Contents

No. 16, July 1984

Articles

• Ou handelsvoetpaaie en wapaaie in Oos- en Noord-Transvaal. / De Vaal, JB
• Voortrekker Pieter Mauritz Burg. / Haswell, RF & Brann, RW
• 'n Geografiese ontleding van eksplorasie in die sentraal-Weskusgebied van Suid-Afrika (1660 tot die era van die veeboerpionier) / De Kock, GL
• United Albany Brethren benefit society. / Berning, JM
• Die stand van stedelike en streekgeskiedenis in die RSA. / Snyman, PHR

Book reviews

• Kotzé, C.S. 1983. Doornkloof-wêreld. [Boek resensie] / Snyman, PHR
• Saunders, C., Phillips, H., Van Heyningen, E. & Bickford-Smith, V. 1984. Studies in the history of Cape Town. [Book review] / Minnaar, AdV

Editorial

The part played by communication in development and civilization is a theme that should have greater prominence in historical research. Although communication is not an end in itself, it is essential for meaningful economic, social, and political interaction. The refreshment station at the Cape was established to advance communication between East and West but its growth was seriously restricted until links with the interior had been improved by reconnaissance expeditions, often undertaken at the peril of people's lives.

It was because the pioneer stock-farmers in the interior were cut off from Western civilization through insufficient means of communication that they developed their own culture and attitude to life. Only thirty years ago, when tarred roads were still a luxury in the rural areas, the differences between countryman and townsman were considerable.

The particular communication problems of the South African interior, great distances and difficult terrain, limited economic development as well. The trade routes which were cleared in the course of centuries between the sea and the interior, for example, were indispensable to the Voortrekkers in the Northern Transvaal, for creating or increasing economic traffic. With the discovery of diamonds and gold, heavy mining equipment had to be transported by ox-waggon from the coast to the interior - journeys which lasted several weeks.

In the fifties and sixties of this century communicationists hoped with the aid of such institutions as radio and television to uplift the communities in the developing countries. Few of these expectations have been fulfilled - not because these media are not powerful instruments, but because a communications medium should adapt to the society it serves.

Redaksioneel

Die rol van kommunikasie in ontwikkeling en beskawing is 'n tema wat groter prominensie in geskiedenisnavorsing behoort te geniet. Hoewel kommunikasie nie 'n doel op sigself is nie, is dit 'n voorvereiste vir betekenisvolle ekonomiese, sosiale en politieke interaksie. Die verversingspos aan die Kaap is gestig om kommunikasie tussen die Ooste en die Weste te bevorder; die volksplanting wat as gevolg daarvan tot stand gekom het, se groei is ernstig aan bande gelê totdat kommunikasie met die binneland verbeter is deur verkenningsreise wat dikwels met lewensgevaar onderneem is.

Die veeboerpioniers in die binneland wat as gevolg van die gebrekkige kommunikasiemiddele in hoë mate van die hoofstroom van die Westerse beskawing afgesny was, het deels as gevolg daarvan 'n eie kultuur en lewens- en wêreldbeskouing ontwikkel. So kort as dertig jaar gelede, toe teerpaaie op die platteland in baie gebiede nag 'n luukse was, was die verskille tussen plattelander en stedeling beduidend.

Die besondere kommunikasieprobleme van die binneland van Suid-Afrika, groot afstande en moeilike terrein, het ook ekonomiese ontwikkeling aan bande gelê. Vir die Voortrekkers in Noord-Transvaal byvoorbeeld was die handelsroetes wat in die loop van eeue tussen die see en die binneland oopgetrap is, dus onontbeerlik om ekonorniese verkeer te skep of verder uit te bou. Met die ontdekking van diamante en goud moes swaar mynboutoerusting met ossewaens van die kus na die binneland vervoer word - togte wat letterlik weke geduur het.

In die jare vyftig en sestig van hierdie eeu het kommunikasiekundiges groot verwagtinge gekoester van die bydrae wat onder meer die radio en televisie kon maak om die gemeenskappe in ontwikkelende lande op te hef. Min van hierdie verwagtinge is vervul - nie omdat hierdie media nie kragtige instrumente is nie, maar omdat 'n bepaalde kommunikasiemedium moet aanpas by die gemeenskap ten opsigte waarvan dit diensbaar gemaak word.