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Showing posts from January, 2025

The Witch Craft Suppression Act

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The witchcraft suppression act 2 of 1895 (The witchcraft suppression Act 3 of 1957). It was a law of South Africa that prohibits various activities related to witchcraft. Although this act's intension was to prohibit ritual murder and sacrifice - to stop bodily harm to people of other races.  The act itself would directly impact African medicine men, healers, blacksmiths and crafters. Iron The process of using fire to transform ore into metal, metal into an object was seen in Africa as a dangerous act of creation which was susceptible to interference by ancestral spirits and by witches from other communities. Ore smelting was often carried out at same distance from villages, the blacksmiths were separated from other parts of society they lived on the edge of settlements because the blacksmiths were known for using sacrifices to offer ancestral spirits they were often mis-categorized as witches. Killings Chiefs, medicine men, prophets, rain-makers...

"Coloureds are Drunkards !"

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Charles Davidson Bell born 22 October 1813 died  7 April 1882 was a surveyor general in the Cape Colony as well as an artist and designer of Cape metals, stamps, logos and emblems. Charles was educated in Saint Andrew University, left Scotland and sailed to South Africa, landed at Cape of Good Hope in 1830, explored South Africa until 1834.  Works of Charles D. Bell C harles Davidson Bells works include the design of the coat of arms for the South African College now University of Cape Town and the three arches badge for the South African Mutual assurance society of  which he was a chairman of, between both emblems which are still in use and may well be the oldest academic arms and corporate logos in South Africa.  C harles D. Bells impact in the Dutch-Afikaner community by copying and preserving old Dutch coat of arms from memorials, seals and stained glass windows and other artifacts. He designed a silver gallantry medal for Cape Governor Sir Henry Smith, rectangul...