A Survey of a Survey of Race Relations in South Africa
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A SURVEY OF A SURVEY OF RACE RELATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA 1956-1957 COMPILED BY MURIEL HORRELL TECHNICAL OFFICER SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS PUBLISHED BY SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS P.O. BOX 97, JOHANNESBURG. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The S.A. Institute of Race Relations extends its very warm thanks and appreciation to all those who helped to make this publication possible. Many State, provincial and municipal officials, voluntary organizations, regional offices of the Institute, Joint Councils and other organizations and individuals have given willing and gracious help by supplying material and by answering questions. It would be invidious to single out any of these for particular mention, but their names are given in the text of this Survey. The writer is particularly indebted to Mr. Maurice Webb, who read the manuscript with meticulous care, offering detailed criticisms and constructive suggestions; and to Mrs. Zea Zimerman, who gave invaluable help with the collection and filing of material, and with the typing and checking of the manuscript. Printed by THE NATAL WITNESS (rY) LTD at Pietermaritzburg. CONTENTS Page POLICIES AND ATTITUDES Political Parties ................................ 1 National Party (1), National Democratic Party (1), United Party (2), Liberal Party (4), Conservative Party (5), Labour Party (5) The Black Sash 6 Non-White Political Organizations .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 The Churches 8........................ 8 Lecture by Professor Keet .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9 Work for better inter-racial understanding ............10 THE S.A. INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS Warning issued to the people of South Africa .......... 11 Attitide to the possible threat to inter-racial meetings ......12 ,Presidential address, 1957 ...... .... ...... .. 13 ,Director's review of 1956 legislation ..............13 Findings of Council on recent legislation ............ 14 Unnecessary fear engendered by legislation .. .. .. .. .. 15 Executive Committee meeting, July, 1957 ............16 The Assistant Director's visit to the United States ........ 16 Opening of Auden House .................. 17 DETERRENTS TO INTER-RACIAL CONTACT Position prior to 1957 .................... 17 The "Church Clause" .................... 17 First draft of the clause (17), Reactions to the original draft (18), The first redraft of the clause (19), Attitude of the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (20), The second redraft of the clause (22), Reactions to the revised draft (23), Action by the churches after the clause became law (23). Effect of the Native Laws Amendment Act on schools, hospitals, clubs or similar institutions 25 The first draft of the Bill (25), The amended draft, which became law (25). Effect of the Native Laws Amendment Act on places of entertainment 27 Effect of the Group Areas Amendment Act on clubs, places of entertainment, and places where refreshments are served .. .. .. 27 'Possible prohibition of meetings to be attended by Africans .. 29 Reactions by voluntary orgainizations .............. 31 S.A. Institute of Race Relations (31), Liberal Party (32), National Union of S.A. Students (32), S.A. Temperance Alliance (32), National Council of Women of S.A. (32), Welfare Organizations (33), Protest meetings (33). Opinions of certain leaders of Afrikaans thought ........ 35 Practical effects of the Native Laws Amendment Act ...... 36 Position of welfare organizations conducting projects in African residential areas .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 36 THE POPULATION, AND MEASURES FOR ITS REGISTRATION AND CONTROL The size of the population ..................38 Religions ..........................39 Progress of population registration ..............39 The "treason trials" 41 The background (41), the arrests (42), defence fund (43), the preparatory examination (44). Action under the Suppression of Communism and Riotous Assemblies Acts 45 At....................................4 Deportations and Refusal of Visas or Passports ........ 45 Commission of Enquiry in regard to Undesirable Publications - 46 Civil liberties in South Africa .. .. .. .. ...1....... 48 Page MATTERS AFFECTING SPECIFIC GROUPS English-speaking Citizens National anthem and flag .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 48 Coloured People Parliamentary representation 49 Separate Representation of Voters Repeal Bill (49), Nomination of -a Senator on the ground of his knowledge of the Coloured people of the Cape (50), Delimitation of Coloured constituencies (50). Land Settlement ...................... 50 Asians Birthplaces of Asians resident in South Africa .... .. .. .. 51 Deportation of Indians .................... 51 Africans Control of Africans in urban areas... ...... .......52 Address by Secretary for Native Affairs (52), Curtailment of powers of local authorities: Irregularities in Native Administration Departments to be reported to the Government (52), Increased control over regulations applicable to African townships (53), Increased control of expenditure from Native Revenue Accounts (53), Deprivation of power to admit African workseekers (54), Criticism of these amendments (54). Influx control and reference books '..........................54 Further restrictions imposed by the Native Laws Amendment Act: Right to remain in urban areas (54), Magistrates and Native Commissioners to be empowered to order Africans out of urban areas if they have failed to obey regulations (57), Further classes of officials empowered to demand the production of documents by Africans (57), Extension of definition of an "undesirable" person (58), Removal to rural villages and right to live outside locations (58), Entry upon land or buildings in urban areas (59), Reactions to the Bill (60), Application of the Natives (Prohibition ofInterdicts) Act to orders issued under influx control regulations (60), New provisions relating to reference books (61), Arrests for pass law offences (63), The scheme of enrolling petty offenders for work on farms (64), Effect of influx control measures on the labour supply in large towns (66), Influx control and reference books for African women: The Native Laws Further Amendment Act (66), The issuing of reference books, and the women's reactions (67), The issuing to women of permits to be in urban areas (70), Demonstrations of protest against passes and permits for women (71). "Foreign" Africans ...................... 72 Provisions of the Native Laws (Further Amendment) Act (72), Possibilities of naturalization of Africans (73). Banishment of Africans ..................... 74 Control of meetings . 76 Entry of Europeans into urban African townships and locations 76 Bantu Authorities 77 Progress to April 1957 (77), Proclamation 110 of April 1957 (77), Progress since then (77), Constitution of tribal authorities (other than in the Transkei) (77), Tribal levies (78), Regulation for regional authorities (79), Tribal or community authorities in the Transkei (80), The Transkeian territorial authority (80). Taxation of Africans .....................81 Proposed increase (81), Information elicited by the Institute of Race Relations (82). African insurance company ...................84 Witchdoctors and herbalists .......... ...... 84 Witchcraft Suppression Act (84), Herbalists (85). Page Riots and disturbances ............. .. 86 Newclare (86), Vlakfontein (86), Langa (87), Wolhuter beerhall (87), Daveyton (88), Dube (88). General research .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 91 URBAN AREAS Local government 92 Commission of Inquiry into Local Government (Transvaal) (92), Public Bodies (Language) Draft Ordinance (Transvaal) (93). Group Areas ........................ 94 Legislation and Legal Matters . 94 Group Areas Amendment Act, No. 57 of 1957 (94), The Group Areas Act, No. 77 of 1957 (100), Definition of groups (100), Competence of the Group Areas Board to conduct an inquiry, the basis of which is its own proposal (100). Group Areas in Johannesburg .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 101 Nancefield, Kliptown, etc. (101), The Western Areas (102), Indian areas (108). Group Areas in Cape Town ............... 109 Further Group Areas proclaimed during the past year .. 110 Carolina (110), Lydenburg (111), Other towns (111). Proposals for Group Areas made during the past year .. 111 West Rand (111), Germiston (112), Vanderbijl Park and Bronkhorstspruit (112), Durban (112), Paarl (114), Grahamstown (114), Rustenburg (115). Establishment of industrial townships on the Witwatersrand .. 116 Removal of Africans from the Western Province ........ 116 "Locations in the Sky" . ................... 116 Housing ........ .................. 117 The Housing Act, No. 10 of 1957 ............117 Income limits entitling Africans to live in assisted housing projects at sub- economic rentals ..............121 Arrears of rental in Pretoria (123). Financing of housing schemes ..............123 Progress made with African housing schemes ........124 The Witwatersrand (124), Other areas (125), Complicating factors and difficulties (126), Site and Service Schemes (127). Housing for Coloured people and Indians ..........127 Provision of transport services for urban Africans .. .. .. .. 128 Railway Construction Act, No. 49 of 1957 (128), State Expenditure on new railway lines (128). The Bus Boycott ......................128 Putco (128), The Commencement of the boycott (129), Official action to 17 January 1957 (130), The spread of the boycott (131), Official action during the next two months (131), Disturbance at Lady Selborne (132), Attempts to find a solution (133), Ultimatum (134), The Motor Carrier Transportation Amendment