Africana Library
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Item Progressive politics and crises of urban reproduction in South Africa: The cases of rent and transport(1985-09-23) McCarthy, J.Useful, although not necessary, points of departure for this paper are some comments that emerged in two recent contributions to progressive political debate at the University of Natal. These two contributions are Erwin's address to the University Forum on "Trade Unions and Politics" and Freund et al's contribution to the South African Labour Bulletin and the Critical Perspectives on Southern Africa Seminar on the "November Stayaway". In both of these presentations there appeared to be an enhanced interest, on the part of intellectuals of the progressive labour movement, in what I shall term as South Africa's urban reproductive crises. We have become accustomed to hearing from both liberal-reformists and radical-liberals about such crises in South Africa. These latter groups, of course, have addressed the issues in a different manner to Erwin and Freund et al because of their differing political priorities, but they have persistently addressed them all the same. The fact that we are now increasingly hearing from trade union-linked intellectuals on living place issues, however, is a fact that I take as a significant departure in the course of South Africa's urban and regional politics.Item All little sisters got to try on big sister's clothes: the community council system in South Africa(1982-04-19) Block, RobinThe Community Councils Act of 1977 provided for the establishment of community councils in the African urban townships - the urban locus for the management and reproduction of the African labour force in the cities and towns of 'white' South Africa. Community councils were to replace the largely defunct urban bantu councils (UBCS) and advisory boards in the townships. They were to take over significant aspects of the execution of state urban management - reproduction policy in the townships from administration boards. By March 1980, according to the Department of Cooperation and Development '(CAD) 224 community councils had been established. Elections had been held in 193 cases, with an average poll of 41,9%.2 CAD 'facts' and 'figures' notwithstanding, by 1980 things did not look too healthy for the community council-. In reality, the period from 1977 - when the first council was instituted in the Vaal townships - saw the rejection of community councils by the vast majority of township residents all over South Africa, resulting in the effective failure of the system - in its first incarnation, at any rate. The council system was restructured slightly as part of Koornhof's "new deal" bills in October 1980 ; massively rejected and sent for redrafting, the latest version of the community council has just seen the light of day in the Black Local Authorities Bill of March this year. This bill has now been sent to a Parliamentary Select Committee for review. This paper examines the community council system, since 1977 and locates it within the broader patterns of changing state urban management reproduction policy, which is, arguably, in an ongoing state of crisis.