Cape Town - When slaves were brought to the Cape, they were given new names by their owners, often after the months of the year. That’s why many Capetonians have surnames such as April or Augustus.
Brand activation company Geometry Global sought out elders in each of these families and interviewed them about their family heritage. Geometry produced a “Slave Calendar”, which features 12 Capetonians whose surnames – one for each of the calendar months – hark back to this practice. It was recently awarded a gold Loerie – a prestigious advertising award – and will be exhibited at the Iziko Slave Lodge Museum.
In the lead-up to Heritage Day, the Cape Argus will be featuring each of the 12 interviewees. Here’s the third instalment in the series:
Meet Mr Maart
Leonard Maart, 81, was born exactly one century after slavery was abolished in Cape Town. “I learnt about slaves for the first time in history at school, but when I went to see my family in 1956 for the first time, I was introduced to the greater family and there I was told that I have a slave history,” he said.
He learnt from an elderly uncle about his family’s origins.
“I discovered that they were educated people, they were teachers, working out on farms, assisting other people to get educated,” Maart said. “So this is how I came to know of my history as a slave.”
He grew up in Vasco near Goodwood.
“I was forcefully removed from that area in 1959, and we found ourselves in Elsies River.”
Also read: Meet Mr Januarie
And: Meet Mr Februarie
Maart said he wished more people of slave descent knew about their history, so that it could empower them in the present.
“I wish more had been done so that people knew about slaves and the difficulties they encountered,” he said.
“If people knew more about slavery, people would know their origins and how to move forward.”
Despite being a coloured man during apartheid, Maart went from being a factory worker to having a university education.
“Some of us were very lucky in spite of our difficulties,” he said. “I had to educate myself on the factory floor, and I went for training in the ministry and later went to university.”
Maart said that if others like him knew more about their heritage, and had positive examples to follow, it would be a massive help.
“We got up, and so did the sons of my brothers, but not all people,” he said. “If we knew where we came from, and we saw other people rising from the ashes, it would have made the biggest difference.”
Leonard Maart’s 54-year-old nephew, also named Leonard, said many people in his community had forgotten about their slave roots.
“I think the people on the ground, the community itself, they have sort of forgotten that part of their history,” he said.
Leonard Maart Junior was a teacher and is currently an attorney practising conveyancing and living in Strandfontein.
He studied history at UWC, so he knows more than most about slavery in the Cape.
“The slaves made a tremendous contribution to this country,” he said. “Groot Constantia wouldn’t be there today if it wasn’t for slaves. You’ve got one farmer there and 29 slaves; they built the land, not him.”
Maart said there was nothing embarrassing about being descended from slaves.
“We couldn’t help it if our great-great-grandparents became slaves,” he said. “I’m not a slave and I hate slavery, however, I realise that this is where I come from. I can’t escape it and there’s no point in hiding it.”
There are plenty of positives to focus on and appreciate in retrospect, Maart said.
“You also realise the good things they have done and the contributions they have made, and it’s up to us to take those things forward.”
He pointed out that the abolition of slavery was not the end of tribulations for coloured people in the Cape - far from it.
“When slavery ended, the colonists were still in charge. We had so many years of apartheid. Now apartheid has ended, but ask yourself, who is still in charge?” Maart said. “So yes, we are no longer slaves, we no longer suffer under apartheid, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”
Cape Argus