Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis the focus is on the history of the Kareeberg Bastaards who lived in the Kareeberg
region at the time of the establishment of the Amandelboom mission station by the Rhenish
Mission Society in 1845. Marginalised by their more powerful white neigbours, the Kareeberg
Bastaards existed as semi-independent nomadic pastoralists in the Kareeberg mountains on the
northern borders of the Cape Colony. The objective of the Rhenish Mission Society in extending
their missionary activities to the Kareeberg region was to first convert the Kareeberg Bastaards
and later the Schietfontein Xhosa into settled Christian communities.
What was first viewed as a simple missionary endeavour by the Rhenish Mission Society
unexpectedly developed into a serious problem for the Society. Due to several factors the initial
objectives ofthe Rhenish Mission Society for these people were never fully realized. The most
obvious reason for the initial problems experienced by the misssionaries was their strong
Eurocentric ideas - something which characterized virtually all foreign missionaries to South
Africa during the 19th century. This aspect which complicated matters at Amandel boom from the
outset, is thoroughly examined in this thesis. It is argued that the main reason for the failure of
the Rhenish Mission at Amandelboom can primarily be found in its world view. In this regard
particular attention is paid to the regional factors operating in Germany which impacted upon the
origin and development of the Rhenish Mission Sociey. The influence of these factors on the
development of the Rhenish Mission Society could possibly explain why the Amandelboom
missionaries were so out of touch with the realities of the Kareeberg area and its peoples. The
impact of these factors on the Bastaard community specifically and the Amandelboom mission
in general, is thoroughly investigated.
Another aspect of the missionary's involvement at the Amandelboom mission which can be
attributed to the specific characteristics of the Rhenish Mission Society itself, was that the society
confined itself almost exclusively to the spiritual needs of the Bastaard people. In general the
emphasis on spirituality to the exclusion of everything else in the training programme of the
Rhenish Mission Society resulted in somewhat naive missionaries who, when in the field, found
themselves out of their depth in the special circumstances that prevailed in the societies they tried
to minister. In particular the position of the Bastaards in the broader sphere ofthe Cape colonial
politics and their socio-economic position in that society, were crucial aspects of the Kareeberg
Bastaard community which the missionaries either ignored, or failed to grasp. In contrast to the
London Mission Society and its workers who often fought on behalf of their congregations for
their rights and liberties, the Amandelboom missionaries assumed that the worldly condition of
their congregants had to be accepted as the will of God. According to the strong Pietistic
principles of the Rhenish Mission Society they held the view that true Christians should refrain
from indulging in undesirable political activity.
However, the complicated history of the Kareeberg Bastaards prior to the arrival of the missionaries
and several external factors which applied to this community, resulted in an intricate and
uncertain relationship between the Bastaards and the rest of the people of the Cape Colony. The
threat which resulted from this to the existence of the Bastaards as a group required a more drastic
approach from the missionaries than that which they were trained for, or prepared to perform. The
missionaries were consequently ill-prepared for their task in the Kareeberge. Against this
background, coupled to the fact that the Bastaards were isolated in an ecologically marginal
farming area, the associated land questions and threats of displacement of the community made
for insurmountable problems at the Amandelboom mission. These socio-political questions were
more complicated than anything that could be handled by means of instructions from Germany.
The change in farming practices in the districts adjacent to Amandelboom from meat to wool production, the impact thereof on the acquisition of land and how land reforms in these districts
eventually impacted upon the Amandelboom Bastaard communities, form an integral part of this
thesis. Against this background an attempt is made to put the Kareeberg mission and the
involvement of the Rhenish Mission Society at Amandelboom, in its proper historical
perspective. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie proefskrif word die fokus geplaas op die Kareebergbasters as 'n uitgeworpe
splintergroep van die blanke samelewing aan die Kaapkolonie se noordgrens. Teen 1845, met die
vestiging van die Rynse sendingstasie by Amandelboom, het die Kareebergbasters nog 'n semionafhanklike
nomadiese bestaan in die Kareeberge gevoer. Die doelstelling van die Rynse
Sendinggenootskap met die uitbreiding van hulle sendinginisiatiewe na die Kareebergstreek, was
om hierdie verdronge groep, en later ook die Schietfontein-Xhosa, in gevestigde, Christelike
gemeenskappe te verander.
Wat aanvanklik as 'n maklike sendingveld gesien is, het egter spoedig na die vestiging van die
eerste sendelinge op Amandelboom, onverwags in 'n ernstige probleem vir die genootskap
ontaard. Weens talle faktore het die aanvanklike doelstellings van die Rynse Sendinggenootskap
vir die Kareebergbasters nooit werklik gerealiseer nie. Die mees voor-die-hand-liggende rede vir
die aanvanklike probleme waarmee die sendelinge te kampe gehad het, was die sterk
Eurosentriese idees van die sendelinge wat so 'n algemene kenmerk was van feitlik alle
buitelandse sendinginisiatiewe in Suid-Afrika gedurende die 19de eeu. Hierdie aspek wat vanuit
die staanspoor sake op Amandelboom ernstig bemoeilik het, word in hierdie proefskrif diepliggend
ondersoek. Daar word aangevoer dat die rede waarom die Amandelboomsending misluk
het in die eerste plek teruggevoer kan word tot die wêreld-en lewensbeskouing van die Rynse
Sendinggenootskap self. In hierdie verband word indringend gekyk na die impak van
streeksfaktore in Duitsland op die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van die Rynse Sendinggenootskap
as moontlike verklaring waarom die ter plaatse sendelinge op Amandelboom dikwels so uit
voeling was met die realiteite van die Kareebergstreek en sy inwoners. Die impak hiervan op die
Bastergemeenskap, asook die implikasies daarvan vir die Kareebergsending in sy geheel, word
indringend ondersoek.
Nog 'n aspek van die Kareebergsending wat tot die aard van die Rynse Sendinggenootskap self
teruggevoer kan word, was dat die sendelinge hulle taak in die Kareeberge bloot tot die geestelike
bearbeiding van die Basters beperk het. In die algemeen het die ietwat "wêreldvreemde" Rynse
Sendinggenootskap en hulle sendelinge in die sendingveld weinig begrip vir die besondere sosioekonomiese
en veral politieke posisie van die Bastergemeenskap in die breë Kaapse samelewing
getoon. In teenstelling met die Londense Sendinggenootskap wat dikwels as kampvegters vir die
regte van hulle volgelinge opgetree het, het die Rynse Sendinggenootskap in hierdie stadium nog
uitsluitlik op die geestelike welstand van hulle volgelinge gefokus. Buite hierdie breë raamwerk
is in die algemeen streng afsydig gestaan teenoor elke ander aspek van die gemeenskappe waaronder
hulle gewerk het. Die aardse lotgevalle van hulle volgelinge was Godgegewe en moes so
aanvaar word. Volgens die streng Piëtistiese interpretasie van die Rynse Sendinggenootskap
moes die opregte Christen hom weerhou van ongewenste politieke bemoeienis.
Die ambivalente posisie van die Basters in die koloniale gemeenskap; hulle lang, ingewikkelde
voorgeskiedenis en komplekse verweefdheid met talle eksterne faktore, het egter 'n meer
drastiese benadering geverg as waarvoor die Rynse sendelinge opgelei was, ofwaarop hulle ten
opsigte van die Kareebergbasters voorbereid was. Teen hierdie agtergrond was die verdringingsprobleem
van die Kareebergbasters as 'n vasgekeerde gemeenskap in 'n ekologiese randgebied
en die gepaardgaande grondkwessies op Amandelboom, meer ingewikkeld as wat die sendelinge
en veral die voorskriftelike direksie van die genootskap in Duitsland ooit besef het. Die oorskakeling
van vleis- na wolproduksie in die aanliggende blanke distrikte, die impak daarvan op
toegang tot grond en hoe grondhervormings in hierdie distrikte uitgekring het na die onafhanklike
Bastergemeenskap buite die grense van die kolonie, vorm 'n geïntegreerde deel van die proefskrif.
Teen hierdie agtergrond word gepoog om die Kareebergsending en die Rynse betrokkenheid by die Bastergemeenskap op Amandelboom, in sy besondere historiese perspektief te plaas.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/49927 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Herbst, Robert Otto |
| Contributors | Venter, C., Heese, H. F., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of History. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 263 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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