The head of the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town, South Africa, formerly a hub of slave trade and exploitation, called for squarely facing and opposing all forms of modern slavery on Monday, coinciding with the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.
Built between 1666 and 1679, the Castle of Good Hope is Cape Town's oldest colonial structure, serving not only as a pivotal stronghold for the Dutch East India Company in the Southern Hemisphere but also as one of the centers of slave trade and exploitation.
During that period, Dutch colonists forcibly captured slaves from the African continent, Madagascar, Indonesia, and India to meet their labor needs. The enslaved individuals were mainly engaged in construction, gardening, and domestic work. The castle has many key structures, including the Castle of Good Hope itself, constructed by slaves. Within the castle were facilities for detaining slaves, where hundreds endured inhumane living conditions.
"The slave lords, the castle had its own slave lords, but the slave lords in the center of town was where hundreds of women were kept. They were used to breed other slaves. So, it was not a kind, frankly, it was not a very humane system, it was a system that when one person, a powerful person exploited the labor of other person for a profit," said Calvyn Gilfellen, CEO of the management committee of the Castle of Good Hope.
The slavery system had profound impacts on South Africa's language, culture, and economy. Today, the Castle of Good Hope has been transformed into a history museum, acting as a reminder of the historical lessons of slavery through diverse exhibitions and commemorative events. It also provides an opportunity for reflection to promote global justice and human rights.
"As free and democratic citizens of this country, we must rebel and oppose and fight all forms of modern slavery. As people who tasted the 1834 emancipation of enslaved people, we need to commit ourselves to change that as long as we live in this beautiful country of ours," Gilfellen said.
The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery commemorates the adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others.
The focus of this day is on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labor, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.
South African insider urges facing, opposing all forms of modern slavery
