History of South Africa podcast
In this series of episodes, we journey from a deceptively simple math problem to heated 19th-century battlefields and the convoluted quest for colonial self-governance. Here’s the breakdown of Episodes 193 to 196, where we meet a mix of mathematical prodigies, Zulu kings, Basotho strategists, and British generals. Spoiler: some plans go terribly wrong (we’re looking at you, Cathcart).
Episode 193: Guthrie’s Four-Colour Conundrum and the Events of 1852
- A Student’s Problem with Maps
In 1852, Francis Guthrie, a student at University College London, posed what would come to be known as the Four-Colour Problem: Can any map be colored with just four colors so that no two adjacent regions share the same color? There is an amazing link to South Africa here. Guthrie, studying under mathematician Augustus De Morgan, seemed to have hit on a trivial-sounding question, yet it baffled minds like Einstein’s instructor Minkowski for over a century. As you’ll read below, there is a South African connection. Guthrie Four-Colour Problem was finally proven with computers in 1976, making it the first major theorem solved computationally—laying groundwork for fields like sports scheduling, telecommunications, and yes, AI. - 1852: A Year of Historic Firsts and Catastrophes
The year wasn’t just significant in mathematics. In the U.S., Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which stirred the abolitionist movement. Further east, the Taiping Rebellion raged in China, the deadly Banda tsunami struck Indonesia, and Henri Giffard launched the first airship flight from Paris. In colonial affairs, the British granted New Zealand self-government, a move the Cape settlers envied. South Africa’s demands for representation would soon echo through colonial halls. - Guthrie’s Move to South Africa and Legacy
Guthrie emigrated to Cape Town, where he embraced the natural world as a botanist and math professor at the South African College (now UCT). In his honor, his Cape Peninsula fynbos collection is preserved as the Guthrie Herbarium at UCT, a lasting legacy in botany as well as math. His passion for color has gone beyond maps to the very algorithms driving our tech today—a true mark of unintended influence.
Episode 194: The Battle of Berea – Moshoeshoe Outmaneuvers the British
- Cathcart’s Overconfident Campaign Against the Basotho
With a 2,500-strong force (Britain’s largest army assembled in South Africa up until then), General George Cathcart marched into Moshoeshoe’s Basotho territory, convinced his advanced artillery and European-style tactics would ensure a quick victory. Cathcart broke his forces into three columns, a tactic that immediately backfired. Basotho warriors, masters of guerrilla tactics, effectively flanked the British troops, using their familiarity with the rugged Berea landscape to gain an advantage.
- Moshoeshoe’s Tactical Patience
Watching from a distance, Moshoeshoe bided his time, sending 3,500 cattle to Cathcart in a bid for peace. But Cathcart, oblivious to the logistical challenges of herding more livestock, demanded an unrealistic total of 10,000 cattle within days. The British troops, hampered by their bulky equipment and divided forces, struggled against Basotho forces, who attacked from higher ground with quick strikes. By the end of the day, Lieutenant Colonel Napier’s 12th Lancers and Cape Mounted Rifles found themselves retreating under Basotho fire, forced to abandon 4500 cattle they had collected.
- An Unexpected Letter and a Mutual Respect
On the night of December 20, Moshoeshoe dictated a letter requesting peace, stating that the British had “chastised” his people and should now leave. Recognizing his own heavy losses and the Basotho’s prowess, Cathcart surprisingly accepted Moshoeshoe’s terms, establishing an unlikely diplomatic rapport. Though the British failed to subdue the Basotho, this defeat sparked an enduring respect, and years later, Britain would protect Lesotho against Boer encroachment—a rare Anglo-African alliance born on the Berea plains.
Episode 195: Mpande’s Power Plays and the Early Native Reserves in Natal
- Mpande, Mswati, and Swazi Tensions
Meanwhile, in Zululand, King Mpande kaSenzangakhona had his sights set on Swaziland. For years, Mpande viewed Swaziland as a potential safety net for his kingdom, especially as Boer and British forces continued to edge into Zulu territory. But Swazi King Mswati proved a thorny opponent, leveraging the Swazi mountains and guerrilla warfare to foil Mpande’s troops. Despite several attempts to overpower Swaziland, Mpande found himself at a frustrating standstill, unable to conquer Mswati’s forces or the mountainous landscape.
- Shepstone, Schreuder, and the Concept of Native Reserves
In Natal, Theophilus Shepstone began establishing reserves for the black population, setting the groundwork for a segregation policy that would evolve into the Bantustan system a century later. While Shepstone was pro-Zulu and aimed to protect indigenous rights, his “Native reserves” policy raised alarm among settlers who feared these regions would drain labour from white farms. Hans Schreuder, a Norwegian missionary, worked alongside Shepstone to integrate black populations while trying to prevent racial friction. Shepstone’s reserves, though controversial, became the model for colonial control of African populations.
- Mpande’s Legacy and Resilience
Mpande’s diplomatic balancing act between the British, Boers, and Swazis is often misunderstood as weakness. However, Mpande was the shrewd architect of the powerful AmaZulu kingdom, tactically avoiding confrontations he couldn’t win. His kingdom maintained significant influence in the region, with Mpande proving that diplomacy could achieve what war could not.
Episode 196: Self-Government and the Frustrating End of the Eighth Frontier War
- The Cape’s Qualified Franchise
Back in the Cape, as British colonies worldwide moved towards self-governance, Cape residents demanded their own representative government. The resulting 1853 Constitution introduced the Cape Qualified Franchise, which extended voting rights to a select few nonwhites who met specific income and property qualifications. Irishman William Porter, Cape Attorney General, argued for a more inclusive approach, but wealth and land requirements were retained, favoring the white settlers’ interests. A fractious assembly of “Easterners” and “Westerners” (largely due to Eastern Cape settlers’ frontier issues with local tribes) debated the franchise system, foreshadowing the future’s racial and economic divides. - Godlonton’s “1820 Programme” and the Push for Colonial Control
Eastern Cape representative Robert Godlonton pushed his “1820 Programme,” which included no voting rights for black or coloured residents, stricter vagrancy laws, and a push for full separation of white settlers from indigenous people. His ultra-conservative stance reflected the tension between the “Westerners,” who were more liberal, and “Easterners,” who lived with the reality of frequent frontier clashes.
- The Bloody Close of the Eighth Frontier War
The Eighth Frontier War dragged to a violent close as Lieutenant Colonel Eyre and Captain Stephen Bartlett Lakeman’s mercenaries turned their attacks on Xhosa strongholds in the Amatola Mountains. This grim conflict featured brutal reprisals, with bodies of captured Xhosa and Khoekhoe warriors left hanging in the trees as warnings. Amid this chaos, Chief Siyolo negotiated surrender under false assurances of safety, only to be imprisoned and sentenced to life on Robben Island. His capture signified the likely British victory in a war that left deep scars across the Eastern Cape.
- The Aftermath and the Paradox of Peace
The uneasy peace that was to follow in 1853 set up lingering tensions. Although Britain was going to claim victory, it was a Pyrrhic one: resources were drained, settler discontent brewed, and indigenous resistance simmered beneath the surface. These tensions would feed into later conflicts, but for now, Cape officials redirected focus to self-government efforts and the new legislative council’s formation, setting up more debates over policy and representation in the years to come.
Wrapping Up
These episodes remind us of the mix of ambition, ideology, and grit that shaped South Africa in the 19th century. From Guthrie’s obsession with map colors leading to breakthroughs in AI, to Moshoeshoe’s deft diplomatic moves that kept Lesotho independent, every story highlights how small actions can ripple into large consequences. Next time, we’ll continue to untangle the dense web of colonial politics, frontier wars, and the slow march toward South African autonomy.
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