Resensie

NEDERLAND EN DIE AFRIKANER: GESPREK OOR APARTHEID. DIE PAGINARUIL TUSSEN TROUWEN DIE BURGER, 1963-1964 - Dr. HO Terblanche (Navorsingspublikasie C30, 1998, Universiteit Port Elizabeth). ISBN 0869887106 (238 pp)

Aspekte van ’n Christelike perspektief op fasette van die Geskiedwetenskap en die beoefening daarvan in ’n veranderende Suid-Afrika

Aspects of a Christian perspective on some facets of History as a discipline and its practice in a changing South Africa Within the framework and dynamics of a currently changing South Africa, not only History as a practised discipline hul historians too - especially Christian historians are increasingly criticised from various quarters and/or faced with totally new obstacles and questions. Although criticism in this sense constitutes nothing new perse, the f undamental character of changes sweeping the country (e.g. democratization, nation building, truth and reconciliation, societal restructuring) and the historio-political legacy of the recent past, re-accentuated the criticism that South African historiography has consistently proved to be subservient of a political ideology. The objectives of this article are to highlight some former historical trends and current tendencies in Christian perspectives of the past and to discuss the question of how Christian historians and Christian History teachers can interact in a responsible and careful way with their subject by avoiding misrepresenting the truth and of becoming (again?) the servants of just another ideology

Past, Present and Future use of Municipal Water and Freshwater Resources of the Bekkersdal Community, Westonaria, South Africa

Water is a human right which is recognised globally, with an increasing focus being placed on the ethical considerations of water use. The paper focuses on investigating access and perceptions surrounding this basic need in the Bekkersdal community and the Wonderfonteinspruit, in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is hypothesised that several challenges exist both internally and externally in the process of ensuring the right to water in Bekkersdal, from both an environmental and service provision perspective. Through the use of a questionnaire conducted with a statistically representative group from the Bekkersdal community, the following issues were investigated: current water use of municipal and river water, challenges regarding water availability and quality, perceptions regarding the state of the Wonderfonteinspruit and future water use wants and needs. The results indicate a strong reliance on municipal water complicated with water service delivery issues, which resulted in 10% of the residents making use of the polluted Wonderfonteinspruit on a regular basis. Furthermore, the need for solutions to water supply and availability solutions should be developed in conjunction with community members. This research represents some of the first steps that need to be taken to do so

The history of Gatsrand from the settling of the trekker community circa 1839 until the proclamation of Carletonville in 1948

MA (History), PU vir CHO, 1988This MA-Dissertation on the history of the Gatsrand up to 1948 originally was written in Afrikaans in 1988. This English translation was decided on to assist researchers, working with regional issues in/on South Africa who's mother tongue is English. The footnotes as well as the source list has not been translated due to the cost in doing so. However, it is trusted that researchers should find their way because more than 50% of the references are in English or could not be titled otherwise as they are archival documents or published literature. Due to new technology, the page numbers of the English version also differ from the original Afrikaans version. The approach to the research must be assessed within the time frame in which it was written and the methodology to regional history utilised, was mainly on that as expressed by VHT Skipp. The author since has extended and refined this model.Gatsrand (as a series of ridges) is not only a well-known geographical feature in the Western Transvaal, but it also features prominently as a definite area in the settlement history of the whites in the Transvaal. In fact, the first farms in this area were registered simultaneously with farms in the neighbouring Mooi River area. Owing to the inhabitants’ agrarian predisposition up to the early years of the twentieth century, agriculture and stock farming formed the basis of the area’s economic infrastructure. Initially, the Potchefstroom market was the nearest outlet for products. Later on, products were also sold in Johannesburg, as well as at Randfontein and Krugersdorp. In the process of the development of this enterprise, stock diseases, droughts, poverty and wars continually set the inhabitants back. Prior to the establishment of gold mines (since 1937) in the northern areas of Gatsrand, which enhanced economic development, the area’s development was mainly dependent on the subsistence needs of the surrounding towns. In this respect, the building of roads to places like Krugersdorp, Randfontein, Pretoria and Johannesburg was beneficial to the Gatsrand area, since all these routes passed through said area. Administrative duties were initially performed by a field cornet and later by a justice of the peace, who was subordinate to the magistrate of Potchefstroom. In a similar way, educational matters were dealt with by the Potchefstroom School Board. Until 1948, with the exception of Klipdrift School, there were only primary schools on several farms in the area – schools that had from one to four teachers. With outbreaks of illness, even the medical services in Potchefstroom rendered help in the Gatsrand area. Inhabitants had to travel to Potchefstroom, some of them covering great distances, if they were in need of medical care and facilities. Initially, the nearest centre for worship was also Potchefstroom. The first congregation in the Gatsrand area was founded in 1926 at Fochville, with boundaries that included the major part of this area. Since 1937, gold mine development provided definite advances in local development. Up to 1948, six towns had been proclaimed, congregations were established, and houses and roads were built to accommodate the growing number of inhabitants. This resulted in the establishment of numerous enterprises. The number of pupils increased and smaller schools had to amalgamate with larger ones. By 1948, it was apparent that the development in the Gatsrand area would be phenomenal due to the rich discoveries of the then established gold mines.Master

South Africa's revised History curriculum on globalism and national narratives in grade 12 textbooks

The early twenty-first century evidenced a worldwide change in teaching History through the means of several revised History curricula in the Further Education and Training (FET) Phase, and the development of textbooks as a result of this revision. In South Africa these trends have coincided with a period of educational transformation since the African National Congress (ANC) took over as the leading political party in 1994. After 16 years of democracy the transformational outcome also saw a change in the approach to History in the school curriculum and textbooks. This article is structured to debate globalism and national narratives as themes in South Africa's revised History curriculum. The aim is to precipitate a critical discussion on the general interpretation of these themes in the grade 12 History textbooks. This is also a way of ensuring that educators and learners are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the textbooks on these themes for the day when they will be activated as part of the teaching and assessment programme for grade 12 History.http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S0018-229X2010000100007&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=e

The youth and school History - learning from some of the thinking of yesterday in South Africa.

In this article the broad emphasis is on the significance of revisiting past thinking, especially from academia and in research reports of 20th century History teaching at the Further Education and Training level (FET), so as to invest in present-day youth who take History as a subject. The study is mainly qualitative, but also relies heavily on quantitative reports and the interpretation of their value regarding selective issues such as curriculum content, textbooks and teaching methodologies. In no other study so far in South Africa, has the status of the youth and History up to the present, been pinned down historically or been reviewed critically in such a way. Therefore the objective of this article is to i) record and ii) review some past thinking on teaching History to the youth with the intention of iii) learning from yesterday’s thinking and accounts. Although an effort has been made to add to the existing historiographical repertoire on the youth and History, particularly in a teaching environment, a complete historiographical review of past research contributions is beyond the scope of this article. As far as it is achievable, key moments and contributors are recalled with the intention of bringing to the reader’s attention this past historiographical repertoire as anchor for current thinking on ways of teaching History to the youth

The Miracle Rising® as source for teaching History: Theoretical and practical considerations.

Twenty years ago, all South Africans – for the first time – had the privilege to vote on an equal basis for the political party to govern the country in the years to come. It was an extraordinary and a momentous phase in the country’s history – a historical milestone indeed. Mr Mandela referred to this occasion as a small miracle. This was undeniably so if one considers that colonial, apartheid, racial and cultural legacies have immensely contributed to divisions, distrust, violence and killings among people of all races and colour. To digestibly capture relics of these memories of reality in a single historical documentary accessible to the ordinary man through the Internet and other media, the producing of Miracle Rising® was and is welcomed in the public domain. To what extent educators of History in South Africa have responded to this documentary since 2012, and have considered using it in History classes, is not known. However, this paper intends to focus on its theoretical and practical value for teaching History that should be embraced in every History class. Teaching Miracle Rising® provides for opportunities to address a very difficult yet jubilant phase in the history of a country so long aspiring for equality and peace. The process leading to South Africa becoming democratic can be regarded as a sensitive topic to teach because of the racist, politically violent and culturally intolerant undertones that occurred decades before the April 1994 election. A maturity with regard to teaching, comprehensive knowledge, as well as an efficient application of teaching skills and assessment techniques will be pivotal in overcoming the moments of sensitivity, especially those captured in Miracle Rising®

The value and way forward of History – a motivational discourse from a 21st century perspective.

Om die waarde van Geskiedenis as vak te bespreek, is so oud soos die akademie self. As die waarde van Geskiedenis egter beoordeel sou word teen die agtergrond van ‘n veranderende samelewing (bv. interdissiplinêr gedrewe beroepseise, die gemaklikheid van inligtingonttrekking dmv moderne tegnologie en ‘n groter begrip vir kultuurgroepe in die wêreld oor beskikbare kommunikasiemoontlikhede afstand laat “krimp” het) dan behoort die fokus ten opsigte van Geskiedenis – veral as skoolvak – ook andersoortig gemotiveer te word. In onderrigprosesse in die verlede het politieke en, dikwels, eensydige vaderlandsgeskiedenis voorkeur in Geskiedenisonderrig geniet. Hierdie beeld is totaal strydig met die resente navorsingsfokus van Geskiedenis as dissipline wat veel interdissiplinêr neig. Gevolglik is met hierdie artikel beoog om juis dié neiging te verdiskonteer en ‘n andersoortige motiveringsvoorstel vir ‘n leerprogram aan te bied. As agtergrond vir die voorstel is die volgende fasette ook oorsigtelik aangeraak: i) huidige persepsies van vakdidaktici in Geskiedenis en tersiêre tendense m.b.t. studentegetalle ii) ‘n Geheueverfrisser voor te hou van die waarde en plek van Geskiedenis vanuit ‘n akademiese perspektief iii) Drie “impressionistiese” scenarios van Geskiedenisonderrig voor te hou vanuit ‘n eie belewenis met die vak/dissipline iv) Geskiedenis se interdissiplinêre sterkte vanuit moontlike kurrikulum/leerprograminhoude te debatteer en v) ‘n Motiveringsvoorstel vir ‘n geskiedenisgerigte leerprogram (dus sou gesê kon word: “praktiese” geskiedenis) aan te bied. Die bedoeling hiermee is geensins om Geskiedenis as regmatige vak/dissipline te vervang nie maar om ‘n bykomstige geleentheid binne die opvoedingsproses te skep waarin Geskiedenis se waarde meer in die praktyk gekomplimenteer word