Native Affairs
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For information on Native Affairs content please contact Rachel Louis via Tel : 0117171967 or email : rachel.louis@wits.ac.za or Cynthia Warren via Tel : 0117171931 or email : cynthia.warren@wits.ac.za
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Item Annual reports by the Commissioner for Native Affairs for the years ended 30th June 1903-31st May 1910(Government Printing and Stationery Office, 1911) Transvaal. Native Affairs DepartmentThe Transvaal Native Affairs Department annual reports for the period 1902/1903 to 1909/1910 are mainly concerned with the aftermath of the Second Anglo- Boer War. The War caused upheavals in Black communities, and unauthorized locations sprang up. According to the 1903 report, unscrupulous individuals had led Black people to believe that farms captured from the Boers would be redistributed among Black people. The 1904 report states that Native Commissioners were responsible for resettling the Black communities, and makes mention of the fact that Black people did not want to return to their old domiciles. They wanted land on which to live independently. There was unrest on farms, which was quelled when farmers were issued with guns. Officers from the Native Affairs Dept. tried to improve relations between Europeans and Black people, with limited success. The 1905 report makes mention of the Native Affairs Commission’s report of 1904, which stated that the time had come for the lands dedicated and set apart as locations to be defined, delimited and reserved for Black people by means of legislation. The 1906 report deals with the shortage of Black labour on the mines. It touches on unscrupulous methods used to recruit labour and the issue of fair wages for Black labourers. The Transvaal Government appointed a special Commission to look into the shortage of unskilled labour on the mines. As a result of this, the Labour Importation Ordnance was passed. Labourers were imported from German West Africa and China. The Portuguese government would not allow labourers to be imported from Mozambique. This changed in 1909. The report for that year states that the Government of the Transvaal and the Province of Mozambique entered into a treaty regarding the employment and status of Mozambican labourers employed on Transvaal mines. All of the reports for the 10 year period also deal with the issues of taxation of Black people, education, administration of deceased estates, marriages, tribal matters, health issues on the mines, compensation due to Black people for mining accidents and also compensation due to them for losses suffered during the War. The 1910 report states that on 31st May 1910, the control and administration of Native affairs passed from the Transvaal authorities to the Executive Government under the Union.Item Report of the Native Affairs Commission for the years 1927-1947 (incomplete)(Government Printer, 1932) South Africa. Native Affairs CommissionThe Native Affairs Commission produced a five year report for the period 1927- 1931. During this period, members of the Commission attended meetings of the Select Committee of both Houses of Parliament on the proposed Native Bill. In June 1930, the members also became part of the Native Economic Commission, and took part in all of the journeys, investigations and discussions of the Commission. They remained with the Commission until the completion of its work in early 1932. In December 1930, the Commission attended the Native Conference, convened under the terms of the Native Affairs Act, 1920. Appendix D of the report contains a general statement of the proceedings of this conference. Appendix C of the report contains a statement regarding the financial position of the Native Development Account, as well as a brief statement concerning the inception and progress of the account. The Account was established to further Native education, and to provide for the advancement and welfare of the Native people. The 1936 report deals with the Native Trust and Land Act no. 18 of 1936, which made provision for the setting aside of 13% of land in South Africa for the Black population. The 1937-1938 report deals in some detail with the Native Laws Amendment Act of 1937 and the Native Urban Areas Act of 1923. The Native Laws Amendment Act restricted the free movement of Black people, and placed constraints on the number of Black people allowed to reside in urban areas. The 1937-1938 report also deals with Black ownership of land in the Trust areas and the establishment of industries in Native areas. The 1939-1940 report deals with the economic implications of the Native Policy, and in particular with the 1932 report of the Native Economic Commission. The Native Affairs Commission based their Native economic policy on this report. The 1945-1946 report contains a summary of developments which took place during the two years, with regards to Native Affairs. It also deals with land purchased in terms of the Native Land and Trust Act, the rehabilitation of the reserves, education, housing and mission hospitals. The 1946-1947 report emphasizes the fact that South Africa was undergoing a period of rapid industrialisation . As a result of this, Black families were moving to the industrial areas in search of work. The report acknowledges that “this process of urbanization has come to stay”. The report also deals with tours that the Commission undertook to deal with land matters in Natal, Eastern Cape, the Free State and the Transvaal.Item Reports of the Native Affairs Commission for the years 1921-1926(Cape Times Limited, 1927) South Africa. Native Affairs CommissionThe Native Affairs Act no. 23 of 1920 made provision for the establishment of a Native Affairs Commission. The purpose of the Commission was to advise the Government on all issues regarding the “Native policy”. The issues which the Commission dealt with were the taxation of Africans, pass laws, separation of land rights, and the issue of Africans residing in residential areas. The Commission set up tribal councils for the administration of the Native reserves, and advisory councils for Africans in urban areas. This was done under the aegis of the Native Affairs Department and under the ultimate authority of the Prime Minister. The Commission saw itself as the friend of the African people and claimed that it attended to their needs and aspirations as sympathetically as possible. The Commission was required to furnish an annual report to the Governor General. This document contains the Commission’s annual reports from 1921-1926.