Tuesday, 9 July 1737
Georg Schmidt, pioneer missionary in South Africa and founder of the first Protestant mission (Moravian Brethren) in Southern Africa, arrived in Table Bay on 9 July 1737.
By September 1737, he had been granted permission by the VOC (Dutch East India Company) to establish a mission station for the Khoi-Khoi. At first he established himself at Zoetemelksvlei, a military outpost beyond the Caledon River, but moves a few months later he moved to Baviaanskloof, today known as Genadendal.
Schmidt instructed the Khoi-khoi in the Christian faith, and in planting and sowing crops. This marked the beginning of Protestant missionary activity in South Africa.
In 1742, Schmidt baptised five Khoi-khoi. This caused an upheaval among the Colonialists in the Cape, as politically it was not clear as to whether or not converts to Christianity from the indigenous population should be accorded the same civil and political rights as the Colonists.
The ‘Council of Policy’ forbade such baptisms by Schmidt, citing the excuse that he was not an ordained minister. Two years later, in 1744, Schmidt left the Cape for Holland to be ordained, and hence be allowed to baptise the Khoi-khoi. However, he did not return to the Cape.
Sunday, 9 July 1893
George Christopher Cato, Natal pioneer and first mayor of Durban, dies in the city on 9 July 1893. Cato was born in London, England in 1814. He came to South Africa as a trader. He was asked to plan Durban while it was still under the Natalia Republic Government and when Durban achieved municipal status in 1845 he was elected as the first Mayor.
In 1865 Cato was granted an area of land behind the current day Natal University. The area was named Cato Manor, it was an extensive piece of colonial acreage awarded by royal decree to George Christopher Cato, in exchange for harbour frontage land expropriated by the military.
This densely populated area thrust Durban into world headlines on more than one occasion.
Friday, 9 July 1915
On 9 July 1915 the Imperial German Forces officially surrendered to General Louis Botha’s troops at the Khorab Memorial. This followed the outbreak of the First World War on 1 August 1914.
On 25 December 1914 General Louis Botha led South African troops across Walvis Bay into German South West Africa to fight against Imperial German Forces. In May of the following year, German troops sought a treaty with the South Africans that would permit them to keep the northern area of the territory. By this time the South African troops had accumulated a force of 35,000 men within the territory; they declined the German’s proposition and insisted on an unconditional surrender.
As per agreement between the parties involved, a train carrying the Governor of German South West Africa accompanied by Schutztruppe Major Victor Frank arrived at a point known as Kilometre 500, north of Otavi. They were met by South Africa’s General Louis Botha, Colonel de Waal, Major Bok, Major Esselen and Major Leish. The treaty that saw the end of German rule in South West Africa (now known as Namibia) was signed by General Louis Botha, Governor Seitz and Major Victor Franke.
The Treaty became known as The Treaty of Khorab.
Sunday, 9 July 1995
Ex-Police Commissioner General Johan van der Merwe and ex-Law and Order Minister Adriaan Vlok, implicated former state President and Deputy President of the Government of National Unity, F.W. de Klerk, of knowing and condoning a ‘dirty tricks’ campaign that was waged against the African National Congress (ANC) between 1990 and the 1994 election in a bid to destabilise the organisation. Van der Merwe further alleged that the entire National party (NP) leadership knew about this operation and at times instructed the police to carry out these brutalities against its opponents in an effort to undermine them.
Sunday, 9 July 2000
Police fired tear gas at unruly fans during a World Cup qualifying soccer game between Zimbabwe and South Africa, setting off a stampede that killed twelve people. Among those killed in the stampede were four children, the youngest age five. The stadium was filled to capacity with spectators. At the beginning of the match some people in the stadium chanted Movement of Democratic Change (MDC) slogans and flashed MDC signs. Towards the end of the match some spectators started to throw cans and mostly plastic bottles onto the pitch after the South Africans had scored their second goal. The police responded by firing into the crowded stands a large number of tear gas canisters. Panic ensued and people tried to run towards the exits to get away from the noxious fumes. On 19 July 2000, the commission, which was set-up to investigate the cause of the stampede, laid the blame entirely on the police’s handling of events. However, it was also mentioned although not conclusively, that MDC had a hand in the stampede, something the movement denied later. Other theories included the view that the match was used by the opposition to show Robert Mugabe that he was no longer needed, hence 400 police were so angered by the opposition slogans that they overreacted.
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