Costel’s Reviews > An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence > Status Update

Kwame Nkrumah's reputation was later redeemed, as I could judge on seeing the impressive marble mausoleum where his remains lie in downtown Accra. Erected in the early 1990s, the memorial is in a peaceful location, surrounded by water and fountains in five acres of park. It stands on the very spot where Nkrumah made his declaration of independence.

Somalia fell to the British and Italians, with the bulk of the country coming under Italian rule and the British controlling the northwest.

Burundi also has a Hutu majority population and gained its independence from Belgium in 1962. It has witnessed similar atrocities such as the mass killings of Tutsis in 1993, and human rights abuses continue today.

Shaka established his capital KwaDukuza about 80 kilometres north of Durban. In the Zulu language this means 'place of the lost person'. From there he ruled for several years.

Mzilikazi is widely regarded as the second greatest Nguni fighter and leader after King Shaka. He had defied Shaka and refused to be cowed, telling him: 'I will create my own nation.' Exceptionally, Shaka allowed him to retain his title and keep his own armed forces.

The original inhabitants of the Cape in Southern Africa were the pastoralist Khoikhoi (sometimes just Khoi), later pejoratively referred to by Dutch settlers as the Hottentot; and the San, who were hunter-gatherers and received the derogatory name of 'bushmen'. Collectively they are known as the Khoi-san.

The first Europeans to reach the Cape in Southern Africa in 1488 were the Portuguese, as was usually the case.

Louverture said: 'I was born a slave, but nature gave me the soul of a free man.' He did not live to see the day of freedom. He died in prison in 1803.

Legislation abolishing the trade was enacted first by Denmark in 1803, Britain in 1807, the United States a year later, the Netherlands in 1814, France in 1818, Brazil in 1850 and Portugal as late as 1878.

If a white enslaver had children with a captive African woman, the children could be put to work.