Geskiedenis/History 144: Survey of South African History

Dear Student

Welcome to History 144. This course will run over approximately 6 weeks and consists of
18 lectures and 3 tutorials. It is designed to introduce you to some of the key debates in
South African history. We will focus on the history of this region from the precolonial era to
1910.

Some of the debates and/or themes that we will address include:

 The use of historical sources in reconstructing South African history
 Co-operation and conflict during the colonial encounter
 The movement of various groups throughout the region and debates around this
 The mineral revolution and its enduring political, economic and social impact

You will be expected to play an active role in engaging with the study material, with your
tutor and with your lecturer. You will need to work consistently through the study material
and you will find that, at the end of each lecture, small tasks have been set in order to guide
you through the material. While these tasks are not assessed, I urge you to complete them as
they will enhance your understanding of the work and may form part of your assessment.

All required lecture notes will be available on SunLearn in both English and Afrikaans and
will also be available as written documents. You will be notified when additional material is
posted or any changes are made. You will also be expected to engage in additional reading
for your tutorials as well as independent research for your essay. Two important points to
note:
Please familiarise yourself with the Department Student Policy 2023 which is available
on SunLearn
Please pay particular attention to the announcements posted on Sunlearn as these will
inform you of any changes to lecture and assessment format.

Lecture Attendance

Attendance at lectures is mandatory. A register will be provided at the start of each lecture
and you will be expected to sign indicating your presence. If you are unable to attend a
lecture for any reason, please email the lecturer indicating the reason for your absence.

Mark Allocation

You will receive a number of tutorial assignments, as well as an essay, to be completed over
the course of the term. Please take note that ALL tutorial assignments PLUS the essay are
COMPULSORY. Students who do not complete these tasks will not be granted a semester
mark and thus not qualify for entrance to the exams.
Your class mark for the second semester is compiled as follows: tutorial assignments (30%),
essay (20%) and semester test (50%). To write the exam you need at least 40% for your
semester mark.
Your “prestasie”/achievement mark (the final mark that you earn for the whole course) is
compiled as follows: 60% (semester mark) + 40% (the exam mark).

Tests

The semester test will comprise paragraph and essay questions and it focuses on the content
of Lectures 1-18. You will be given 2 hours to complete the test. The test will consist of 5
paragraph questions (a maximum of 10 marks per question) and one essay question (50
marks). This gives a total of 100 marks. You will not be given a choice with regards to the
questions. Your semester test date is as follows:
4 October 2023

Please note the following:

Following the semester test, there will be a sick test – the details of which will be made
known to you via an electronic announcement. To qualify for the sick test, you will have
to provide documentary proof as per university regulations.

Tutorials

There are three tutorials this term. For each tutorial, you are expected to read the set article/s.
You will receive a question set on the readings in class and you will be expected to write a
response during your tutorial period. You are not permitted to bring the tutorial reading to
class. You may however bring notes that you have made on the readings. The notes should
not exceed one page in length and must be handwritten. No electronic devices will be
permitted during the tutorials.

Tutors
Your tutorial group will remain the same as it was for last semester. This will remain your
tutorial group for the third and fourth terms and you are not permitted to change tutorial
groups. A list of the tutors and their contact details will be made available on SunLearn.

Lecturer Consultation hours:

Monday 10:00-12:00
Tuesday 13:00-15:00
Friday 12:00-14:00
Tutorial 1: Week of 14 August 2023
Julia Wells, “Eva’s Men: Gender and Power in the Establishment of the Cape of Good
Hope, 1652-74” in The Journal of African History, 39:3, 1998, pp417-437

***

Tutorial 2: Week of 21 August 2023

Anton Ehlers, “Apartheid Mythology and Symbolism. Desegregated and Re-invented in
the Service of Nation Building in the New South Africa: the Covenant and the Battle of
Blood River/Ncome in Founding Myths of the New South Africa, 2004, pp173-197

***

Tutorial 3: Week of 28 August 2023

For this tutorial, you would have been expected to have begun thinking about your
research essay and locating relevant sources. In addition, videos on essay writing will be
posted on SunLearn which you will be expected to watch. All of this will form your
preparation for the tutorial.
In addition, there are two quizzes on SunLearn which you will be expected to complete.
They relate to the Department Student Policy regarding plagiarism, the use of AI and
correct referencing. You must complete these quizzes during this week, indicating your
understanding and acceptance of departmental policy. If you have not completed them,
you will be unable to upload your research essay.

Research Essay

Your essay should be between 2 000 – 2 500 words in length and be fully referenced. It
should be in the form of the history essay format with an introduction where you set out your
argument, the body comprised of focused paragraphs and a conclusion where you summarise
your findings. Ensure that you do not include material that is irrelevant to the question. It is
essential that you read the question clearly in order to determine what is expected from you.
Note that each paragraph should focus on a single aspect or theme and that each paragraph
should lead to the next.

You are expected to submit your essay on SunLearn and your essay must include a signed
plagiarism declaration.

Submit your completed essay on SunLearn. Your essay must be submitted by 17:00 on 4
September 2023 You are once again reminded to familiarise yourself with the rules
regarding referencing as well as the penalties enacted for the late submission of the essay.
This can be found in the Departmental Student Policy 2023 which is available on
SunLearn.
The essay question is below:

Write a biography of any historical figure that you have come across over the course of
these lectures. Your biography should consider their role in shaping historical events in
South Africa i.e. the “Great Man” theory of history but should also address the way in
which they were shaped by their historical contexts and circumstances.

Please email your tutor or lecturer with any queries. Discussion forums have also been set up
on SunLearn to deal with queries and comments related to the tests, tutorials and essays and
these will be monitored by the tutors and lecturer.

I wish you everything of the best for this semester and look forward to working with you.

Surya Chetty
suryachetty@sun.ac.za