70. Transkei

This post is about our brief passage through what was the independent country of Transkei, at least according to the South African government at that time.  In effect it was an original Bantustan or homeland as were created all over the southern African countries.  When we were making this trip we had obviously heard of Nelson Mandela though he was firmly in prison and would be for another 11 years, or so, and there was no way to anticipate the route the country would take.  Therefore we rolled into and past the place where Mandela was born and grew up, without realizing it.  We might have known that he was a Xhosa, and that Transkei was the homeland for Xhosas, but only now does it register to us that he was from the royal lineage of Tembuland which is marked on our original map right around Umtata. If there had been any signs pointing to his birthplace they would have been removed immediately and heads would have been knocked together at the very least.

As we drove west, initially the land alternated in terms of fertility, when it was moderately arable it was still RSA, when it was less arable, then we were likely driving through Kwazulu, a very fragmented homeland.  Then at one point we went into starker, less hospitable, less productive land, and it became all Transkei. One of the signs that this idea of “independent homelands” was an artificial determination was that the capital, Umtata, now Mthatha, was mainly White in the town center, with an “African township” in the distance.  It seemed a parallel universe then, it seemed even more difficult to believe now.  Apart from gambling, mixed-race couples were allowed, in these pockets of “Non South Africa within South Africa.”

Detail of the boundaries between the "Republic of South Africa" and the Homelands.  The yellow shows an approxition of our trip.

All of Transkei has since 1994 been integrated into the Eastern Cape Province.

Modern physical map of the area.  Transkei is now part of the Eastern Cape Province.  Yellow indicates our route.

San Lameer, Natal, South Africa -Umtata - Transkei) Tuesday, 19th July, 1983

(DAN) Cecily offered to take us as far as Margate to help us get a ride. We are only 10 kms from the Transkei, but since it has always been a “Bantustan”, it does not have many good roads. To get to Umtata and beyond, we have to go back up to Port Shepstone to get onto the N2. This is how South Africans get from Natal to the Cape Province, so it is in good condition.

No sooner had Cecily dropped us off than an older man in a luxury sedan pulled over. Thus we began a day of good luck. He was a building engineer with contracts up and down the booming (as in oil boom) coast. He was going to Port Shepstone but dropped us a few kms beyond. Here we waited perhaps twenty minutes and a small Toyota pick-up pulled over. It was a police plainclothesman going to Igengolweni just inside of a piece of Kwazulu (35 kms).

It was an interesting ride. He had a handgun that he put under the seat as Helena got in. He was about 30, good looking, and indicated that he had also hitched “all over” when he was a youth and that he still camps a lot. He has traveled a bit, in fact last year spent four weeks “on business” in Taiwan. “Great chaps those Chinese.” “And these blacks; what do you think of our blacks? They are the happiest people in the world--always smiling! I think we make a great mistake trying to civilize these people.”

Our next ride was to Harding with a Ford dealer. He was one of our kindest lifts and invited us to spend the night with him if we did not get a ride beyond Kokstad where he lives. That ride was again about 40 kms, so we were soon out waiting by the road again.

Transkei countryside

This ride, as far as Kokstad, was with an agricultural implement dealer delivering two implements. We are beginning to realize that businessmen that travel by themselves a lot welcome company and are our best bet for rides. Tom was originally from Rho­desia, but immigrated three years ago. He was a member of a large group destined at one time to settle in Uruguay. However, they sent a man over there to check the situation and they never heard from him again. So, they decided to stay in SA. This man they sent even had a family...

Tom mentioned that they had considered another South American country, but he could not remember the name. Some men went over to check it out, but came back because the area that the government in question wanted to colonize was too isolated. (Bolivia?)

That ride was short, so soon we were by the roadside again, and this time the next ride did not materialize for over two hours. We had some distraction while we waited. First two black men came and got rides just below us after a short wait. Then Miss Transkei walked up and waited near us. She was dressed up for the event with tight trousers, silk blouse, and high heels --and leg warmers. Then she got a ride and we were beginning to worry. However a very fancy Leyland Rover pulled over and gave us a lift. This man was a Leyland Executive on his way to look into the Umtata dealership. He was a tall man, burly, and had a beard, and his ten year old son was along with him. He said several times that he was in no hurry, so we stopped a couple of times to take pictures. For once our driver did not launch into generalizations about the Bantus and we had a most enjoyable trip. One of his hobbies is making doll furni­ture and, though he lives in Durban, had just sold a crib in Kokstad.

The scenery was fascinating all day. When we turned inland from Port Shepston, we started to climb. As soon as the land got too steep for economic agriculture we reentered Kwazulu and went through the hilly sugar cane area. There is a piece of Kwazulu that runs parallel to the shoreline about 6 kms, in sort of a cheap labor pool within walking distance all along the water front. There were some white lands in the hilly sugar cane areas, but holdings appeared to be quite expensive. Before Izingolveni we passed Oribi Gorge, “SA’s Grand Canyon”. It is an impressive gorge cutting through the mountainous area, but we were a distance away from it.

More Transkei panorama

As we got higher we started hitting areas where they grow timber commercially. The Ford dealer explained that sugar cane is much more profitable, but that in places where it freezes they can only grow timber. Between Harding and Kokstad the view was “European” with high mountains, large stands of both pine and deciduous timber, huge meadows with milk cattle (normally green, I presume), and there is even a cheese factory outside of Kokstad.

Once into Transkei, the panorama changes completely, the terrain is more mountainous, also beautiful, but in a very stark way. There is a very high population of round white huts, and the defoliation and erosion is the worst yet. There were some areas where terracing (well done) is being used, but it is the exception, and countless gullies are forming along the way. The people are Xhosa and Tembu in this “independent homeland”.

More Transkei panorama

For once we knew exactly where we were going. Somebody had informed us that the Umtata caravan park is just before the Holiday Inn, where our driver was headed, so we got door to door service.

The first thing that struck us was how many white people there were in the capital of this independent homeland. We drove by a school where apparently all the kids out on the playing fields were white. Then once we got settled in the campground, we noticed that many of the people there (the park was completely full of well-entrenched trailers) were bi­racial couples. Later in the evening, a young Indian man came by to talk; the companion in his car was black. In “the Republic” that is even against the law.

We got permission to camp on some nice new grass that was roped off. Then the mana­ger came by about 2000 and informed us that this area was being preserved for September, and that we would have to move. We were grudgingly given permission to spend the rest of the night there as long as we moved to another place in the morning. We are planning to stay here in Umtata to taste a bit of the independent homeland tomorrow. By the way, they use a currency called the Rand here.

Umtata, Transkei, Wednesday, 20 July, 1983

(HELENA) Last night we discovered that we had left our rain poncho-ground cloth behind, so after 10 months of keeping the bottom of the tent clean, we had to put it directly on the ground. It was even harder this morning because we had to pick it up and move it to bare dirt.

After closing up our things in the tent, we walked a good ways into the center of town. The part we went through had some mighty nice old houses. We found the Tourist Information Bureau without much problem, but we had to get permission from the man at the reception desk before being allowed into the second floor – written permission, that is.  Dan simply asked the young man if he had information on Umtata and the Transkei.  With only a nod, the man responded by sticking his head in the cabinet and emerging 3 minutes later with an armload of information.  He handed us the usual pamphlets, plus two big picture calendars, plus four decals which state: FEEL FREE, TOUR TRANSKEI.  With only one day to spend in a place it’s hard to digest all of the available literature.  Sooo… we went across the street to the museum we’d already noted.  It is housed in an old building and the displays had two main themes: the bead work of the Tembu tribe and enlarged pictures of old Umtata.  The most interesting thing was that, even though it was in Tembuland, Umtata has always been a White town.  Apparently two warring tribes had ceded land to the Whites so they could act as a buffer.  There was some very impressive beadwork (necklaces with front part reaching almost to the floor, etc.) and we learned that each colour and each pattern has a certain meaning.

We bought stamps to send 4 postcards from the Transkei, bought bread, White Rhino peanut butter, and drink, and headed for a park to have lunch.  We walked around the center of town a good bit; quite an attractive, well-kept place.  (Someone had warned us that we would be met by a “sea of black faces”, but I’m afraid we were mainly surprised at the number of people of European descent.)

On the way back to camp we saw the usual poorer township way off on a hill away from town.  Hm, I wonder what that has to say about equality in a Black homeland?

A street in Umtata with the African township in the distance

It was sunny all day, but since it was also windy, we were grateful for the jerseys (not sweaters) that Martin and Cecily lent us.  Dan is becoming so attached to his that he is tempted to take it back to the USA with him.  The night before we left Johannesburg, Martin gave Dan the first pair of sandals he’d made for himself and he fitted each of us with a nicely tooled leather belt.  Three years ago he broke his leg.  During convalescence he decided to learn how to work with leather.  Learn he did, as evidenced by shoes, handbags, belts.  Cecily also gave me a hair thing that he’d made for her out of leather.

(DAN) There were about 5 largish modern buildings in town, the tallest being the Transkei Development Corporation which is consequently the major employer of Whites here. 

Transkei Development Corporation headquarters.

There were several large older buildings, one the parliament or Bunga, and the other, the imposing Town Hall.  The latter was reminiscent of a county seat in Southern USA. It is set in the middle of a large square with a well-tended garden.  The architecture, in sandstone, is very similar to what was being built in the US at the same time, ca 1890.  Then, occupying a prominent place in the park, in front of the hall, is a large monument.  A monument, not to independence, or black heritage, but to all the Umtata White Boys that were lost in the two wars.

A bit of photoshopping.  The beginning words of the Freedom Charter, rather than the tribute to the White boys.

We were impressed with the number of Mercedes Benz sedans with Transkei licenses being driven around by both Blacks and Whites.

A memorable quote from some of our literature, The Guide to Umtata:  “The Transkei has a plentiful supply of diligent labor and a history of virtually no labor unrest.” 

Umtata, Transkei – Queenstown, RSA, Thursday, 21 July, 1983

We were lethargic breaking camp so it was 0830 by the time we started walking.  We were just walking down the street when a white haired hefty man in a blue station wagon pulled over.  He was going to Engcobo, or about 100 km, so we piled in.  Quite a character! He is a self-confessed very successful contractor that does “90% of his business in the Transkei”.  When we told him that our parents were missionaries he said, “I’ve got a missionary from Texas living in my house right now.”  What denomination?  “Full Gospel, but that business about denominations is nonsense.”  And he went into a long discourse on how much of the evil in the world had been brought by the divisions in the church.

He drew a breath and his next long bit was about “the Nigger”.  “You can’t change people by educating them; a nigger will always be a nigger.  The U.S. thinks that they can solve all the problems in Africa by pumping in money, 5 billion for this, 10 billion for that, now take another 5 billion, make that 10 billion.  All that money goes into corruption.  When will the US ever learn?  Kaffirs are basically lazy and need a white man to make them work.  We have helped the Kaffir much more by giving him employment.”

“Something else, I have been to the US twice for Gideon Bible conventions (my wife and I are both Gideons) and I never found one American who liked Niggers either.  The US is just like South Africa, just multiply everything by 10.”  Then he went on to say on one trip, after a few days at Disney World he went to Canada for two days.  “Canadians are as different from Americans as night and day, as if you could cut it with a knife.  Canadians are more like S. Africans, conservative, etc.”

“I really liked Disney World.  When I got home, I wanted to take my wife there right away for three weeks, but she refused, thinks it is a waste of money.  Just like our old Mercedes, she refused to drive it.   It is not really that old, in fact I’m driving this thing while it is having its first scheduled check.  But I liked it so much that I’ve ordered another, the most expensive you can get in SA – 70000 Rand.  She will be really mad.  She would rather give the money to God.  It’s not that I don’t give, I just got through buying a 24000$ 4WD vehicle for WY__ (Some World Youth Christian organization).  God told me to buy a vehicle for them and then a week later I got a letter from them saying they needed a 4WD pick up, could I help them get it.”

“God does not say you must give all your riches away.  You know in the Bible where that guy wanted to know how to get to Heaven, and Jesus told him to first get rid of his riches.  He was talking about priorities.  As long as money was the first priority he had not hope.  But if you put God first then everything else falls into place.  You see I’m not in any sort of prosperity cult that thinks that the more money you give the more you’ll get.  No, I was born again about 10 years ago, and things have just gone my way.  Everything I touch turns to gold.”  He also mentioned that his daughter went to finishing school in Switzerland.

We asked him if he knew why most of the houses in Transkei, the round ones, are only painted on one side.  He said it was purely economic reasons that they paint the side towards the road.  “They’ve only started painting their houses since they became Christians.  Down near the sea you can still find raw kaffirs that have never heard about Christ.  Their houses are mud color all the way around.  Here the people are about half Christianized.”

He was most accommodating and drove us on beyond the edge of Engcobo so we could better wait for the next ride.  But we were both relieved to be on our own again; your neck gets tired of nodding and saying nothing at such ideas.  He invited us to stay with him indefinitely if we are ever back in S.A.  He said “God Bless You” and drove off. 

We waited in the beautiful surroundings for perhaps 40 minutes before a car stopped.  This man (Afrikaans) was going all the way to Queenstown, and we were quite welcome. He had a bright red shirt, a blue striped tie, white shoes and was one of our most informative rides.  He’s is a poultry expert that works for the Transkei, and contrary to what all Afrikaaners are held to be, he had a lot of information about the Black tribes, their differences, and what the meaning was behind some of what we saw.  The half-painted houses, according to him, have to do with the prevailing wind.  The huts only have one door, and this is always oriented away from the prevailing winds.  Only that front half is painted because when storms do come, they cause the whitewash to separate from the mud underneath.  The area we were going through is really reminiscent of the Altiplano around Eucalyptus[1], but with less vegetation.  The drought and overpopulation have really taken their toll.

It is logical that this man should know more about “the Blacks”.  He has been working in Transkei for 3 years, and before that he consulted in Malawi, Zambia, Swaziland and Botswana for 10 years.  Even so he made some statements to the effect that “Blacks are not agriculturally minded.  Oh one or two will take an initiative, but in general…”  We drove by one community where they are setting up a large poultry project.  “To make a modern setup work, it just about has to have a white person in charge.” 

He has some information that is truly sad for Transkei's future.  As we neared the western corner of Transkei, we entered a territory that was not nearly so badly overgrazed.  It turns out that there is a large wedge of land that SA “gave to Transkei” about 3 years ago.  The SA Government bought out the ranchers and turned it over to the Transkei Government.  I asked “how are they dividing it up?”  There were no “native” type houses on the land.  “They are not dividing it up.  The ranches now belong to different Transkei officials.  That one over there belongs the Transkei Consul to Bloemfontein. This information was seconded later by Mr. Horne who actually surveyed the land for sale.

Along the same line Mr. Horne was telling about plans that had been presented for a new “Bantu” township just across the border from Queenstown into Transkei.  The Transkei authorities returned it saying that it could not be approved until land was allotted for a hotel.  The developers point out that there was already a hotel in the existing township only 1 km away.  But no, they had to shuffle things around, put the hospital where the school had been, the hotel where the hospital had been.

According to Mr. Horne and his nephew, the Transkei President owns all of the hotels, at least in the new townships.  This is not because of the money from tourism, but because the hotels are the only locations licensed to sell liquor.  He owns the hotel in the existing township, the only liquor store for 55,000 people living in the township area. The poultry expert dropped us at the post office in Queenstown right at noon. 

 

Parts of Queenstown in the valley with Transkei in the background (where the mountains start).

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[1] In spite of its name, this Bolivian town has virtually no trees.  It has that name because it is a railway stop where Eucalyptus ties from nearby valleys were stockpiled.  Mother and Daddy lived here for 3 years.