“A Very Complex Heritage”: Breakdown of Cape Coloureds’ DNA Sparks Debate

• A Facebook page shared with social media users a brief breakdown of Cape Coloureds' ancestral history
• The ethnic group, which was formed in the Western Cape, has ties to Africa, Europe and Asia
• The video explanation had many social media users debating whether Cape Coloureds were the most diverse ancestrally

Cape Coloureds, or Coloureds, have a rich and diverse history that can lead to hours of conversation.

Discussions about the South African ethnic group filled a post's comment section when a discussion about their ancestral makeup sparked a debate among online users who felt the community wasn't the most mixed in the world.

The DNA history of Cape Coloureds

The Facebook group World Genetics stated on its account that the group's ancestry comes from three continents (Africa, Europe and Asia), adding:

"Cape Coloureds have a very complex heritage. They have major European and African inputs with important variations for the two ancestries, while a smaller part comes from East and South Asians."

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The Facebook account noted that the making of Cape Coloureds began in the Dutch colonial age, when the colonisers mixed with locals (Khoisan and Bantu-speaking groups) and brought over slaves from Asia.

Take a look at the ancestral breakdown in the Facebook video below:

Who are the Cape Coloureds?

The information portal Study.com confirms that Cape Coloureds are a blend of ethnicities, including a mixture of people from Xhosa and Khoisan tribes and those hailing from India, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Ireland, Malaysia, and the Netherlands.

When the Dutch colonised the Cape of Good Hope and the Dutch East Indian Company established a colony in 1652, the indigenous Xhosa and Khoisan people were subjected to physical and sexual abuse, resulting in children of mixed race heritage. The children labelled 'Coloureds' were not considered black or white.

The Dutch also brought slaves from other parts of the world, including Asia and Europe, which led to people intermingling.

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Cape Coloureds' ancestry sparks debate

Thousands of social media users entered the post's comment section to express their thoughts about what they had seen on their screens.

Some of the app users, who were not Coloured or South African, refused to believe Cape Coloureds had the most diverse ancestry in the world, while others found the information false.

An upset Anthony Kirnon referred to the Dutch when writing the following:

"They weren't settlers. Stop calling them settlers."

Muna Zikode, who was not sold on the information shared in the video, asked:

"Where did you get your history from?"

Andrew Douglas thought individuals from another country were the most diverse and stated:

"My money would be on people from Brazil."

Nganga Nhama wrote in the comment section:

"It's strange to say people who moved from one place in Africa to another place in Africa have come from other regions."

Timoth Lewis stated their opinion:

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"Everyone came from Africa. Period."

Murad told the online community:

"They are humans. That is all that matters."

3 Other stories about people's ancestry

• In another article, Briefly News reported the breakdown of Afrikaner people's DNA, prompting a diverse reaction from interested online users.
• People were surprised to hear that Rihanna's baby daddy A$AP Rocky's grandparents were allegedly South African and joked their sons should participate in traditional rituals.
• A sangoma of European descent fascinated the internet as they watched the man partake in a ritual surrounded by other sangomas.

Source: Briefly News