The views given by the South African Black elite that were generally educated by white-controlled mission institutions are relatively moderate considering the ways in which the black population was treated. Published writings were rarely, if ever, anti-white. In fact, some actually praised the British for bringing education and Christianity to the Native peoples. The writings were not without their criticisms, but the Native thinkers never endorsed radicalism or revolution. The reasons for this may very well be because of the intended audience. Most Natives did not have the time or means to read what was being put out.
The intended audience was white voters as well as members of Parliament. The intellectual blacks wanted to convince their rulers that Native South Africans were loyal subjects that deserved equal rights, not a dangerous group that needed to be put on a short leash. The educate Native in South Africa had very strong Christian ideals that influenced their “middle of the road” approach protest. The assumption made by the Natives was that the Europeans, being a Christian people, would recognize that the native's right to freedom and equality. What was not taken into account was the influence of greed and the notion of white supremacy. This was realized with the Union of South Africa in 1910 and the Native's Land Act in 1913. Both of these Acts blatantly oppressed the native population in order to turn them into a cheap, easily manipulated work force.
In the 19th century, the Native Africans saw the arrival of the British as a blessing because the Native population had been enslaved by the Boers. After the British seized control of the Cape colony, they abolished slavery and began to educate the natives through missionary activity. As A.C. Jordan points out, the motives may not have been as benevolent as they seemed. “The British encouraged missionary endeavor, because they knew that this would not only undermine the power of the African monarchs thus hastening military conquest, but also create an "enlightened" class of "Native" that would serve as a link between British empire-builders and the "raw Natives", the future labor force.”1
This means that it was the intention of the British to come off as a friend of the native, while the whole time they were setting up ways in which to exploit them. Xhosa writer, Tiyo Soga, identified the effect of Christianity on the power of the native chiefs. “It is said by outsiders that as soon as people follow the word of God, they no longer pay regard to their earthly rulers.”2 The creation of the intellectual Native had served its purpose. By instilling Christian values, the British successfully undermined the importance of the traditional value system where the chiefs had great influence and importance.
While there were some instances of rebellion, most Natives were against violent uprising against the Europeans. In one case, the Hottentot were at war with English settlers who were trying to expand their frontier in the Eastern Cape. When they called upon the Griqua for assistance in their cause, they did not get the response they were hoping for.
Instead of support, they received condemnation from their fellow Natives. Griqua Kaptyn, Adam Kok, called them “enemies of all the coloured people of South Africa, for by your rebellion you will impress a strong prejudice on the minds of all thinking people against the character, rights, and claims of the coloured class.” 3 Like most other educated Natives, Kok preferred to bring forward complaints through letters and petitions. They wanted to win the trust and respect of the English so that one day, they would be able to enjoy equal rights while enjoying the benefits of “civilized” society.
Despite being used as a tool by the British government, some native writers tried to get the educated native out of the habit of being subservient to whites. Tiyo Soga was “irritated by the superior air of some of the white people on one hand, and by an incipient subservience that he detected among the "school people".”4 Soga thought that the natives were giving the Europeans too much credit. He felt that they were no better than the educated native and that the natives needed to share this mind set in order to promote equality between the two races.
The view of the British as being liberators ended with the Union of South Africa in 1910 through the South Africa Act of 1909. The Act refused to allow Natives the right to vote, except in the Cape colony where they already had that right. The natives were also very misrepresented in Parliament under this Act. There were to be four white representatives to Native interests who were appointed by the Governor General. Despite this vulgar display of discrimination, the South African Natives kept their cool and politely appealed to government for more rights in a petition to the South African National Convention asking for an extension of the “generous policy” of the Cape to the rest of South Africa.
