The implementation of urban apartheid on the East Rand, 1948-1973 : the role of local government and local resistance
Date
2001
Authors
Nieftagodien, Mohamed Noor
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Abstract
The overarching theme of the thesis is the urban ‘racial’ restructuring of the East
Rand during the first twenty-five years of apartheid. The thesis examines the adoption
and implementation of apartheid state’s social engineering strategy, especially its
strict racial segregation of the urban areas. In this context, the creation o f ‘modern’
African townships and group areas is emphasised. The thesis focuses attention on the
implementation of urban apartheid in Benoni, particularly the establishment of the
‘model’ township, Daveyton. Benoni’s experiences in implementing apartheid
policies are compared to that of its municipal neighbours. The thesis contends that
local authorities were important role players in the implementation of apartheid. Thus,
the ways in which the changing relations between the local and central tiers of the
state influenced the making of apartheid at regional and local levels are foregrounded
throughout this study. The impact of apartheid policies on the ‘multi-racial’
populations of the urban ‘black spots’ and their responses to these policies are
primary concerns in the narrative provided here. The diverse reactions of people
affected by forced removals - from acquiescence to militant resistance - in the 1950s
and 1960s are analysed. A central focus of this study is the making of apartheid in the
1960s, the so-called golden age of apartheid. Finally, the thesis discusses the
introduction and effects o f ‘separate development’ and ‘community development’ as
principal interventions by the state to politicise ethnicity and ‘race’ during the period
of ‘high apartheid’.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of the
Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for
the degree Doctor of Philosophy.
Johannesburg, 2001
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Citation
Nieftagodien, Mohamed Noor (2001) The implementation of urban apartheid on the East Rand, 1948-1973 : the role of local government and local resistance, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg,<http://hdl.handle.net/10539/23056>