Hidden Histories of Gordonia, published posthumously, consists of eleven standalone essays, six of which have been published elsewhere in various formats. The essays comprise histories as they transpired during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries within the then named Gordonia region (now the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality) of the Northern Cape, South Africa. The history of Gordonia is one of many: the Bushmen; the Khoe; the ‘Basters’ (people of mixed race); and the Black and White settlers – all of whom are afforded space in this volume. Martin Legassick has been able to bring to life how government policies relating to racial stratification, differentiation and segregation affected people in their everyday lives. The essays are informed through archival research and interviews collected by Legassick, who was a proponent of applied history that directly impacts peoples’ lives.
The essay about Abraham September, a Baster who lived just outside Upington, is an example of this applied history. September was the first person to irrigate fields using water from the Orange River. Based on his success, the Upington canal was constructed, which made the town economically sustainable. Due to his Baster identity, however, it was assumed that the Reverend Schroeder, a White missionary, was the brain behind the project. Following research by the author it was revealed that the innovative idea had been September's and the canal has now been renamed in his honour. Continuing with the September family, the author uncovers how, after Abraham's death in 1898, the family lost their home and land when White businessmen from Upington, respected within official circles, used exploitative tactics to acquire the family's resources. Almost 100 years after the dispossession, the family has reclaimed some of its inheritance with the assistance of the author's research.
Although the research that informs the essay on Alfred Gubula, a Black resident of Upington, has not made a tangible impact on Gubula's life, it highlights how attitudes towards race, such as those cited above, and policies of racial segregation thwarted his access to certain jobs, promotions and healthcare, and dictated where he lived. He was a political activist who fought ‘the system’ during the course of his life, achieving small victories along the way. The essay ends by recounting how Gubula was involved in seeking counsel to secure the release of the ‘Upington 26’, who included three of his family members.
The issue of racial segregation is further explored in relation to the establishment of rural ‘reserves’ to be inhabited by the mixed race (Coloured) population of Gordonia – an issue neglected in the historical literature. The author argues that these reserves not only segregated people racially, but compounded the idea that Coloured people were ethnically different. A separate essay examines Upington's process of urban racial segregation, aimed at creating various ‘locations’ for different race groups. Here, we get a sense of life in the locations, not through a recounting of life stories, as before, but through the specific details regarding the conditions in the settlements, such as how many people shared a water tap, how often the latrines were emptied, and how many people were expected to use each latrine compared with the recommendations. The forced removals required for the establishment of these locations are also detailed, and again we are told that, through the author's research, some of the evicted families were able to claim compensation – another example of applied history in action!
Due to spatial constraints, I have been able to discuss only some of the contents and themes of the volume. There is much more that I would have liked to include, such as the essays on the treatment of the Bushmen and the stories of rebellion – which demonstrate great tenacity in the face of adversity. Overall, the volume exceeds expectation; however, there are a few areas in which it is lacking. As the volume is filled with essays concerning the histories of different peoples, in different locations, taking place at the same and different times, the provision of a general timeline to give the reader an improved understanding of how the histories relate to each other chronologically would be beneficial. Some of the essays also make for dense reading due to the number of characters and geographical locations involved. In this respect, the inclusion of additional, better-quality detailed maps to enable the reader to better comprehend where events are taking place is essential. In conclusion, for the general reader, the essays in this volume are mostly easy reading and provide a fascinating and intriguing historical account of life in Gordonia in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. For the researcher, it is an invaluable addition to the literature, filling a serious gap regarding the hidden histories of the Northern Cape.
