Sebastiaan Messerschmidt THE DUTCH REPRESENTATIVE IN CAPE TOWN
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Sebastiaan Messerschmidt became Dutch Consul General in Cape Town in August 2018. He is a great believer in the power of co-creation and thinks South Africa poses quite a few challenges.
peaking of challenges, Messerschmidt has experienced some trying times already. He was in Cape Town when the water supply was in danger because of severe drought. And in April 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he suddenly found himself in charge of the repatriation of thousands of stranded Dutch citizens and other foreigners. “All of a sudden I was a travel guide, I had to organise coaches to transport the people to the airport. It was a bizarre situation.” I assume South Africa has surprised you many times? “Like many Dutch I was, and still am, surprised by the special historic link between the Netherlands and South Africa. We share an
“I FIND IT VERY INTERESTING TO REPRESENT THE NETHERLANDS IN THE CAPE. THIS PLACE IMMEDIATELY PUTS ITS SPELL ON YOU AND IT IS EASY TO LOSE YOUR HEART TO IT”
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extraordinary history that goes back to 1652. For me personally it is important to emphasise that we were very active at the time in supporting the Anti-Apartheid Movement, both socially and politically. We wholeheartedly took up the cause.” But… “Yes, there is a but. In April 1652 Jan van Riebeeck landed in South Africa to set up a refreshment outpost for the Dutch East India Company, the VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie), and that resulted in tens of thousands of enslaved people being brought to the Cape. Nowadays people here in South Africa still identify with this period in time. As a representative of the Dutch authorities I am
