You raise a significant point about the origins of Arabian and European expansion in Africa. While the need for trade, territory and converts played a part, men like Almeida used this opportunity to re-establish contact with pre-Muslim and pre-Christian forms of worship—that is, with the so-called Wisdom of the Ancients.

It is curious that you should raise this, now, as it was the main motive behind Almeida’s execution. He was in fact silenced after death (his tongue was removed) for trying to re-open channels of esoteric communication between East and West. Please see my article on rethinking east-west histories.

Maybe, after a few more years, when our own pain is somewhat less, we can entertain the notion, but at the moment we are still trying to enter our narrative into the frey, against all odds… charity begins at home.

“The Viceroy was already dead, and his party wiped out, when the conspirators returned to seal their atrocity—ritually piercing Almeida through the throat with a lance of steel. Thus they silenced him forever.” (KoS p.13)

Could you, as the Silent Ones who have suffered through our history, perhaps speak for him too?

Last year we celebrated the 500-year anniversary of a victory in a David and Goliath-type battle against a (superior) evil slave-trader and war-monger, and it is simply this vision that instills in our people a pride that is incomparable with any other, especially when our nation is starving for heroes and pride in our heritage. As much as there is truth, blame, interpretation, conspiracy-theories out there, our people are resolute: the Goringhaiqua kicked D’Almeida’s ass! He may have sacked Sofia and brought down the Ottoman Empire, but a few lowly pastoralists saw the end of him. Grant us that, at least.

See Knot of Stone (pp.81–82) for a more detailed reconstruction of events that fateful Friday morning.

However, the Portuguese found themselves suddenly surrounded by a large herd of cattle, driven by the Khoi—who then threw fire-hardened, wooden spears at them from behind this moving “defensive wall.” The marines had neglected to wear armor, and carried only swords, so they could not effectively defend themselves, and de Almeida and 58 of his men were killed by being speared, or trampled by the cattle. Thereafter, the Portuguese largely avoided the Cape.

“The killing of Almeida was our finest hour and gives us pride of place in modern history.” Ron Martin, Khoisan community leader, Cape Town, 2010.

Our finest hour or greatest tragedy?