were able to ignore the burghers' demands.
Slavery created far the most significant division in Cape society. As in
other slave societies, the relationship was rooted in the fact and threat of
violence. The law that prevailed at the Cape derived from the Roman-
Dutch law of the Netherlands and the statutes of Batavia. "Slaves were
unable to marry; had no rights of potestas over their children, and were
unable to make legal contracts, acquire property or leave wills. As the
exclusiveproperty of his master, a slavewas obliged to obey any order that
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