A Survey of a Survey of Race Relations in South Africa
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A SURVEY OF A SURVEY OF RACE RELATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA 1967 Compiled by MURIEL HORRELL Research Officer South African Institute of Race Relations I SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS P.O. BOX 97 JANUARY, 1968 JOHANNESBURG ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The writer would like to express her sincere gratitude to all those who helped in the preparation of this Survey, in particular to Mr. Quintin Whyte, who read the major portion of the manuscript and made valuable suggestions for its improvement. Very many people gave most generous help in contributing material, supplying information, or replying to questions. Among them were Members of Parliament of various parties, officials of numerous Government and Municipal Departments (including those in the Transkei), the Registrars of the Universities and University Colleges and of the M. L. Sultan Technical College, the Principals of the Vlakfontein Technical School and Dube Vocational Training Centre, the Athlone Advice Office, the Trade Union Council of South Africa, Mrs. B. Israel, Mr. Peter R. Randall, and Mrs. Jean Sinclair. Any publication of the Institute of Race Relations represents a team effort. Particular thanks are due to Mrs. A. Honeywill, who put in much overtime seeing the manuscript through the Press, and to Mrs. M. Smith, assisted by Miss F. Teladia, Mrs. E. Harvey, and Mrs. Y. Murphy, who did the typing; but a great deal of help was given, too, by the Institute's administrative, clerical, and library staff at Head Office and by members of staff of Regional Offices. The writer's thanks are extended, too, to the printers, the Natal Witness (Pty) Ltd. NOTES Period covered This Survey is stated to be for the year 1967. As it was wished to have it published in January 1968, however, it was impossible to include mention of events that occurred during the last three weeks of December. This will be done in the next issue. Dates All dates mentioned refer to the year 1967 unless otherwise stated. Printed by THE NATAL WITNESS (PTY) LTD., Pietermaritzburg CONTENTS Page POLITICAL PARTY DEVELOPMENTS Nationalist Party ........................................... 1 United Party. .......................... ...... 3 Progressive and Liberal Parties.... 5 Commission of Enquiry into Improper Interference and the Political Representation of the Various Population Groups ............ 5 Council for Coloured Affairs .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 5 South African Indian Council ................................ 6 Coloured attitudes and political organizations .................... 6 A ttitudes of Indians .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 8 A frican s ..... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 8 ORGANIZATIONS CONCERNED WITH RACE RELATIONS Religious organizations: The Christian Council and Christian Institute of South Africa 10 African Independent Churches .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 12 Students' Christian Associations ...........................12 The South African Institute of Race Relations .... .... .... .... ... 13 South African Bureau of Racial Affairs ........................ 14 The Black Sash ................. ...........................16 Human Rights Society of the University of the Witwatersrand .... 17 Voluntary service by students .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 18 THE POPULATION OF SOUTH AFRICA Size of the population ......................................19 Persons classified under the Population Registration Act, and appeals* lodged .... .........................................19 Some cases of extreme hardship caused by population registration 20 Differences of opinion in regard to racial classifications ........ 22 Increased numbers of appeals .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 23 Sub-divisions of the Coloured group .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 24. Population Registration Amendment Act, No. 64 of 1967 ........ 24 Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Amendment Bill ................ 28 Convictions under the Immorality Act .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 28 SECURITY MEASURES Defence Amendment Act, No. 85 of 1967 ........................ 29 Proposed enlargement of the Defence Force .................... 30 D efence equipm ent .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 30 C ivil defence .... .... .... .... ... .. .... .... .... .... .... .... 32 Radio ...... .............. .... ... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 32 THE CONTROL OF PERSONS Suppression of Communism Amendment Act, No. 24 of 1967: Membership of or participation in the activities of specified organizations (33), Inter-communication between banned and listed persons (36), Advocates, attorneys, notaries, and conveyancers (36), Deportations (37). iv A SURVEY OF RACE RELATIONS, 1967 "L isted" persons .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ... 37 Banning orders: Numbers involved (38), Some of the people banned in 1967 (39), Trials for contraventions of banning orders (42). Warnings of banning or of possible prosecution ................... 43 Continued detention of Mr. R. M. Sobukwe .................... 43 Banishment of Africans ............ ........................ 43 Emergency regulations in the Transkei .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 44 Meetings on the steps of the Johannesburg City Hall ............ 45 Border Control Act, No. 61 of 1967 .... .... .... .... .... .... 45 Travel documents granted and refused, and deportations ........ 46 Residents' perm its for clergy .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 49 POLITICAL TRIALS Persons convicted under the security laws ..................... 50 A ppeals against convictions .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 51 The "180-day" clause .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 52 Political trials: Poqo in the Western Cape (53), Membership of illegal organizations in the Eastern Cape (54), Other cases relating to membership of banned organizations (55), Poqo activities in Lesotho (55), Cases relating to forged documents (56), Quoting the speech of a banned person (58). Complaints of ill-treatment made by ex-detainees ................ 58 TERRORISM Plans for terrorism in South-W est Africa .... .... .... .... .... .... 59 A cts of terrorism .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ... 59 Terrorism Act, No. 83 of 1967 .............................. 61 Trial of Africans arrested in South-West Africa ................ 65 Decisions of the Organization of African Unity .................... 65 Attempted infiltration of alleged terrorists through Rhodesia ........ 66 Presence of alleged terrorists in Botswana .... .... .... .... .... .... 68 The questioning of persons in South Africa .... .... .... .... .... 69 Reported defection of some terrorists .... ......................69 Reappraisement of policy by certain African states .... .... .... ... 70 OTHER MATTERS RELATING TO JUSTICE Criminal statistics: Cases sent for trial, 1965-6 (71), Sentences (72). Crim e in Soweto .... .... ....... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 73 P olice reservists .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 74 C onduct of the police .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 75 Conditions in prisons .....................................76 Charges arising from allegations in the Press about conditions in prisons .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 77 Prison outstations ........... ...........................78 Assets of the Defence and Aid Fund .... .... .... .... .......... 78 Legal Aid...... .. ........ 79 Social Services Association of South Africa .... .... .......... 79 Proposed law against untrue Press reports .... .... .... .... .... .... 79 FOREIGN AFFAIRS United Nations: South Africa's m embership .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 80 International seminar on apartheid and colonialism ............ 81 Conference of anti-apartheid organizations .................... 82 Report of the International Commission of Jurists ............ 82 CONTENTS v 1966 Session of the General Assembly .... .... .... .... .... 82 Security Council Meeting on Rhodesia, December 1966 ........ 83 Trusteeship Committee debate on Rhodesia at the end of1967 84 Consideration by the Special Political Committee of action against South Africa .... .... ... ... ...... .... .... 85 U nited N ations' Trust Funds .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 85 Relationships between South Africa and certain other countries: Britain ............................85 The United States ......................................86 Other sta- ' Africa (in general) .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 88 Lesotho . .... .. .. ............89 Botswana .... ........ ... ................ .... .... .... 94 Sw aziland .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 96 M alaw i .... .... .... ....... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 97 EMPLOYMENT The general econom ic situation .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 100 Productivity, and use of non-white labour .... .... .... .... .... .... 101 The cost of living, and income levels .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 103 Job reservation ........................................... 107 Physical, Planning and Utilization of Resources Act, No. 88 of 1967 107 The manufacturing industry in South Africa generally ............ 114 Border industries ............. .......................... 116 Extension of the concept of border industries .... .... .... .... .... 123 Employment in: Agriculture ............ .......... .... .... .... .... .... .... 124 M ining .... .... .... ....... .... .... .... .... .... .... ...