Sunshine and Shadows: The Duality of Zonnebloem College's Impact on Xhosa
In 1704, the first deed of the farm on which the school stands was issued.
Zonnebloem (The Sunflower) was one of three farms situated on the slopes of Devil’s Peak.
The other farms were Lilliebloem (The Lillyflower) and Rhodebloem (The Redflower).
Around 1740, the manor house on Zonnebloem Estate was built. It was one of the original Dutch H-shaped gable houses in the country. Originally, the estate was a wine farm and the building which houses the college chapel was a wine store. A number of people owned and lived on the estate over the years. At one stage, the estate was owned by a slave-trader Mr Tennant who, when slavery was abolished was forced to sell the estate. In about the 1850s the conflict in the Eastern Cape between the indigenous people and the British colonial settlers was reaching a crisis point.
An educational institution for the sons and daughters of the paramount chiefs to provide them with a Christian education on the understanding that when they become the rulers of their communities they would be well-disposed towards the white settlers. And so with a weakened economy the AmaXhosa had capitulated to the British and the chiefs had no choice but to send their sons and daughters to be educated at Zonnebloem.
However, there was also a recognition on the part of the chiefs that the struggle against the British colonial government now required education in the ways of the British including their laws and systems of administration.
The school moved to Zonnebloem and has been at this estate ever since. The curriculum was geared toward trade education and the boys were taught carpentry, metalwork, woodwork and printing. Whilst the girls were taught dressmaking and needlework. All learnt the basics of arithmetic and reading and writing as well as the study of the Bible. One of the first printing presses in the Cape colony was at Zonnebloem, followed by Lovedale, Alice, in the Eastern Cape. So in many ways Zonnebloem College represents the beginnings of a new phase of struggle of the African people in South Africa (and southern Africa); of recognising the key role of education in their struggle to adapt to and change their conditions under settler colonialism following their military defeat and land dispossession. Harold Cressy had attended Zonnebloem College from the age of eight. He was the country's first graduate of colour who qualified at the South African College in 1910. Additionally he was an education activist.
Zonnebloem College, nestled in Cape Town, South Africa, boasts a history as complex and multifaceted as the nation itself.
On the 11 March 1858, the school opened its doors. The school was initially situated on the outhouses of the Bishop’s house on the slopes of Table Mountain in Claremont, the college's initial purpose was deeply problematic - to educate the children of Xhosa chiefs imprisoned during the Frontier Wars, aiming to assimilate them into British colonial society.
In 1860 the church bought the Zonnebloem farm for 6,000 pounds.
However, the impact of Zonnebloem was not without its downsides. The curriculum heavily emphasized European cultural values and often denigrated Xhosa traditions and customs. Graduates faced a challenging path, often caught between two worlds - unable to fully integrate into colonial society while facing suspicion from some within their own communities. The college's story continues to resonate in post-apartheid South Africa. Zonnebloem evolved over time, becoming a primary and secondary school catering to the broader District Six community. In 1994, it was incorporated into the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). Today, Zonnebloem College serves as a reminder of the complexities of South Africa's past. It represents both the limitations of colonial attempts at assimilation and the enduring spirit of the Xhosa people, who navigated a challenging educational landscape to carve their own paths forward.
Some notable former students who actively contributed to South Africa's social and political landscape include:
John Tengo Jabavu: A prominent journalist, editor, and political activist who founded the first Xhosa language newspaper, Imvo Zabantsundu.
R.R.R. Dhlomo: A renowned Zulu writer and educator who played a significant role in preserving and promoting Zulu language and literature.
Jeremiah Moshoeshoe: Son of King Moshoeshoe of Lesotho, he studied at Zonnebloem in 1859 and went on to become a prominent leader in his country.
Harold Cressy: The first person of color to earn a bachelor's degree from the University of Cape Town, he attended Zonnebloem from 1897 to 1905.
R.H. Godlo: A prominent South African writer and educator, he graduated from Zonnebloem in 1901.
Walter Bannister Rubusana: A minister, educationalist, and writer who advocated for improved education and opportunities for black South Africans.
Selope Thema: A writer, translator, and political activist who played a key role in the development of Xhosa literature.
John Langalibalele Dube: A minister, educator, and founder of the first South African newspaper published in an indigenous language, Isizulu.
Nathaniel Umhalla: A clergyman, teacher, and founding member of the Bantu Presbyterian Church in South Africa.
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