Events

On December 1st, I had visited a protest in Cape Town from Boer citizens that had traveled into town from the Northern Cape to share their disappointment in being led by Englishmen and Afrikaans.   There weren't many there.  And when I spoke to them, they spoke of "[they]...wanting a Boer state all their own.  Or at least, to have their tax burdens be lifted and stopped being judged by the local community of Afrikaaners."  End quote.  The bold claim for a nationalist Boer state took me by surprise, but to have their rights respected and to be taxed at a more normal rate seemed reasonable at least.  

And so, following this protest, on December 21st, 1855, I sought to get a response from the government.  In particular, Minister of the Interior Alfred Courtenay.  He was quite aware of small Boer groups protesting the government for more rights.  He told me, "[The Cape Colony] are a colonial government of the British monarchy, loyal to Her Majesty Queen Victoria.   Our state language and all subsequent national documents must remain and only be written in English for ease of communication with the Home Counties."

"These minor radicals don't represent the average Boer man or woman.  Governor Buxton has promised to lax the economic concerns of all citizens and lower their financial duty to the state."  Minister Courtenay went on to say, "Furthermore, [the Boer community] ...is given the same privileges as the Afrikaaners and Grique within the Cape.  Any prejudices society holds to them are their own to sort out.  We under the English Queen Victoria.  We must all speak the Queen's English in order to operate and live under HMS' Great Britain."

The government's comments were, of course, rather dismissive, but these protests have been small and sparse.  The protest I intended was the first in over seven months.  It appears these radicals are nothing more than unemployed peasants who have far too much time on their hands.