CENPA-296~11 |
Save page Remove page | Previous | 10 of 19 | Next |
|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Large (1000x1000 max)
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
All (PDF)
|
This page
All
|
Loading content ...
"Inside The Witwatersrand Native Labour Association (W.N.L.A.) Depot" The Entrepot Of African Labour A. The Importer ce of Mice Labour. Ever since thc contact between Africans and Europeans, the latters' sense of duty and ability to work faded away into the "thin air", for a habit developed whereby it had become a "disgrace" for a Furopean to do the so-called "Kaffir work". This tendency grew and developed like a mushroom into a national habit in which the European assumed the position of an overseer. In other words, all thc laborious work in the country became the imposed responsibility of the Africans, local or foreign. Today the African labour forms the backbone of all industrial establishments in the country. As more and more Africans flocked to the mines, the mining magnates of South Africa decided upon building a big labour entrepot in Johannesburg from whence the African miners are distributed like merchandise to the various mining centres of South Africa. This centre became known as the W.N.L.A. Depot, with its Head Offices at the Chamber of Mines - the rendezvous of mining monopolists of South Africa. Indeed, thc importance of mine labour to the mining industry of South Africa can be seen by a glance at the daily labour traffic in thc W.N.L.A. Depot (Rooysens) where from 500 to 1,000 new recruits are received from the African countries, Mozambique, P>asutoland, Rechuanaland. the Khodesias and Angola). B. The Pess System In The Mine*. The Portuguese and South African minority governments have an almost identical, if not completely identical policy towards the Africans in the respective countries. In both countries, the pass system is practiced as a means of controlling the so- called influx and enflux of Africans. t There are many stories that are overhead by those decades-old-walls of thc W.N.L.A. among which is the pass system. Since Mozambicans form the bulk of the mine labour, I elect to write more about them. I asked one Mozambican why he chose to come and work in the mines : the answer was "the Portuguese Administration is forcing us". Then I asked him how? "By means of passes." Among other things he told me was the system of "forced labour". By means of this enactment the victim can be sentenced to six months imprisonment with "hard labour" without payment (except exempting him from taxes of that year). The pass system in the mines is so rigid that it is impossible for a miner to be employed in the mines without permit. To get their passes fixed, the miners must stand for several hours in long queues, sometimes in the rain or the blazing sun, or worst still in the biting winter weather of South Africa. On the other hand, the Portuguese "Cura- doria" is sitting comfortably in his office whilst drinking tea at short intervals. The rate of writing being 3 people every half an hour. By means of a system of Portuguese security police headed by a certain Mr. H., any miner suspected of any offence, be it genuine (very rare) or false, can be traced and hurried back home for imprisonment unnoticed and without trial. The miner in S. Africa carries two passes; one from his country of origin and the other the S. African so-called reference I'".. ■' "r~
Object Description
Description
Title | CENPA-296~11 |
Filename | CENPA-296~11.tiff |
Full text | "Inside The Witwatersrand Native Labour Association (W.N.L.A.) Depot" The Entrepot Of African Labour A. The Importer ce of Mice Labour. Ever since thc contact between Africans and Europeans, the latters' sense of duty and ability to work faded away into the "thin air", for a habit developed whereby it had become a "disgrace" for a Furopean to do the so-called "Kaffir work". This tendency grew and developed like a mushroom into a national habit in which the European assumed the position of an overseer. In other words, all thc laborious work in the country became the imposed responsibility of the Africans, local or foreign. Today the African labour forms the backbone of all industrial establishments in the country. As more and more Africans flocked to the mines, the mining magnates of South Africa decided upon building a big labour entrepot in Johannesburg from whence the African miners are distributed like merchandise to the various mining centres of South Africa. This centre became known as the W.N.L.A. Depot, with its Head Offices at the Chamber of Mines - the rendezvous of mining monopolists of South Africa. Indeed, thc importance of mine labour to the mining industry of South Africa can be seen by a glance at the daily labour traffic in thc W.N.L.A. Depot (Rooysens) where from 500 to 1,000 new recruits are received from the African countries, Mozambique, P>asutoland, Rechuanaland. the Khodesias and Angola). B. The Pess System In The Mine*. The Portuguese and South African minority governments have an almost identical, if not completely identical policy towards the Africans in the respective countries. In both countries, the pass system is practiced as a means of controlling the so- called influx and enflux of Africans. t There are many stories that are overhead by those decades-old-walls of thc W.N.L.A. among which is the pass system. Since Mozambicans form the bulk of the mine labour, I elect to write more about them. I asked one Mozambican why he chose to come and work in the mines : the answer was "the Portuguese Administration is forcing us". Then I asked him how? "By means of passes." Among other things he told me was the system of "forced labour". By means of this enactment the victim can be sentenced to six months imprisonment with "hard labour" without payment (except exempting him from taxes of that year). The pass system in the mines is so rigid that it is impossible for a miner to be employed in the mines without permit. To get their passes fixed, the miners must stand for several hours in long queues, sometimes in the rain or the blazing sun, or worst still in the biting winter weather of South Africa. On the other hand, the Portuguese "Cura- doria" is sitting comfortably in his office whilst drinking tea at short intervals. The rate of writing being 3 people every half an hour. By means of a system of Portuguese security police headed by a certain Mr. H., any miner suspected of any offence, be it genuine (very rare) or false, can be traced and hurried back home for imprisonment unnoticed and without trial. The miner in S. Africa carries two passes; one from his country of origin and the other the S. African so-called reference I'".. ■' "r~ |
Archival file | Volume18/CENPA-296~11.tiff |