RACIAL SEGREGATION AND THE ORIGINS OF APARTHEID, 1919--36 Racial Segregation and the Origins of Apartheid in South Africa, 1919-36

Saul Dubow, 1989

Palgrave Macmillan ISBN 978-1-349-20043-6 ISBN 978-1-349-20041-2 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-20041-2 © Saul Dubow, 1989 Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover Ist edition 1989 All rights reserved. For information, write: Scholarly and Reference Division, St. Martin's Press, Inc., 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010

First published in the United States of America in 1989

ISBN 978-0-312-02774-2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Racial segregation and the origins of apartheid in South Africa. 1919-36/ Sau1 Dubow. p. cm. Bibliography: p. Includes index. ISBN 978-0-312-02774-2 1. Apartheid-South Africa-History-20th century. I. Dubow, Saul. DT763.R34 1989 88-39594 968.05'3--dc19 CIP Contents

Pre/ace vii List 0/ Abbreviations x Introduction 1

PART I 1 The Elaboration of Segregationist Ideology, c. 1900-36 21 1 Early Exponents of Segregation 21 2 'Cultural Adaptation' 29 3 Segregation after the First World War 39 4 The Liberal Break with Segregation 45

2 Segregation and Cheap Labour 51 1 The Cheap-Iabour Thesis 51 2 The Mines 53 3 White Labour 56 4 Agriculture 60 5 The Reserves 66 6 An Emergent Proletariat 69

PART 11 3 Structure and Conßict in the Native Affairs Department 77 1 The Native Affairs Department (NAD) 77 2 Restructuring the NAD: the Public Service Commission, 1922-3 81 3 Conftict within the State and the Native Administration Bill ~ 4 'Efficiency', 'Economy' and 'Flexibility' 93

v VI Contents

4 The Ideology of Native Administration 99 1 The Transkeian Administration 99 2 The Administrative Ethic in Other Provinces 103 3 The 1920 Native Affairs Act and Its Demise 107 4 'Retribalisation' and Customary Law 111 5 The Legacy of 'Protection' 119 6 Conclusion 125

PART III 5 The Passage of Hertzog's Native Bills, Part One 131 1 Introduction 131 2 Smuts and Hertzog, 1925-9 136 3 The Joint Select Committee and Fusion, 1930--5 142

6 The Passage of Hertzog's Native Bills, Part Two 149 1 Reactions to the Segregation Bills, 1926-36 149 2 The 1936 'Compromise' and the Enactment of the Native B~ 1~ 3 Conclusion 171

Conclusion 177 Notes and References 181 Bibliography 220 Index 242 Preface

South Africa has undergone enormous political upheaval since 1982, when I began to research the history of segregation. At that time the economy was still relatively buoyant and the Nationalist government, together with large business corporations, were confidently under­ taking a significant range of reformist initiatives. In view of these developments the response of the forces of opposition was uncertain, and those who, in 1983, daimed that the state was in deep crisis, seemed to be engaged in a measure of wishful thinking. There have been dramatic changes since then. Towards the end of 1984 it became evident that the new constitution (which at one point seemed set to enlarge the state's mandate by incorporating significant elements of the coloured and Indian middle dass) was rebounding on the government. In the months that followed a wave of popular militancy led to mass insurrection in black townships throughout the country. The state responded in the way it knew best; with an unprecedented level of brutality and repression un­ leashed both within the country and beyond its borders. The impo­ sition of anational state of emergency in June 1986 was followed by a massive crackdown on political organisations and a sustained attempt by the state to crush all forms of dissent. Those who, at the height of the 1984-6 insurrection, predicted that the state was about to yield to the forces of popular opposition, have since been forced to reassess their position in more sober terms. The speed of events and the volatility of the current situation make nonsense of any prognosis about the future of apartheid. For the historian, one of the key questions which requires answering is not just how long the present regime will survive, but also how apartheid has been able to endure for so long. In addressing this problem a thorough understanding of apartheid's historical predecessor - segregation - is vital. This study therefore considers how segregation became the organising ideology of white supremacy during the interwar years, how it gained the effective consent of those it exduded from power, and how it sought to legitimise a system of government based on domination and exploitation. Many writers have addressed the question of segregation, though few have done so in any systematic fashion. Marian Lacey's important book, Working for Boroko, comes dosest to satisfying the

vii viii Preface need for a comprehensive treatment of the topic, though I am critical of her approach and conclusions. Martin Legassick's provisionally titled work, Capitalism and Segregation, might have been a brilliant contribution to the debate, but it was never completed. Nevertheless, my own work has been greatly stimulated by his lead. The insights of other writers have also had an important impact on the direction of my research. In particular, I think of Shula Marks's suggestive work on Natal, William Beinart's writings on the Transkei, John Cell's comparative study of segregation in South Africa and the American South, and Paul Rich's treatment of liberalism between the wars. In the course of researching and writing this book, which began life as an Oxford doctoral thesis, I have been helped by many people. The librarians and staff of Rhodes House, Oxford, Jagger Library at the University of Cape Town, the Witwatersrand University Department of Historical Papers, and the Institute of Common­ wealth Studies, London, all saw a great deal of me. They were generous with their time, patience and interest. Throughout my research I have been supported by bursaries and scholarships administered by the University of Cape Town. In my final year as a student I was awarded the Beit Senior Research Scholarship by Oxford University. I am indebted to both universities for this support, without which it would have been impqssible either to begin or complete this study. It was as a British Academy post­ doctoral research fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, London, that the task of transforming an unwieldy thesis into book form was accomplished. The support of both these institutions has likewise been invaluable. There are many friends both in England and South Africa who helped me a great deal; some by sharing their houses and meals, others by simply reminding me of the world outside my work. I learned much from extended talks with William Beinart, who read various drafts of the thesis and helped me to sharpen up some of my inchoate ideas. Shula Marks read both the thesis and the final manuscript. Her penetrating criticisms led me to make important revisions at a late stage and I am grateful for her encouragement over the past year. I have always been able to trust the careful judgement of my supervisor, Stanley Trapido, who allowed me freedom to explore and never sought to impose his views. His mastery and intuitive understanding of South Mrican history is special. Stanley and Barbara have also shown me exceptional hospi- Preface IX tality and friendship: their dOOf has always been (literally) open. In Oxford and in London lohn Lazar traded ideas, commented on draft chapters and advised on the finer points of apartheid ideology. Susan Rosenberg conceived the cover of this book and executed it with imagination and enthusiasm. I have benefited from the informed (and critical) interest of my parents, their sustained encouragement and support. It is difficult to record my thanks to them adequately. Bryony's rigorous editorial skills were indispens­ able during the final stages of the thesis. In encouraging me to reconsider passages which I would have preferred to forget about, she helped me to overcome my inertia and to improve the coherence of the manuscript as a whole. To her, I am more than grateful. Finally, a note on language. For the purposes of contextual accu­ racy I have repeatedly used words which, in today's parlance, would offend many. I have therefore employed single inverted commas to indicate where words (like 'native') are used in their historical context. If I have not stuck rigidly to this rule, it is only in order to avoid pedantry. SAUL DUBOW List of Abbreviations

AAC All-African Convention ANC African National Congress CNC Chief Native Commissioner CPSA Church of the Province Archives, University of the Witwatersrand DRC Dutch Reformed Church GG Archives of the Governor General, Pretoria ICU Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union JAH Journal of African History JSAS Journal of Southern African Studies JSC Joint Select Committee JUS Archives of the Justice Department, Pretoria KCM Killie Campbell Library Manuscript MP Member of Parliament NA Archives of the Native Affairs Department (pre-Union) Pretoria NAC Native Affairs Commission NAD Native Affairs Department NEC Native Economic Commission NEC Report of the Native Economic Commission (1930-32) NRFA Non-Racial Franchise Association NTS Archives of the Native Affairs Department (post­ Union), Pretoria OFS Orange Free State OUP Oxford University Press PM Archives of the Prime Minister's Office, Pretoria PSC Public Service Commission SACP South African Communist Party SAIRR South African Institute of Race Relations SAJE South African Journal of Economics SAJS South African Journal of Science SANAC South African Native Affairs Commission SAP South African Party SC Select Committee SDK Archives of the Public Service Commission, Pretoria SNA Secretary of Native Affairs SNC Sub-Native Commissioner

x List 0/ Abbreviations xi

TES Archives of the Treasury, Pretoria UCT University of Cape Town UG Union Government UNISA University of South Africa Wits University of the Witwatersrand