Reconciled Slavery at Bartholomeüs Diaz Museum Mossel Bay
Afrikaner descendants during a act of Repentance , reconciling the sins of their forefathers towards Khoi descendants at the Diaz Museum in Mossel Bay.
EMBRACING THEIR IDENTITY, OUR FIRST NATION IS ARISING
The Coloured people of South-Africa, are on the rise as a nation finding a long lost identity. Yes, there is ‘home coming’ as the Coloured people move into their true identity and prophetic purposes as a nation amongst the South-African nations. It is evident that Coloured leaders are emerging in all spheres of life taking up their rightful place in society and even making their mark in the political field. This movement is an unquenchable fire that has been set alight and no one will be able to stop it. Our Government should take note and embrace them more into the future decision making processes of our country.
Were do they come from and how did they lose their identity?
The Khoi people are descendants of the biblical Ham, one of Noah’s sons. They migrated to the southern part of Africa more than 2000 year ago settling on the southern shores. Where as the San or Bushman are known as a hunter gatherer people group, the Khoi people were nomadic herdsmen who migrated accross the vast fields of South-Africa with their cattle and sheep. They were a people who lived in peace with their fellow men, an Hamitic characteristic aptly described in the Bible: “And they found fertile and good pasture, for the land was wide and quiet and peaceable. For some of the sons of Ham had lived there of old.” (1Ch 4:40)
This was the scenario Bartholomeüs Diaz embarked upon in 1488 when he encountered the Khoi on the shores of Mossel Bay. The Portuguese anchored at Santos beach in search of fresh water from a nearby spring. As the Portugeuse had no understanding of Khoi culture they did not realise that the Khoi regarded water as sacred. This misunderstanding had bloody consequences when the Khoi clan tried to protect their sacred water resulting in Diaz killing a Khoi herdsman with a crossbow. The first violent bloodshed between European and indigenous people occurred that day on southern African soil opening and ancient door for future mistrust and misunderstandings between the European and the indigenous people.
When the Dutch arrived in 1652, Jan van Riebeeck hoped to establish a refreshing post for passing ships at the Cape of Good Hope. The Dutch were welcomed by innocent childlike clans of Khoi, dancing and making music to welcome the strangers. As the refreshing post at the Cape extended, the need for more cheap labor arose resulting in van Riebeeck importing slaves for this purpose. The slaves came mainly from Madagascar, India, Malaysia and various African countries. They were housed in a place called ‘The Slave Lodge’, also used as a prison and as a institution for the mentally handicapped. A place of misery where the foundation of a new nation was laid.
The Khoi could not comply to the Dutch demand for cheap labor and were also in constant conflict with the European settlers who took over their land. Due to international slavery restrictions the Governor of the Cape and his Board closed their eyes to the free burgers who started to enslaved the Khoi as labourers.
The Slave Lodge was also opened for one hour every evening so that the employees of the Company and the sailors passing by could relieve their sexual needs and perverted desires. The Lodge became a brothel. The slave woman believed they would be redeemed from slavery if they could conceive a child by a white man. The lighter skin children however, worked against their hopes as the slave owners could auction these children for more money resulting in them targeting the slave woman for breeding as well.. These free burgers (men that were set free by the Company and received land to farm and do business with the Company) even went as far as to raise children by these offspring to bring forth a more lighter skin colour for more money. The Lodge degenerated from slavery to prostitution to incest.
The Khoi woman, stripped from their rights, were also used for this purpose and thus a unique nation emerged from this misery resulting in two nations evolving namely the Afrikaner and the Colored people of South-Africa. The one the oppressor and the other the oppressed, a history expanding nearly 340 years.
God, in His foreknowledge knew that this would happen. With His heart full of compassion towards the outcast, the widow, the oppressed and the poor, He had a plan of restoration. During the year 1737 God called the Moravian missionary, Georg Schmidt to bring the gospel to the Khoi people. He told Georg to go to the Hottentot people of Southern Africa with the scripture in Isaiah 43:21 “These people I have formed for myself, they shall declare My praises.” The Moravians, who had a 24/7 prayer chain for more than a hundred years, released this 24/7 prayer mantle to the Khoi (Hottentot) people of South Africa. The Colored people, as the direct offspring of the Hottentot/Khoi people, stand out as a people group who can pray and praise our Lord Jesus Christ fervently with all their hearts. The prophetic voices for the past 100 years have been declaring that revival will come to our land through the Coloured people. It is thus no coincidence that the 1860 revival in Worcester was sparked through the prayers of a young Coloured girl.
The corrupt inheritance that the founding fathers and previous governments bequeathed the Coloured people, bear the fruit of immorality, poverty, alcohol and drug addiction. Our greatest sin against them was the denial of their identity resulting in a confused people with many finding an identity on the road of self destruction in violence, addiction and immorality.
The tide is however changing as the Coloured people are emerging from the ashes and taking up their God given responsibility to make a difference in society. It is in this process that we can now turn the tables of oppression to serve and help them.. This will be the only sensible way of doing restitution and ministering healing to these wonderful people.
The incident of the innocent blood that was shed on the Santos beach by Bartholomeüs Diaz has been brought before the throne of God during a reconciliation meeting between Afrikaner and Khoi descendants in 2007 at the Diaz Museum in Mossel Bay. The Mayor of Mossel Bay, Elder lady Marie Ferreira was present and involved in the public repentance. That day we closed the unholy ancient gate of ethnic violence with its destructive power on a governmental level and we have seen the benefits of peace and restoration in our local society.
For the past few years we are witnessing the return to and renewed awareness of ancient roots amongst the Coloured people as they regroup themselves in Khoi clans such as The Hessequa, Gouriqua, Attaqua, Namaqua and many others. We are encouraged by the passion of the current Khoi leadership as we see this nation coming to grips with their past. The era of ‘slavery’ has come to an end. The last shall be first and the hearts of the Coloured people are filled with hope as they discover their Prophetic calling as a nation. Their prayers and songs of praise, as the first nation and first priesthood of South-Africa will usher in the glory of God which will cover this nation as the water covers the seas.
For More Information on the Prophetic Destiny of the Coloured People see the information on the book God’s End Time Plan for the Coloured People of Southern Africa written by Retha Venter.
