Dissecting the Kruger myth with blunt instruments: a rebuttal of Jane Carruthers's view

Journal of Southern African Studies

Volumn 22, Issue 3, 1996, Pages 455-472

  Grobler, Hennie ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA   (South Africa)

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[No Author keywords available]

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EID: 5844350932     PISSN: 03057070     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/03057079608708505     Document Type: Article

References (116)

1. Jane Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth: Paul Kruger and the Kruger National Park', Journal of Southern African Studies, 20, 2 (1994), pp. 263-283.
2. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', pp. 263-264.
3. H. Tudor, Political Myth (New York, 1972), pp. 16-17; P. Forsyth, The Past in the Service of the Present: the Political Use of History by Chief A.N.M.G. Buthelezi, 1951-1991', South African Historical Journal, 26 (1992), pp. 74, 92.
4. H. Tudor, Political Myth (New York, 1972), pp. 16-17; P. Forsyth, The Past in the Service of the Present: the Political Use of History by Chief A.N.M.G. Buthelezi, 1951-1991', South African Historical Journal, 26 (1992), pp. 74, 92.
5. B.J. Liebenberg, 'Mites Rondom Bloedrivier en die Gelofte', South African Historical Journal, 20 (1988), pp. 17-32; A. Grundlingh and H. Sapire, 'From Feverish Festival to Repetitive Ritual? The Changing Fortunes of Great Trek Mythology in an Industrializing South Africa, 1938-1988; South African Historical Journal, 21 (1989), pp. 19-37.
6. B.J. Liebenberg, 'Mites Rondom Bloedrivier en die Gelofte', South African Historical Journal, 20 (1988), pp. 17-32; A. Grundlingh and H. Sapire, 'From Feverish Festival to Repetitive Ritual? The Changing Fortunes of Great Trek Mythology in an Industrializing South Africa, 1938-1988; South African Historical Journal, 21 (1989), pp. 19-37.
7. See South African Historical Journal, 29 (1993). in which a special section is devoted to myths in South African history.
8. Carruthers mentions numerous examples of these 'amateurs'. See 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 264, fn. 5.
9. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 266.
10. Transvaal Archives (TA), Locale Wetten der Z.A. Republiek, Act 3, 1881, Articles 1,2, and 6; Constitution 1889, Articles 56, 59, 82, 88, 89, and Constitution 1896, Article 107. See also TA, T 201, Inventory of the Executive Council, pp. iii-vii.
11. TA, T 201, Inventory of the Executive Council, pp. 1-4.
12. W.J. de Kock (ed).,Dictionary of South African Biography, 1 (Cape Town, 1976), pp. 412-417.
13. See p. 458.
14. TA, T 201, Inventory of the Executive Council, pp. v-vi.
15. TA, SS 671, R3002/82, Petition (Middelburg), 25 March 1882 and J.C. Human to State Secretary, 18 September 1882, 27 September 1882; SS 906, R1051/84, Petition (Rustenburg), 6 February 1884; Minutes of the Volksraad, Article 109, 14 August 1884, Petition (Bethal), 5 April 1882; U. de V. Pienaar (ed.), Neem uit die Verlede (Pretoria, 1990), p. 324.
16. TA, SS 9031, CB37/83, 23 July 1883 and CB53/83, 15 November 1883.
17. TA, SS 893, R333/84, includes the replies from the landdrosts.
18. TA, Locale Wetten, Act 10, 1870, Articles 15, 18, and 26.
19. See for example TA, SS 671, R3002/82, C.A. van Niekerk to State Secretary, 25 March 1882 and J.C. Human to State Secretary, 27 September 1882; Staatscourant, 30 November 1882, notice nos. 460 and 461: SS 774, R278/33, Landdrost Marico to State Secretary, 27 January 1883; Staarscourant, 14 June 1883, notice no. 97.
20. See for example TA, SS 671, R3002/82, C.A. van Niekerk to State Secretary, 25 March 1882 and J.C. Human to State Secretary, 27 September 1882; Staatscourant, 30 November 1882, notice nos. 460 and 461: SS 774, R278/33, Landdrost Marico to State Secretary, 27 January 1883; Staarscourant, 14 June 1883, notice no. 97.
21. TA, SS 924, R1831/84, Landdrost Lydenburg to State Secretary April 14 1884; Staatscourant, 8 May 1884, notice no. 131; SS 1875, R3065/89, Abel Erasmus to Superintendent of Native Affairs, 22 September 1890.
22. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 267.
23. Minutes of the Volksraad, Articles 105, 109 and 110, 14 August 1884.
24. TA, SS 8658, BB4215/82, State Secretary to Fourie, 18 December 1882.
25. Minutes of the Volksraad, Article 109, 14 August 1884.
26. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 267.
27. TA, ZAR 86, Index Staatscouranten: Staatscourant, 14 January 1885, notice 33 and Staatscourant, 17 February 1886, notice 33. The latter notice mentions the three appointees.
28. TA, ZAR 86, Index Staatscouranten: Staatscourant, 14 January 1885, notice 33 and Staatscourant, 17 February 1886, notice 33. The latter notice mentions the three appointees.
29. See for example TA, SS 9052, Register of appointments of officials, 1887-1889. A number of forest rangers were also appointed: see for example R4826/87 and R9112/89.
30. In 1890 the Volksraad was divided into two chambers namely the First and the Second Volksraad. The latter was introduced to accommodate the thousands of Uitlanders who had flocked to the Transvaal after 1886. Its powers were limited to local affairs e.g. the postal services, the mining industry and forestry. The First Volksraad remained the chief legislative body of the Republic. See TA, Locale Wetten, Act 4, 1890, Article 27.
31. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Article 309, 5 June 1891.
32. TA, UR 9, Article 482, 31 July 1882.
33. According to Carruthers an Orange Free State farmer, Williams, was the first to advocate a game reserve in the eastern Transvaal lowveld in 1888. Kruger's reference to the lowveld is merely glossed over by Carruthers in one short sentence: 'Vast tracts of government ground existed elsewhere [besides the Pongola area] in the Transvaal more suitable zoologically for a game reserve and some were even mentioned by Kruger'. 'Dissecting the Myth', pp. 267-269.
34. Minutes of the Volksraad, Article 1244, 2 August 1889.
35. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 268 and The Dongola Wild Life Sanctuary', Kleio, 24 (1992), pp. 82-100.
36. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 268 and The Dongola Wild Life Sanctuary', Kleio, 24 (1992), pp. 82-100.
37. See for instance N.G. Garson, 'The Swaziland Question and the Road to the Sea 1887-1895', Archives Yearbook for South African History, 11 (1957), (Pretoria, 1957).
38. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 268.
39. TA, UR 13, Article 251, 8 April 1896: TA, SS 1875, R3065/89. This file has correspondence on the appointment of mounted police to protect game in the Pongola area; Carruthers, 'The Pongola Game Reserve: An Eco-political Study', Koedoe, 28 (1985), p. 7.
40. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 267. See below, p. 464.
41. TA, Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 120 and 121, 23 May 1891; UR 10, Article 231, 28 April 1891 (Not 28 May as given in the Volksraad Minutes). Unlike the other standing committees of the Volksraad, e.g. the pension committee and the budget committee, the memorie commissie was not provided for in the by-laws of the Volksraad. However in the course of time it had become the custom ('gewoonte') to appoint such a three-man commission. By the mid-eighties it had become the set practice. See Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 14, 15, and 16, 3 May 1892.
42. See p. 459.
43. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Article 311, 5 June 1891; TA, Locale Wetten, Act 6, 1891, Article 6.
44. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Article 315, 6 June 1891.
45. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 524, 525, 24 June 1891.
46. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 533 and 534, 25 June 1891.
47. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 554 and 555, 26 June 1891.
48. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 560, 561 and 562, 26 June 1891. (Not Articles 640 and 641 as Dr Carruthers incorrectly records in her paper).
49. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 267.
50. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 640 and 641, 1 July 1891.
51. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 428, 429 and 430, 13 June 1892 and Article 16, 3 May 1892.
52. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 267.
53. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 528, 530, 531, 24 June 1891.
54. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Article 366, 16 June 1893, Articles 372 and 373, 17 June 1891 and Article 374, 19 June 1893.
55. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 1151, 1152, 1153, 21 August 1893, and Articles 1155-1159, 22 August 1853; TA, Locale Wetten, Act 13, 1893, Articles 1, 3 and 4.
56. TA, UR 12, Article 31, 17 January 1894; Minutes of the First Volksraad, Article 666, 2 July 1894. The complete draft appears here.
57. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 667 and 672, 3 July 1894.
58. W.J. de Kock (ed), Dictionary of South African Biography, 1, pp. 450-453. See also J.S. Marais, The Fall of Kruger's Republic (London, 1961) and C.T. Gordon, The Growth of Boer Opposition to Kruger, 1890-1895 (Cape Town, 1970).
59. W.J. de Kock (ed), Dictionary of South African Biography, 1, pp. 450-453. See also J.S. Marais, The Fall of Kruger's Republic (London, 1961) and C.T. Gordon, The Growth of Boer Opposition to Kruger, 1890-1895 (Cape Town, 1970).
60. W.J. de Kock (ed), Dictionary of South African Biography, 1, pp. 450-453. See also J.S. Marais, The Fall of Kruger's Republic (London, 1961) and C.T. Gordon, The Growth of Boer Opposition to Kruger, 1890-1895 (Cape Town, 1970).
61. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Article 672, 3 July 1894; TA, Locale Wetten, Act 5, 1894, Article 1.
62. See p. 460.
63. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Article 673, 3 July 1894.
64. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 674 and 675, 3 July 1894.
65. See p. 462.
66. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Article 683, 3 July 1894.
67. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 266.
68. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 683, 684, 685, 3 and 4 July 1894.
69. TA, Locale Wetten, Act 6, 1891, Article 16 and Act 5, 1894, Article 16.
70. TA, SS 9054, Register of Appointment of Officials, 1892, R793/92 and R9042/92.
71. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 689, 699, 4 July 1894.
72. TA, UR 12, Article 63, 23 January 1895 and UR 15, Article 47, 15 January 1898.
73. TA, UR 12, Article 141, 26 February 1895.
74. TA, UR 15, Article 829, 18 October 1897 and Article 1011, 28 December 1897.
75. TA, UR 16, Articles 407 (Waterberg), 408 (Belfast), 409 (Rustenburg) 410 (Wakkerstroom), 411 (Manco), 13 April 1898.
76. TA, UR 17, Article 152, 7 February 1899, Article 191, 16 February 1899 and Article 403, 18 April 1899.
77. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 267.
78. Minutes of the Second Volksraad, Article 950, 27 July 1896.
79. TA, UR 13, Article 289, 15 April 1896; Staatscourant 22 April 1896, Proclamations 14 and 15 April 1896; Minutes of the First Volksraad, Article 1037, 27 July 1896 and Articles 1039, 1040, 28 July 1896. See also C. van Onselen, 'Reactions to the Rinderpest in Southern Africa, 1896-1897', Journal of African History, 13, 3 (1972), pp. 473-488.
80. TA, UR 13, Article 289, 15 April 1896; Staatscourant 22 April 1896, Proclamations 14 and 15 April 1896; Minutes of the First Volksraad, Article 1037, 27 July 1896 and Articles 1039, 1040, 28 July 1896. See also C. van Onselen, 'Reactions to the Rinderpest in Southern Africa, 1896-1897', Journal of African History, 13, 3 (1972), pp. 473-488.
81. Buitengewone Staatscourant, 4 June 1896, Proclamation 4 June 1896.
82. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Article 17, 5 May 1896. Minutes of the Second Volksraad, Article 95a, 12 May 1896.
83. See, for instance, Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 1305 and 1306, 1 September 1896. This was one of the rare exceptions where a lengthy debate took place.
84. Minutes of the Second Volksraad, Articles 873 and 874, 22 July 1896 and Article 950, 27 July 1896.
85. Buitengewone Staatscourant, 4 June 1896, Proclamation of the same date.
86. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 267. This is not verified by the K.G. volumes cited.
87. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 840 and 841, 6 July 1896.
88. TA, UR 16, Article 886, 3 November 1897 and UR 17, Article 914, 11 November 1897; Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 1666, 1667, 1668, 5 November 1897; Staatscourant, 17 November 1897, Proclamation 11 November 1897.
89. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Articles 1141 and 1142, 10 September 1897; Staatscourant, 7 November 1897, Proclamation 1 November 1897; TA, UR 16, Article 829, 18 October 1897.
90. Minutes of the First Volksraad, Article 1118, 6 September 1895; 1125, September 1895 and 1230, 17 September 1895.
91. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 267.
92. See, for example Marais, The Fall of Kruger's Republic.
93. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 269.
94. TA, UR 16, Article 755, 17 August 1898: see here the decision to extend the meeting times of the Council due to the accumulation of matters needing attention.
95. TA, SS 4975a, R8748/95: original proclamation is contained in this file; Pienaar (ed.), Neem uit die Verlede, p. 333.
96. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 269.
97. TA, SS 4975a, R8748/95, C.J. Joubert to State Secretary, 25 January 1898 and C.J. Joubert to State Secretary, 3 March 1898.
98. TA, SS 4975a, R8748/95, S. Begeman to State Secretary, 14 February 1898 and G. Louw to State Secretary, 15 September 1898.
99. TA, SS 4975a, R8748/95, Surveyor General to Government, 25 February 1896 and Report from Surveyor General and Registrar of Deeds, 10 November 1897.
100. TA, SSa 176/177, R869/95 and SS 4945a, R8748/95. These volumes include a great deal of correspondence on this topic.
101. TA, UR 16, Article 843, 6 September 1898; Staatscourant, 26 November 1898, Notice 553.
102. TA, SS 4975a, R8748/95, Schutte to Under State Secretary, 29 November 1898.
103. Pienaar (ed.), Neem uit die Verlede, pp. 395-398; TA, SS4975a, R8748/95, Louw to State Secretary, 15 September 1898. Here Louw expressed his concern with the senseless slaughter of game in the border region.
104. See TA, SS 4975a, which deals exclusively with the wildlife protection issue from 1895 onwards.
105. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 269.
106. W.J. de Kock (ed.), Dictionary of South African Biography, 1, p. 415.
107. TA, E 32, W.J. Leyds Archive (Semi-Official) Mf, film A556, Box 78, J.S. Smith to Leyds, 6 November 1898.
108. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 270.
109. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', pp. 264, 270.
110. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 272.
111. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 272.
112. J. Stevenson-Hamilton, South African Eden (London, 1974), p. 203.
113. Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', p. 274.
114. M. Juta, The Pace of the Ox: A Life of Paul Kruger (London, 1937).
115. Stevenson-Hamilton, South African Eden, pp. 16-17, 69, 203, 243, 308; Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', pp. 272, 274, 278 (these include references to Stevenson-Hamilton's private view of Kruger and Afrikaners in general).
116. Stevenson-Hamilton, South African Eden, pp. 16-17, 69, 203, 243, 308; Carruthers, 'Dissecting the Myth', pp. 272, 274, 278 (these include references to Stevenson-Hamilton's private view of Kruger and Afrikaners in general).