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Letter to the Sub-Native Commissioner, Pietersburg, from Filipus Bopape,
November 23, 1917 (Published in Minutes of Evidence, Eastern Transvaal Natives
Land Committee)

c/o Private Bag, Leshoane Mission,

via Pietersburg,

23rd November, 1917.

The Sub-Native Commissioner,

Pietersburg.

Honourable Sir,

We humbly beg you by this letter, that you may please carry our complaints and our
requests before the Government, concerning to the "Native Land Act" we already
agreed upon year 1913 together with the Chiefs of the Zoutpansberg District, we
asked the Government that each chief had to remain in big place together with his
own people. Should Government be willing to take care of us, may kindly give us
pieces of land where we are found.

In this year we are still asking as we already have asked in the year 1913, as well as
in reign of Queen Victoria. The English Government had pleased us by ordering the
Republic Government that natives must be given Locations, that every chief and his
people must be given a piece of land their birth place. Locations were granted to the
people, at which we were thankful, they insufficient for the people to live in [sic]. The
different Denominations were founded in these Locations, to worship God in them;
we were pleased that even we natives were allowed to purchase portions of farms
through our own names. A thing which was (prented) prevented in the time of
Republic was that a native had no right to purchase it through his own name.
Therefore we commenced to purchase farms through the Government permission,
and we paid due prices for doing the same and we were given their Titles in which
our names were entered. And we did not go far away from our Locations to buy these
pieces of Farms; we bought only the neighbouring to our chiefs. Churches were
erected in these farms and schools, which are under the care of Government. We had
much hope that a thing is confirmed by Government would not be changed. Now we
are threatened by hearing that our lands are fallen in the European side. Though the
European's pieces of farms in this land are few among we natives who are counted
by thousands. If Locations and native farms should fall into the European's side, then
the Union Government will have broken the commands of the late reigners who slept
in peace upon whom we still make recommendations while dead. Continually, the
Union should be careful of the Churches and Schools, which are in the Locations and
Native farms. If, after the natives are sent or removed to the mentioned states
towards the East, and their Churches and schools remaining used stalls of the white
people Domestically herds, as for horses, cattle, pigs and sheep, whether to be used
like bedrooms or dining or bar houses. These rooms are founded for worshipping God
of every nation. Subsequently from the year 1913 to 1917 the Union Government
have bound the black races with an old law of time of the (Repi) Republic for a native
is again bracked to buy his own farm. This law is carried against the natives, of
course any white man can buy a farm whenever he is in need, he will buy it without
any hindrance, several natives have kept their money in their purses, they wish to
buy their own farms, but the Union Government prevented them to buy. Even these
farms of Europeans, which are amongst our chiefs Locations. If the owners wish to
sell these to some of our native races, the Union prevents them.

These are awful extremities, which meet the natives in Union. Consequently we beg
that the Government should not only keep care under Locations, but also remember
to other natives living outside the Locations by cutting or gratifying to them pieces of
lands approximately to the chiefs' Locations. Because if the Government only wants
to crowd all the natives in Locations without allowing them to buy their own pieces as
they want, of course that will mean the inhumanity of the Government, because
native populations are already densed in the Locations; there are no meadows for
their herds, there are no ploughing places for their lives. Starvation ranges
awkwardly amongst the locations that the people can with greatest difficulty obtain
money for the Government revenue income.

There is another awful branch of this bad law that: A native is not allowed to hire a
white's farm by money, except by working for nothing "Boroko". We are really
ignorant of the place where the Government wishes to be living for to the heaven we
are unable to go in order to avoid the cruelty of these laws. The Government knows,
then if he, a native, has no farm for himself to live, where will he live if he does not
hire a white's farm with money for his life, because the Europeans have occupied the
whole country, and natives are living through the help of white people and the
white's also through natives. To hire a farm by money is far better than to work for
nothing like a slave who is caught from the battle. Queen Victoria made peace to the
natives from their slavery lives, which every one might live in the way he likes. The
Union Government also decreased the law (Boroko) working for nothing, in the last
years. By ordering the owners of the farms that natives have to work (Boroko) for
three months in a year, and that for the remaining nine months work for their houses
and also for the Government Tax Receipts. The law said, if any of the farmers
overgoes this law, and make natives work "Boroko" for the time exceeding three
months, he will be liable to be fined £50 sterling, or to be thrusted gaol [sic] for a
period of six months. Still a lot of white farmers over go that law, by making natives
to work twice every week in a year, A native has to work with his wife and children
that are over twelve or thirteen years of age without giving them food. If a man has
six children, they are all set to work for one man along with their parents without
food. We even do not know what amount of money did these white farmers buy their
portions of farms. Schools, which are in the white people's farms, are even closed for
good, because native children are on the work for "Boroko".

Although the Union Government knows very well that these schools were under his
care, still these schools are shut without compensation to the Government. The
Government does not even attempt to blame or punish the Transgressor of his laws,
because heavy laws are set for black races only. Another law, which is
understoodable [sic]! For living to buy the Permit or License in our farms which we
bought through the Government allowance or permission, be damaged as if we have
stolen these farms. These show plainly how that although the Government would
compel us by force without our own free-will, he will within few years of our living
there come and remove us again toward the East, until we are finally thrown in the
Seas, and there as for instant [sic] is where the Union Government would be quite
contented for the natives live, and that place, even the wisest or cleverest people of
the world cannot live in it. As about the East continues, the place where the
Government wants to through or send the Natives by saying that it is a good living
country prepared for natives. That in reality puts the natives in grieves, their hearts
are gloomy, and are leading a lamentation live for the rumour that natives are going
to be thrown towards the East. If the Union Governor is going to decide by force and
remove all Zoutpansberg chiefs with their tribes to the said country, then Union
Government will be like a butcher who drives his herds to a butchery house to be all
slaughtered at a time. Because the country is liable for people to live in, but for wild
beasts and people who were born in it. The country is as hot as fire. That how it
possesses diseases of different kinds and deaths.

The said country must belong to the Government; he will go and kill elephants and
other wild animals, whenever he goes for hunt. We beg that the Government should
grant us another country, which is very near or close to our birthplace, instead of the
East country, which will belong to the Government forever, because all countries are
belonging to him. He is the Government of Locations farm.

These are our complaints and our requests from the Government.

(Writer: Sgd.) FILIPUS BOPAPE.

Source:

Karis, T & Carter G. M. (1972). From Protest to Challenge: A Documentary History of African Politics in South Africa, 1882-1964, Volume 1: Protest and Hope, 1882-1934. Stanford University: Hanover Press.

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