I almost died recently and the source of conflict was a discussion I had with a friend on Names and naming. We were discussing “Forts” and why the Eastern Cape Province possesses so many of places named “Forts”.
Names are not just labels but have a very strong implication on identity. They are more than just words as they carry a deep meaning, significance, history, experience and emotional weight. From personal names to place names, they shape our identity, evoke emotions and define a people. Names are a fundamental part of our identity, influencing how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us.
Understanding the complexity of names requires empathy, acknowledging the multiple perspectives and emotions they evoke. By exploring the power of names, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Some create nice memories, some remind us of a painful past and some are based on a future we’d like to achieve.
DOUBLE DOSAGE OF COLONIALISM
The colonialism of South Africa was not normal. One strange character about it is that it had two European colonisers at the same time (Dutch and British) who, at some point, segmented their control over land and influence according to what we today refer to as provinces. The British controlled the coastal provinces whilst the Dutch controlled inland provinces.
A British coloniser had to fight with the local coastal populations in order to grasp control over land assets (mainly through the Frontier Wars in the Eastern Cape) and they also faced competition from the other colonialist group (the Dutch) who were also attempting to put their own stamp of authority (Anglo-Boer War). Over the past few centuries, South Africa has, indeed, been a mosaic of battles.
CONQUERING THE TWO CAPES
The Eastern and Western Capes fell under British rule in the 1800s. The Dutch colonisers moved to the inland in 1834 (Great Trek), whilst the British continued waging a series of battles against the AmaXhosa tribe of the Eastern Cape in different episodes of the Frontier Wars.
As this reality unfolded, one characteristic that came out of this and is still visible today was the turning and naming of various places into Forts. Eastern Cape province today is dotted with places, towns and cities bearing names Fort that evoke a sense of history and military relevance. These include Fort Beaufort, Fort Brown, Fort Hare, Fort Cox, Fort Armstrong, Fort White, Fort Murray, Fort Glamorgan, Fort Wellington, and many more. But why is there such an abundance of “Fort” in the region’s place names?
A FORTIFIED CAPE
My friend reminded me that whenever I say “Fort” I should remember the unfortunate episode that befell the nation of AmaXhosa in the 18th century. This started in the 1699 over a century before the so-called Nongqawuse National Suicide and this shows that the nation of AmaXhosa had a strong arm due to its ownership of massive tracts of land and cattle.
These forts played a significant role in shaping the region’s development, from protecting British interests to serving as symbols of colonial power.
The British and Xhosa people clashed in a series of wars known as the Frontier Wars. The British built forts to protect their interests and their people from Xhosa attacks and to assert their control over the region. Forts like Fort Frederick, Fort Beaufort, and others were built during this period, serving as military outposts and symbols of British power.
The forts also disrupted traditional ways of life, as land was taken over for military use and local communities were affected by the presence of soldiers.
Fort Beaufort
This place was named Fort Beaufort and has been initially inhabited by the Xhosa people. In the early 19th century, the British established a military post in the area to protect the Cape Colony from Xhosa raids. The post was named Fort Beaufort, after the Duke of Beaufort, a British nobleman. The fort was strategically located on the banks of the Kat River, which provided a natural barrier against Xhosa attacks. In 2023, this place was renamed to KwaMaqoma in thonour of Xhosa warrior and Chief Maqoma. Maqoma was the eldest son of Chief Ngqika and he disagreed with his father on the ceding of land to the British. He was captured by the British and sent to Robben Island for 12 years and a further 3 years until his death.
Fort Brown
Fort Brown is located near the town of Alice. This fort was established in 1846 to protect the Cape Colony from Xhosa raids during the Frontier Wars. The fort was named after a British military officer and its strategic location on the banks of the Tyhume River made it an important centre for British military operations.
Fort Hare
Fort Hare was established in 1846 by the British as a military outpost to protect the Cape Colony from raids hy amaXhosa. The fort was named after a British military officer and its strategic location on the banks of the Tyhume River made it an important centre for British military operations. In 1850, during the eight Frontier Wars, 229 British soldiers retreated to Fort Hare after failing to relieve a trapped Harry Smith who was surrounded by AmaXhosa warriors led by Chief Sandile at Fort Cox.
The fort was later given to Christian missionaries and it went on to become a university.
Fort Wilshire
Fort Willshire was a British fortified trading post established in the early 19th century in today’s Eastern Cape. It was built during the Fifth Frontier War (1818-1819) as part of a series of forts planned by Charles Somerset to maintain the borders of the neutral territory between the Keiskamma River and the Great Fish River. The fort was initially known as Keiskamma Barracks but was later renamed after Colonel Thomas Willshire, commander of the British troops during the war.
Fort Willshire played a significant role in the annexation of the area that the British preferred to declare the Province of Queen Adelaide, whose capital city was Grahamstown
Fort Peddle
Fort Peddie was established in 1835 by the British for military purposes to protect the British lCape Colony from AmaXhosa warriors. The fort was named after Lieutenant-Colonel John Peddie, a British military officer who played a key role in the sixth Cape Frontier Wars. The fort also provided refuge to a group that is, arguably, refered to as AmaMfengu. In 1846, it was conquered by 9000 Xhosa men and the British forces had a mountain to climb, fighting back.
Fort Armstrong
Fort Armstrong was a British fort located in the Eastern Cape. It was built in 1836. The fort was designed to operate independently, featuring wattle and daub barracks, officers’ quarters, kitchen, stables, and cells. The fort was besieged by Chief Maqoma for over a month the British led by General Somerset reclaimed it killing 46 people and capturing 546. In 1853 William Uithalder and the Khoi took control of the fort and the British had to fight back to later reclaim it.
Fort Glamorgan
Fort Glamorgan was a British military post established in 1848 in what is now Monti (East London). The fort was built to serve as a strategic Military location. It was named after the Earl of Glamorgan who was father to one of the British Cape governors, Charles Somerset.
Fort Murray
Fort Murray, a British fort in South African province Eastern Cape. It played a significant role in the Cape Frontier Wars especially the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth.
The fort is also said to have imprisoned a Xhosa prophetess in her late teens Nongqawuse in 1858 before she was sent to Robben Island(a debate for another day)
Fort Frederick
Fort Frederick, a historic fortification nestled in the heart of Gqeberha (former Port Elizabeth), holds a significant place in the country’s complex history. Built by the British and named after Frederick the Duke of York in 1799, this fort was a strategic stronghold apparently aimed at preventing a possible French landing during the Napoleonic Wars.
This was the reception fort for the over 8000 British Nationals who came into South Africa in 1820. From this fort, they were given farming land, equipment and food. Many went as far afield as Qonce (King William’s Town) and Monti (East London).
Fort Cox
This frontier fort, built in 1835, played a significant role in the Cape Frontier Wars, serving as a British military post and witnessing pivotal events that shaped the course of history. Fort Cox was strategically situated in the Amatola Mountains on a loop of the Keiskamma River, allowing the British to maintain control over the surrounding region.
In 1850, Harry Smith was besieged at Fort Cox during the Eighth Frontier War and 220 British troops were forced to retreat to Fort Hare.
IS IT NOT TIME TO UN-FORTIFY
These forts played a significant role in shaping the region’s development, from protecting British interests to serving as symbols of colonial power.
The forts also disrupted traditional ways of life, as land was taken over for military use and local communities were affected by the presence of soldiers. Renaming forts would be a complex process that sparks debate. Some argue that forts are reminders of a painful past and should be renamed to reflect a more inclusive and equitable history. Others argue that renaming forts erases historical significance and cultural heritage.
But I ask, when should a renaming be found to be correct? Is this a history that we must preserve? Why should I keep a historical name that associates my country with the English Duke of York? When the colonial troops removed Africans residing or using those areas what makes it justifiable for those colonial conquerors to give those places names that appeal to them? Why should it be right to change Port Elizabeth (named after the wife of the British Cape Governor Donkin) to Gqeberha but continue to maintain names like Fort Frederick?
Renaming these forts, I believe, could be an attempt to distance the country from its colonial past. Where the renaming has been effected, we applaud. The Eastern Cape is not a province of forts. Further, we should also accept is that colonialists used names to emphasise their authority, to psychologically demean Africans and to erase the original identities of those areas. They rewrote our history.
This is a province of diversity that speaks to the evolution of the South African story. This province has varied stories to tell on heritage from AmaXhosa, AbaThembu, AmaMpondo, AmaBhaca, AmaTolo and others. Instead of celebrating an Earl from some British town we are not associated with, perhaps we should make attempts to rename these places and rewrite our own history in a way that will benefit us and future generations. It may be an uneasy process, but its necessity is unquestionable.