Buisplaas: ‘n histories-analitiese ondersoek na die ontstaan en voortbestaan van ‘n minderheidsgemeenskap in die Wes-Kaap vanaf 1863 tot 2018

Abstract

In hierdie proefskrif word die agtergrond van die pre-koloniale stand van die destydse Kaapkolonie geskets en die historiese ontstaan van een gemeenskap word as tersaaklike voorbeeld behandel. Die verhouding wat met verloop van tyd tussen hierdie gemeenskap en die indringende koloniste ontwikkel het, is grotendeels gebaseer op persepsies en houdinge wat reeds sedert die 17e, 18e en veral die 19e eeu weens die ontmoeting tussen die uiteenlopende bevolkingsgroepe ontstaan het. Die verhoudinge wat inherent as gevolg van hierdie koloniale inmenging vertroebel is, was die oorsaak dat sekere inheemse bevolkingsgroepe radikale verandering ondergaan het. Die inheemse bevolking se rol het al hoe meer ondergeskik geword en die landskap het vir goed verander. Waar die inheemse bevolkingsgroepe se grondgebied van hulle ontneem is, moes hulle hul oorlewingstrategieë drasties verander. Die sogenaamde bruinmense, wat ontstaan het uit die ondertrou van die koloniale inkommers met die plaaslike bevolking en ingevoerde slawe, is gou tot die rol van arbeiders gereduseer en hul status het bly verlaag soos die tyd verbygegaan het. Aangesien min van hulle grondbesitters kon wees, wys hierdie proefskrif dat daar wel uitsonderings was. Daar is ’n gemeenskap wat die eienaars van erfgrond aan die Gouritzrivier is en dit steeds na 155 jaar besit. Hierdie gemeenskap is Buisplaas. ‘n Blanke voorvader, Frederick du Buis het aan sy twee seuns wat van gemengde bloed was, Simson en Saul ’n stuk grond langs die Gouritzrivier in die suidooste van die Wes-Kaap nagelaat. Op hierdie 94 hektaar het ’n Buis-gemeenskap ontstaan wat deur al die jare van politieke veranderinge in Suid-Afrika bly voortbestaan en gegroei het. Die onsimpatieke geografie en klimaat van Buisplaas het sy beperkings ingehou en tog het hierdie gemeenskap oorleef en die skamele voordele soos die nabyheid van die rivier en die aalwyne tot hulle voordeel gebruik. Al het die ekonomiese realiteit die meeste van die inwoners genoop om elders te gaan vir verdere opleiding en werksgeleenthede het die Buis-afstammelinge dikwels na hul aftrede uit hul beroepe teruggekeer na hul heimat. Ontwikkeling en die daaropvolgende verbetering van hul omstandighede het eers 127 jaar na die oordrag van Buisplaas aan Simson en Saul Buis begin en ’n groot verbetering in hul lewensomstandighede gemaak. Die rol van die Buisplaas Bewonersvereniging wat in 1986 gestig is en die belangrike proses van ontwikkeling wat deur hierdie vereniging begin is, vorm ’n kernaspek van die studie. Oor die jare het die twee kerke, die Lutherse en Anglikaanse kerke ’n deurslaggewende invloed op die inwoners gehad en veral omdat die Lutherse kerk ook verantwoordelik was dat daar ’n laerskool op Buisplaas opgerig is. Die navorsingsproses het die toepassing van ’n multi-dissiplinêre benadering behels, maar is daar hoofsaaklik van historiese metodologie gebruik gemaak. Die aktiewe bydrae van verskeie inwoners en oud-inwoners van Buisplaas het die gebruik van ander primêre en sekondêre bronne aangevul. Die fokus van die studie was derhalwe op die Buisplaas-gemeenskap wat vir so lank reeds bruin grondeienaars is, te midde van die problematiek van grondeienaarskap in Suid-Afrika. Alhoewel die konkrete realiteite van hierdie gemeenskap behandel word, gaan dit meer oor die ontasbare emosionele verbintenis van die mense met hulle plek, hulle eiendom. Dit gaan oor ‘n landskap wat uit kulturele tradisies en herinneringe bestaan. Dit kry die mistiek deur die krag van onthou, deur die nooit-vergeet-nie van mense se plekbewussyn. Plek word die verlenging van die self want plek is dan ook ‘n oord van tussenmenslike verbondenheid. Dit maak dit nie ‘n volmaakte plek nie maar ten minste ‘n plek waar mense van mekaar geweet het en steeds weet. Die veranderende ekonomiese en politieke streeksdinamika het ‘n invloed op die betekenis wat die inwoners aan hulle plek heg. Die fisiese en ruimtelike omgewing beïnvloed ook die interaksie en verhoudings van hierdie mense.

This thesis describes the background of the pre-colonial situation in the Cape Colony of the time. It uses the historical origin and development of one specific community as an example. The relationship which developed between this community and the intrusive colonialists is based to a large extent on perceptions and attitudes which were observed in the seventeenth and eighteenth but especially during the nineteenth century between the diverse population groups. The interference of the colonialists caused great harm to these relationships and consequently some of the indigenous population groups underwent radical changes. The indigenous population’s role in the area became more and more submersed and the landscape changed forever. As the territories of the indigenous groups were taken from them, they had to change their survival strategies drastically. The group which in former times was called ‘coloured’ because of inter marriages between the colonialists and the local population or the imported slaves, was soon reduced to labourers and their status diminished as time went by. In spite of very few being able to remain as landowners this thesis shows that there were exceptions. There is a community which inherited land next to the Gouritz River and after 155 years they are still the rightful owners. This community is known as Buisplaas. A white ancestor, Frederick du Buis left his two sons, Simson and Saul who were of mixed blood, 94 hectares of land next to the Gouritz River, in the south eastern part of the Western Cape. This is where the Buis community came into being and through the many years of political change in South Africa they continued to remain and develop there. The harsh geography and climate of Buisplaas had its limitations and yet the community survived. They used the meagre possibilities of the area like their proximity to the Gouritz River and the aloes growing there to their benefit. Although the economic realities forced many of the inhabitants to move elsewhere to further their studies or to find work opportunities, the Buisplaas descendants often returned to their community after retirement. It was only 127 years after Simson and Saul Buis inherited Buisplaas that development and consequently improvement started happening on a bigger scale. It changed their quality of life immensely. In 1986 the Residents’ Association of Buisplaas was formed and its role in the development of the community forms the major part of this study. Over the years both the Lutheran and the Anglican churches had a very strong influence on the inhabitants, especially since the Lutheran church was responsible for the establishment of a primary school at Buisplaas. The research entailed a multi-faceted approach, but mostly historical methodology was used. The active participation of different members of the Buisplaas community as well as some of the former inhabitants and neighbours in this thesis, supplemented the use of various other sources. The focus of the study was on the Buisplaas community who had been land owners as so-called ‘coloured’ people long before the issues and problems of owning land in South Africa were addressed. Although the basic realities of survival of this community will be addressed, the main focus is on the emotional bonds of the people with their place, with their property. It deals with their memories and with the cultural traditions that form the backbone of the area. This study has a charm which is revealed because of the memories of the people and the omnipresent consciousness of the ownership of their special place. Place becomes an extension of the self because place and space are also where human ties exist. It doesn’t make the place perfect but it remains a place where the people have always been aware of one another. The changing political and economic dynamics of the area have an influence on the importance and meaning of this place for its inhabitants. The physical and spatial environment and its spiritual importance also influence the interaction and relationships between these people.