THE SAN OR TWA OR BUSHMEN: The San were the first people to arrive in South Africa around AD1000. Therefore, they are believed to have been the earliest inhabitants of South Africa. They are also known as the Roa, Twa, Hunters or Bushmen. They belonged to the Bushmanoid race or Khoisan family. They are believed to have been yellow or brownish in colour with short structure and a lot of hair on their bodies as well as a click sound in their language. The origin of the San is not clear to the historians. But they are believed to have originated from either East or Central Africa. It is believed that by AD 1000, the San were living on the Mainland of Tanganyika. It is from here that they moved Southwards, through Central Africa and finally settled in the different areas of South Africa. This is proved by similar rock and cave paintings found in East, Central and South Africa. They are believed to have started migrating around 2000 years. They were forced South wards by the Bantu speaking people who were strong and organised. Once in South Africa, they first settled in the lands of Damaraland and the Batlapin Plateau. Later, they spread to the provinces of Transkei, Cape, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal as well as Griqualand West. Some went into the Swazi and Lesotho highlands. Others settled in the mountains of Winterburg, Drakensberg, Brankestein and Comdeboo. The San also settled along rivers like Vaal, Orange, Kei, Tugera, Fish, Keiskama and Umtata others. The arrival of more advanced groups like the Bantu and the Dutch pushed them into the deserts of Kalahari and Namib. Today, the survivors of the San live in the countries of Namibia, Botswana and Angola. REASONS FOR THE MIGRATION OF THE SAN TO SOUTH AFRICA The San migrated to South Africa due to various reasons; The outbreak of epidemic diseases such as sleeping sickness, malaria and small pox forced the San to migrate from their original home land to South Africa. The desire by the youths to be independent also helped them to look for other new areas where they would live independently. The outbreak of natural calamities such as earth quakes and drought forced them to migrate to South Africa. The occurrence of famine also forced the San to move to other areas in search of food. The nomadic way of life of the San influenced them to move. The San was used to moving from one place to another. Over population in their home land forced them to look for more land, hence migrating to South Africa. The love for adventure influenced them to migrate to South Africa as some of them wanted to see how other areas looked like. Internal conflicts or misunderstandings between the San also forced the San to look for new and peaceful areas. External pressure from the Bantu and other hostile tribes forced the San to migrate to South Africa. The desire for new fishing grounds forced the San to migrate to South Africa since fishermen. They were looking for wild game or animals because they were mainly hunters and food gatherers and the Bantu had cleared all the forests where they used to hunt from. Group influence or band wagon also influenced some of the San to migrate. They moved because they saw others moving especially their family members. THE ORGANISATION OF THE SAN (WAY OF LIFE OF THE SAN) Describe the political, social, and social organization of the San up to the 17th Century. Political Organisation: The San had a segementary or decentralized system of administration i.e. they had no Kings or a centralized authority and therefore they had a weak political set. Their leaders were not hereditary and at any occasion they would have a new head. In most cases, the work of the government was done at the level of each settlement with the help of the headman. The headman ruled according to the acceptable norms and traditions of the society. The San lived in numerous small isolated settlements or camps. The largest camp was between 200 and 500 people. Each settlement was practically independent from the other. The headman was assisted by a council of elders whose decisions he implemented without question. Therefore, the elders carried out decisions on behalf of the people. The headman also exercised full ritual powers in the society. For example, he presided over initiation ceremonies like marriage ceremonies. ARINANYE PATRICK TURYAMUHAKI Page 1 Council meetings were regularly held to handle important matters like disputes conflicts among the people. Membership to the council was open to all male adults who decided most of the political affairs of the society. Therefore, clan democracy existed among the San. At a higher political level, the San were divided into three large groups each comprising of a number of scattered tribes which in turn formed scattered settlements. These were the Northern San, the Central San and the Southern San. Each group was bound or united together by a common language which distinguished it from the rest. The San had neither a permanent army nor police for defence or security. Therefore, they no standing army but the youths provided security as need arose. The youths used simple weapons like arrows and bows for defence. The San were generally friendly and welcoming to other people unless provoked or attacked. Every group had a responsibility of protecting their land against intrusion or interference from other groups. Their women had no say in politics and were not respected in society. Social organization The family was the basic social unit where relatives lived together. The San had weak family ties and they never cared for the sick and old people. Members of the same group related through marriage. Polygamous marriages were highly encouraged among the San although monogamy also existed. Marrying many wives was for prestige and social harmony. The San encouraged early marriages and boys would marry at an early age of 14 -15 years while girls of 7- 8 years would be married off. After marriage, the man (groom or son-in-law) would join the family of his bride (wife) hunting for them until the birth of their first child. By hunting and providing food for the in-laws, the boy was paying bride price. After having their first born, the couple would then be allowed to form their own home. The San women were so courageous and gave birth alone and cut the baby’s umbilical cord with a sharp stick. The San women produced very few children i.e. three to four because of their hunting and wandering life. The San practiced endogamous marriages i.e. they married within the same clan. They were also good dancers and mostly danced at the appearance of the new or half as well as full moon and after a good hunt. Initiation ceremonies were very important and served cultural and adulthood roles. For example, boys were trained in skills of hunting for earning their living. The San trained the youths in the skills of how to use local herbs and medicines to treat certain diseases. They also celebrated important stages in life like death, marriage, birth and puberty. This was done by sprinkling the person with the blood of a sacrificed animal. They drank fermented juice and honey during their social ceremonies. The San lived in temporally shelters, caves and under shades of big trees. They had a strong love for art and were great painters who recorded major events of their life through pictures that decorated walls of their caves and rocks. The San never lived a permanent life but always moved from one place to another looking for hunting grounds and therefore they largely lived a nomadic life. Their language was characterized by a click sound i.e. spoke a Khoisan language. The San were also religious people and believed in life after death and a Supreme Being or god. They worshipped a Supreme Being or god called Kaggen or Huwe or Hishe or Thora who was believed to be the creator. On earth, Kaggen manifested himself through the praying mantis, thunder and lightening. Accordingly, prayers and sacrifices were offered to Him for blessings and rain especially during the dry season. They therefore treated the praying mantis with a lot of respect as a symbol of wealth and fortune. The praying mantis was thought to live in the sky with the souls of the dead men. The San had limited vocabulary and therefore their numerical knowledge stopped at three. They wore ornaments of Ostrich eggshells and feathers, animal skins as well as leaves. The elders were a source of knowledge, wisdom and truth among the San. Social affairs were also decided by the male elders. Economic organization Among the San, land was a communal property and therefore it was communally owned. Though peaceful, they jealously protected their hunting grounds against any intruders or invaders. Their life mainly depended on hunting. They hunted small and big animals like cheetahs, zebra, hyenas as well as birds like ostrich and vultures among others. Sometimes, the San would hunt for the Khoikhoi. ARINANYE PATRICK TURYAMUHAKI Page 2 They used poisonous arrows and bows to hunt down small animals like squirrels. The large animals were trapped in big pits. They were also good at tracking animals. They followed the tracks of a wounded animal until they found it. They neither grew crops nor cultivated. Therefore, they never carried out crop growing. They kept no animal except a domestic dog for hunting and defence. They gathered and collected wild roots, tubers, fruits like berries, water melons, oranges, mangoes, locusts, wild honey, white ants and caterpillars.