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Self Government for the Cape Colony

In 1853, the British Government conferred a representative legislature on the Cape Colony which made a timid move towards political equality among the races. The non-racial franchise was based on economic qualifications, but in practice it excluded the vast majority of black and coloured people. Nevertheless, the promise of full political inclusion existed. In 1872 the Cape Colony was granted self government. Over the following twenty years the expansion of the colony resulted in the inclusion of great numbers of native voters. The government progressively raised the franchise hurdle. Communal land ownership was excluded as a qualification and proof of the ability to write was introduced as a requirement.

The Discovery of Diamonds

An exciting new element entered the economic and political balance: diamonds were discovered in 1867 when two children found a shiny pebble near the Orange River, leading to the development of the town of Kimberley. As a consequence, interested parties now realized that the land opened up by the migration of the Boers had more than just nuisance value. There was wealth for the taking.

The ‘Big Hole’ at Kimberley

I, Bothar

In a totally predictable move the area around Kimberley, known as Griqualand, was incorporated into the Cape Colony in 1880. Thousands of prospectors and diamond diggers were attracted from all over the world to Kimberley. Like so many termites, they attacked the outcrop of diamond-bearing ground with such voracity that it was transformed from a hill into the famous ‘Big Hole’.