it lie on the border of the Park with which people assume it is synonymous, but very few people know that a Town on the edge of the Park that surrounds the renowned Waterfall, even exists!

The 28 000 hectares on both the Northern and Southern sides of the Orange River provide sanctuary to a diversity of species, from the very smallest succulents, birds and reptiles to springbok, gemsbok and the endangered black rhino.

The ancestors of modern History have inhabited the area surrounding the Orange River since the Early Stone Age. During this time, there is evidence that early man had developed weapons for hunting animal like hippopotamus. They knew to establish themselves near good water sources like the Orange River. During the Middle Stone Age man had created more formal work tools and began to utilise fire. The Late Stone Age, which dates back 22 000 years, is characterised by tools that are smaller from the previous periods. The most prolific archaeological features are the stone cairns, from the later Stone Age. Excavations have shown that not all the cairns contains human skeletal remains. (The fine for unlicensed excavation of fossils in South Africa is R20,000.00. Don't do it! )

The Area is inhabited by the Nama People who over the Centuries have managed to adapt to the harsh conditions of the Area. A traditional expression from this Area is the traditional domed huts known as 'matjieshuise’ and a direct translation would be ‘mat houses’. These Houses are extremely well suited for hot climate in this Area. During the Summer the stems and culms from which the mats are made up of, shrink, allowing gaps to appear. This results in a breeze being able to low through and cooling the hut down. In Winter the stems expand keeping out the cold winds and rain. Temperature fluctuations in the Region have resulted in unique adaptations in animals. The animals in Augrabies Falls National Park can survive in extreme high and low temperatures. Smaller animals make use of whatever shade is available as well as burrows, rock crevices and fallen trees. The types of animals that have made these adaptations are the slender mongoose, the yellow mongoose, and Rock Dassies. An interesting mammal found in Augrabies is the Cape Clawless Otter, their presence in the park indicates that the River ecosystem is relatively healthy. The giraffes found in Augrabies are lighter in colour than those found in the Regions of the East, as a counter measure for the extreme heat. One of the most often seen Antelope is the Klipspringer, which are often seen in pairs. Other antelope found in the Park are Steenbok, Springbok, Gemsbok, Kudu and Eland. Predators in Augrabies Falls National Park come in the form of Leopard, Black Backed Jackals, Caracal, the Bat-Eared Fox, and the African Wild Cat.

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-28° 35' 27.6", 20° 18' 7.2"

Somerset Hospital, Cape Town

The Somerset Hospital in Green Point opened in 1864 and has been declared a National Monument. The Hospital replaced one of the same name in Cape Town which had been founded by Dr Samuel Bailey in 1818 as the first civilian Hospital in the City. It was named after Lord Charles Somerset the Governor of the Cape Colony who gave land for the construction. The cornerstone for the new Hospital was laid on 18 August 1859 by the Cape Governor Sir George Grey. The Chavonne's Battery was used as an isolation and convalescent wing of the hospital.
The Hospital established its own nurse training school and was the first hospital to train non-white nurses. It was also the first Hospital in South Africa to be used for the training of doctors. From 1918 until 1937, when the Groote Schuur Hospital opened, it was the main academic hospital of the University of Cape Town. The hospital has become a prime referral centre for the treatment of AIDS and the first antiretroviral distribution centre was established there in 2005. In 2010 it opened a new measles ward. The Hospital is also home to the Cape Medical Museum. The Cape Medical Museum is situated here, built by Sir George Grey the Governor of the Cape in 1859 is a great visit if you are interested in the History of medicine, particularly as it emphasises both Western and Traditional medicine in the Cape.
The hospital provides comprehensive health care services which includes HIV, Aids and TB- related treatment, care, support services, HIV counselling and testing. It became the prime referral centre for the treatment of AIDS and established the first antiretroviral distribution centre in 2005.

Geolocation
18° 24' 46.8", -33° 54' 14.4"
References
Further Reading

https://www.westerncape.gov.za/facility/new-somerset-hospital
file:///C:/Users/SAHO%203/Downloads/173735-Article%20Text-445062-1-10-20180625.pdf

The Emperor has no Clothes by Liz Timbs

On December 3, 2018, Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu celebrates 47 years since his coronation as Isilo (King) of the Zulus of South Africa. Zwelithini (literally, “What does the world have to say?”) was born on July 14, 1948, the eldest son of Paramount Chief Cyprian Bhekuzulu and his second wife, Thomozile Jezangani kaNdwandwe. Groomed to become king from a young age, Zwelithini was enrolled at Bhekuzulu College, the training institution for the sons of chiefs and headmen in Nongoma, and tutored in Zulu customs privately at the Khethomthandayo royal residence.

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