A Brief History of South Africa

Since the Dutchman Jan van Riebeeck landed in Cape Town’s Cape Bay in 1652 and the subsequent colonization of the African subcontinent by the Europeans, the history of South Africa can be understood as a progressive struggle between blacks and whites for land ownership and political rule. This expanded and updated edition provides a sweeping overview from the prehistoric era to apartheid to the peaceful revolution, the presidency of Nelson Mandela and the problems faced by the young South African democracy under his successors Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma.