Introduction
December 16 looms large in the history of South Africa. Today in the new South African it is celebrated as the Day of Reconciliation between Blacks and Whites. It was first celebrated as the “Dingaans Day” and stood for the triumph of the Voortrekkers against the Zulu army led by Dingaan at the ‘Battle of Blood River’. It became a powerful instrument in the arsenal of the White Afrikaner drive to build Afrikaner Nationalism when in 1952 it became the ‘Day of the Covenant’. Since the 1920s, the day was also used by the ANC, SACP and other political organisations to mount protest action against White minority rule and was used in 1961 to launch uMkhonto weSizwe.
Dingaan's Day
Initially 16 December was celebrated by Afrikaners as Dingaan's dag (Dingane's Day.) This was in celebration for what Voortrekkers viewed as a 'victory' over Zulu warriors near the Ncome River in KwaZulu Natal. On that day an estimated 10 000-20 000 Zulu warriors led by Dingane's generals Dambuza (Nzobo) and Ndlela kaSompisi attacked about 470 Voortrekkers at dawn. With the advantage of gun powder Zulu warriors were repelled with an estimated 3000 warriors killed. The blood of casualties flowed into Ncome River turning its water red earning it the nickname "Blood River". This earned the confrontation between Voortrekkers and Zulu regiments the name "Battle of Blood River". December 16 remained a rallying point for the development of Afrikaner nationalism, culture and identity.
Day of the Covenant
During their trek into Natal, Afrikaners were led by W.J. Pretorius and S.A. Cilliers, "to enter into a covenant with God". Thus, when the Zulu attack was repelled by the Voortrekkers, it was viewed as a confirmation of God's ratification of that covenant. This resulted in the establishment of Day of the Covenant. For instance, in 1864 the General Synod of the Afrikaners' Natal Churches agreed that 16 December would henceforth be celebrated as an ecclesiastical day of thanksgiving by all its congregations. The following year the Executive Council of the South African Republic declared that 16 December must be a public holiday in this Boer Republic. In 1894 the Government of the Free State also declared 16 December to be a public holiday.
After South African War the unification of the Cape Colony, Natal and the two Afrikaner Republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State, an act was passed by parliament in 1910 enacting 16 December as a national holiday (Dingaan's Day) throughout the Union of South Africa with effect from 1911. In 1952 the name of the day was changed from Dingaan's Day to Day of the Vow (Day of the Covenant).
Counter events and protests on 16 December
From 1910, Africans who felt excluded from the benefits of universal suffrage after the end of the South African War launched counter events on December 16. These events were meetings and protests aimed at challenging racial discrimination and expressing disdain at continued subjugation of black people. For instance, on 16 December 1929 anti pass demonstrations were organized by the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) in Potchefstroom in the Transvaal. One meeting addressed by Edwin Thabo Mofutsanyana and John Beaver Marks was invaded by a group of white people and a gunshot meant for the leaders of the CPSA resulted in the death of one person. Subsequent to the meeting, a general strike that lasted until 1930 was called In the 1930s the CPSA continued to hold anti-pass campaigns and meetings on 16 December. For instance, the meeting held on 16 December 1930 culminated in the burning of passes. On 16 December 1934 the CPSA organized nine separate meetings in the townships to challenge the restrictions of the Urban Areas Act. From 15 December to 18 December 1935 the All-African Convention (AAC) was held in Bloemfontein to protest against the racial policies of Prime Minister Hertzog. Thus, the 16th of December, particularly in the 1920s and the 1930s became a day that highlighted divisions in the country. For white people, particularly Afrikaners, the date symbolized a 'victory' over African people, for those opposed to white domination and racial discrimination; the date became a rallying point for protests.
Formation of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) and launch of the armed struggle by the ANC
The African National Congress (ANC), (together with the South African Communist Party (SACP), the South African Indian Congress, the Coloured People's Congress (CPC) and the Congress of Democrats (COD), had been engaged in peaceful acts of resistance which aimed at forcing the government to eventually recognize the rights of Black people in South Africa. However, in the 1950s and early 1960s the South African government reinforced repressive measures to further isolate the country's black people by passing various pieces of legislation. It was the implementation of these repressive measures by the state which precipitated the need to change tactics and the manner in which the ANC, SACP and the Congress Alliance had been approaching the struggle for freedom and equality.
In the early 1960s the ANC, the SACP, COD, CPC and the SA C mooted the idea of an armed struggle. At an ANC Working Committee meeting in June 1961 Mandela presented the proposal for a military wing for discussion. On 16 December 1961 uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) (Spear of the Nation) the military wing of the ANC announced its existence by launching its first acts of sabotage. On that date several acts of sabotage were committed through bomb blasts against government structures in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Durban. For instance in the Eastern Cape, an electrical substation was blown up in New Brighton, the building of the New Brighton Labour Bureau and offices of the Bantu Administration Board were also bombed. In Johannesburg, Joe Slovo became instrumental in bombing the Johannesburg Drill Hall. Jack Hodgson, Lionel 'Rusty' Bernstein also successfully planted explosions in Pretoria and Johannesburg.
Between December 1961 and June 1963 more than 200 installations were attacked with a majority of these being in the Eastern Cape. This may be because Port Elizabeth was the centre of sabotage training for MK cadres. The first casualty of MK was killed by his own bomb and another also lost an arm. MK continued to engage in armed struggle by recruiting and sending people for military training outside the country and redeploying them back in the country. On 1 August 1990, MK suspended the armed struggle as negotiations for a democratic South Africa gathered momentum.
Day of Reconciliation
After the first democratic elections in 1994, December 16 continued to form part of the history of post apartheid South Africa. On 16 December 1995 the name was changed once more and was celebrated as a public holiday known as the Day of Reconciliation. The establishment of December 16 as a public holiday was an attempt to strike a balance between a divided past and promoting national unity and reconciliation in a new political dispensation.