OpenUCT :: Browsing by Subject "Economic History"

Browsing by Subject "Economic History"

Now showing 1 - 13 of 13

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Agricultural crisis and rural organisation in the Cape : 1929-1933
(1985) Hofmeyr, William Andrew; Kaplan, David
This thesis explores the relationship between rural struggles and popular organisation in the Cape between 1928 and 1933. It focuses on the attempts by militants in the ANC(Western Province) and later the Independent ANC to organise in the rural areas during a period of crisis for agriculture. In the first chapter the history and trends in the nationalist movement before 1930 is discussed. It is argued that the conservative petty bourgeoisie dominated the organisation for much of the time, but that more militant positions were adopted on a few rare occasions. The second chapter endeavours to show that the transition to capitalist agriculture had been completed in the Western Cape. ·It then examines the specificity of the crisis in agriculture during the Depression: a crisis which was manifested in the form of an acute labour shortage on the farms, combined with unemployment in the towns. This, it is argued, provided a fertile ground for organisation The third chapter examines the rural struggles in the Western Cape. It analyses the alliance in the ANC(WP) between the moderate Garveyists and the militants linked to the Communist Party, and the reasons for the subsequent breakdown of this alliance. It discusses both the success of the organisation in coping with violent repression, and its failure to cope with the state's more subtle strategies. The militants were eventually expelled from the ANC. Most rural branches then broke away to form the Independent ANC. Chapter 4 discusses the formation of the IANC and raises some questions about the nature of its political programme. It then proceeds to focus on organisation in the Southern Cape where all the branches had joined the IANC. The fifth chapter discusses the organisation in the Midlands area of the Eastern Cape. It attempts to explain the lack of success in Graaff-Reinett. It then proceeds to examine the organisation in Middelburg where is appears that it had learnt to cope with at least some of the problems experienced in the Western Cape. The sixth chapter analyses in some detail the issues that were taken up by the IANC in the Midlands, and how these were reflected in its discourse. Among the issues raised are unemployment, resistance to passes and local control measures, the problem of women's participation and the struggle that was waged against the conservative petty bourgeoisie in the ANC. The seventh chapter first discusses organisation in Cradock. It then proceeds to describe how the struggle in the Midlands built up to a climax at the end of 1931, until massive repression smashed the organisation. Thereafter the organisation continued only at a low level. The conclusion attempts to draw together some of the themes raised above. First, it discusses the relationship between the petty bourgeoisie and the militants. Second, it argues that the organisation's approach was essentially "agitational", and that this accounts partly for its effectiveness, as well as many of its weaknesses. Lastly an attempt is made to evaluate the significance of the organisation.
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Aspects of the history of copper mining in Namaqualand
(1969) Smalberger, John M
In undertaking this work, the object has been to present a picture of Namaqualand and its mines. This picture is by no means complete, but it is hoped that the pages which follow will in a small way contribute something to the history of Namaqualand. The first chapter deals with the early explorations. Not all of the early travellers to Namaqualand have been mentioned, since not all have had anything of significance to say on the development of the copper mines. Nothing is said of Le Vaillant and John Barrow, to name but two. What we have attempted to show is that, from the very earliest times of European settlement at the Cape, the existence of copper in Namaqualand was known, but that the difficulties of transport prohibited the development of these mines. The second chapter deals with the story of the South African Mining Company. This company was the first mining concern actually to commence operations in Namaqualand, and the first public mining company in South African history. It is for these reasons that its development has been dealt with so extensively. The third chapter deals with the copper mining mania of the 1850's. All too often, the very existence of such a boom is forgotten. Its importance lies in the fact that it was the first purely speculative boom of any extent in the history of South Africa. It marked South Africa's emergence into one of the typical features of a modern economy. The fourth chapter is concerned with the question of leases. The reason for devoting special attention to this is that the final settlement of the lease questions involving the vesting of mineral rights to the mission ground in the state, has been a factor contributing to the present state of conditions existing in these stations. It is a matter of interest, but also of regret, that the development of Namaqualand's mineral wealth was in many respects disastrous for the original inhabitants of the territory. The fifth chapter deals with the transport problem from 1852 until 1876, when the Cape Copper Mining Company constructed its railway. Transport was, and still is, the most important obstacle to the exploitation of Namaqualand's mineral wealth. The first part of the sixth chapter deals with the development of the industry from the commencement of the Cape Copper Company's railway, until 1937, when the O'okiep Copper Company commenced operations. This is rather a long period, and one about which not much is known. An absence of company records has made this section rather impressionistic. The second part of this chapter deals with the history of the O'okiep Copper Company, a company which is still in existence, and which has at present production rates, a life of some ten years. Like its predecessors, the Cape Copper Company and the Namaqua Copper Company, a foreign based organization, its role in the development of Namaqualand is uncertain.
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Bantustan industrialization with specific reference to the Ciskei, 1973-1981
(1984) Hirsch, Alan; Kaplan, David
The study of the development of industry in the bantustans has tended to follow one of two lines, regardless of the methodological persuasion of the writer. The subject is either approached through the analytical prism of a study of industrial decentralisation policy in South Africa or it is mentioned, usually too briefly, in studies of the development of bantustan policy, or of a particular bantustan. For different reasons both roads usually fail to provide a detailed or accurate analysis of the subject. The central problem of the first approach, or, at least of writers who have travelled it thusfar, is that it fails to distinguish, sufficiently, bantustan industrialisation from industrial decentralisation as a general programme. This problem is discussed in some detail in Chapter two. The latter approach, along the path of bantustan analysis, generally fails to analyse bantustan industrialisation in any depth and fails to situate it and thus analyse it as a programme.
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The collapse of a regional institution : the story of the East African Railways within the East African Community, 1967-1977
(2016) Whang, Patrick; Sikes, Michelle
This dissertation examines the deterioration and collapse of the East African Railways Corporation (EARC) during the time of the East African Community (EAC), 1967-1977. The EARC has a long history that stretched back to the beginnings of colonial settlement in the East African region. It survived two world wars and a global economic depression, but just a few years after the independence of East African nations in the early 1960s, the EARC rapidly disintegrated. This then leads to the main project question: What were the causes that contributed to the collapse of the EARC? In order to address this question, I traveled to Nairobi in June 2015 to explore two archival sources: the Kenya National Archives and the Kenya National Railway Museum Archives. Both proved to be an invaluable repository of primary source material. In particular the main documents found were the business records describing the operations of the EARC during the period in question. In addition, with the help of a librarian at the Daily Nation newspaper in Nairobi, I was able to access archived newspaper articles on the EARC dating back to the years of interest. With this data and along with secondary source material, I conducted an analysis that triangulated these sources to provide a holistic picture of the events that affected the EARC. The narrative therefore demonstrates that while many factors contributed to the failure of the EARC what ultimately determined this were the nationalistic tendencies of representatives of EAC member states that overcame any centripetal forces of regional unity. There were also several events that precipitated the downfall of the EARC but ultimately it was the financial crisis of 1974 that proved decisive. This so-called crisis stemmed from a failure of each region to remit funds toward headquarters to be able to continue rail operations. This episode could not be blamed solely on foreign exchange concerns as some scholars have claimed. Instead the crisis exposed the long simmering national divisions that had manifested during this period. Each of the EAC partner states desired equitable treatment. When some perceived that they could not receive this through the operations of regional institutions such as the EARC, they engaged in actions that paralyzed EARC operations. This culminated in the complete fracturing of the EARC by 1977. 3 Since the end of the twentieth century, the EAC has been reborn and even expanded upon to include new member states beyond the original three of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The East African Railways have also risen from the ashes and in late 2013, the initiation of the expansion on the existing rail lines to reinvigorate the railways commenced. But have the lessons of the EARC been learnt to avoid a repeat of the emergence of regional disunity that caused its collapse? It remains to be seen.
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The development of manufacturing industry in South Africa 1939-1969
(1980) Bloch, Graeme
The field of study below is that of the South African manufacturing industry in the period from the Second World War to the end of the nineteen-sixties. In relation to preceding developments, this period was unique in at least two respects. In the first place, the nature of the forms and dominant tendencies within manufacturing marked a distinct break from the pre-war period. Secondly, there was a qualitative change in the significance of manufacturing industry in its interrelation with the economy as a whole. This thesis examines the causes, forms and implications of the specific developments in the manufacturing industry during a definite, and thus the distinctive character of the forms and rhythm of development of changing and antagonistic social relations.
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Developments in currency and banking at the Cape between 1782 and 1825, with an account of contemporary controversies
(1953) Swart, H G
The investigation that forms the substance of this thesis has been conducted on historical lines. An intensive study of the Currency and Banking developments in the old Cape Colony between the years 1782 and about 1825, reveals the typical currency development from a money economy to a credit economy. Prior to the beginning of the nineteenth century, there were no commercial banks with the result that there was no credit structure built up on a metallic reserve whereby the amount available for trade could have been multiplied several times. This study of the origin and development of the inconvertible paper rixdollar will enable us to form a correct judgement of the various methods adopted to supply the public exigencies, and the effects of such tampering, in destroying the credit as well as the value of the currency. It will be seen that inconvertible notes can be issued without any limit and when the issuers have a free hand, their value depends solely on the moderation of the issue. The inflation of an inconvertible paper currency may be either automatic or deliberate. The authorities may issue increased currency to meet what they believe to be trade demands, but, in fact, they may issue more than enough and the result will be unconscious inflation. The authorities will argue that more currency is needed because prices are rising, while their opponents will contend that prices are rising because too much currency is being issued. Further, this investigation will reveal the dangers of Government Banking and Government interference in the sphere of currency; the ease with which paper is issued and the difficulty of stopping the issue of notes. Inconvertible notes may be limited to an amount which can circulate without any depreciation, but in that case there can be no more of them than there would have been if they had been convertible, and no object is served by their being inconvertible. Generally, it may be said that the immediate cause of resort to inconvertible paper has almost always been the pressure of public finance. Funds must be raised in some way, and an additional issue of inconvertible notes affords the easiest, though not the best, method of raising them. Such issues lead eventually to uncertainty, discredit and depreciation, which harm the nation's credit and disorganise trade.
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An economic and social history of the Herero of Namibia, 1915-1946
(1989) Werner, Wolfgang; Kaplan, David; Phimister, Ian R
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Free Chinese immigration to South Africa in the twentieth century: survival and opportunity
(2016) Xiao, Xin; Mager, Anne Kelk
This thesis focuses on the Chinese free immigrants to South Africa from 1904 to the present. It charts the volume and flow of Chinese immigrants, as well as the relationship between different groups of Chinese immigrants and the relationship between Chinese immigrants and local communities where they settled. It demonstrates that Taiwanese immigrants had stronger capability sets than earlier mainland Chinese immigrants. It shows that due to their relatively strong economic background, Taiwanese immigrants' livelihoods were more rewarding than those of mainland Chinese immigrants. Taiwanese immigrants were also more adept at dealing with the South African government and at running their own businesses, particularly during the apartheid era.
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The growth of Cape Town commerce and the role of John Fairbairn's Advertiser, 1835-1859
(1989) Meltzer, Jaqueline Lalou; Phimister, Ian R
This thesis basically traces the expansion of commerce in Cape Town with particular reference to company growth from 1835 to 1859. Situated within the field of economic history, the nature of the study is primarily economic, though it attempts to avoid any narrow economic determinism, accepting the basic premise that the most useful method remains an inter-disciplinary approach. The content, however, acknowledges the importance of class in historical interpretation. The commercial bourgeoisie (defined as wholesale merchants, wholesalers-retailers and financiers) thus assumes a central place in discussion here. Yet, inextricably bound up with the history of commerce during the period is the editorial role of John Fairbairn. This connection was immediately apparent, once one began reading Cape Town's leading newspaper, the South African Commercial Advertiser, of which Fairbairn was sole editor between 1835 and 1859. His comments in the paper's editorial columns reveal his intense interest in and his identification with commercial developments. His commercial orientation, whether in debates concerning the advantages of free trade, slave emancipation, the usury law, joint-stock companies or in his reporting of relevant extracts from overseas newspapers, government economic statistics and company reports, led to the coupling in this thesis of the role of John Fairbairn with the history of commerce. Indeed it is the years of Fairbairn's sole editorship which provided one of the most important reasons for the chronological framework employed in the study, viz. 1835-1859. Despite the importance with which historians regard Fairbairn, it is surprising how little his role in the economic sphere has been acknowledged, when considering the vigour of the economic campaigns he conducted in his newspaper.
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A history of dance and jazz band performance in the Western Cape in the post-1945 era
(1995) Layne, Valmont; Nasson, Bill
This thesis considers aspects of jazz and dance band performance in Cape Town between the 1930s and the 1960s, with special reference to the post-1945 period. It examines ways in which local dance and jazz musicians and audiences responded to political, social and cultural change in this period by considering key institutional constraints, the impact of broader political, social and cultural change, and local responses to this change. Primary data was collected from oral biographical material, archives, official printed sources, and newspaper reports.
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A history of the Food and Canning Workers Union, 1941-1975
(1986) Goode, Richard; Hirsch, Alan; Kaplan, David
Canning workers were organised into the Food and Canning workers Union in large numbers when the union grew along with the growth of the South African canning industry, stimulated by the demand for canned goods during World War II. Formed in 1941, by Ray Alexander, a member of the Communist Party, the union spread into the small canning towns to become established with a base in the fruit canning districts of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and in the West coast fish canning industry. As a consequence of developing within a geographically dispersed and seasonal industry, the union assumed a particular organisational form, promoting the autonomy of branches and seasonal fluctuations in union strength. The Food and Canning Workers Union was a non-racial and militant union that brought tremendous improvements in wages, working and living conditions to the workers who joined its ranks and participated in the struggles it led. The union also played a major role in the affairs of the labour movement and participated in political campaigns that occurred in the 1940s and 1950s. Through a relationship to the Communist Party in the 1940s, to the South African Congress of Trade Unions during the mid-1950s to early 1960s, the Food and Canning Workers Union reveals an approach to politics that gave priority to the economic position of its members and also sought to contribute to broader political campaigns. This dissertation provides a critical history of the union from its inception in 1941 to 1975. The primary material that it is based upon are the records of the Food and Canning Workers Union and oral interviews.
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Ikitchini : the hidden side of women's labour
(1988) Abrams, M
This dissertation seeks to examine an area of South African historiography which has largely been ignored, that is, domestic labour. It posits a relationship between working class women, domestic labour paid and unpaid. The material has been arranged around the primary objective of examining the silence around domestic labour and highlighting the gender content of domestic work. It is divided into two parts. The first part examines the conceptualization of class and gender struggles, while the second part examines aspects of working class women's experience of this. Chapter One deals with why women have been ignored in recorded history; Chapter Two examines Marxist approaches to the Woman Question. Chapter Three examines the silence arourid women's experience in South African historiography, while Chapter Four is a critical examination of the recorded history of domestic workers. Chapter Five examines aspects of black working class women's experience of domestic labour in their own families, while Chapter Six documents the experience of a group of organized workers in Cape Town. The study concludes that the way forward is to develop a gender sensitive class analysis as outlined in the work of Lise Vogel. This will open up new areas for research, for example, the rise of the public and private dichotomy, the separation of productive and reproductive labour, the ideology of motherhood and sexuality as well as the changing nature of the social construction of gender identity.
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State control and street gangs in Cape Town : towards an understanding of social and spatial development
(1982) Pinnock, Don
One of the more speculative tasks of this book is to assess what impact those gangs are likely to have on the changes urban South Africa will undergo in the last two decades of the 20th Century, be it peaceful, reactionary or revolutionary. A rather more immediate task, and a necessary precursor, is to explore the functions of these gangs and the causes of their existence. But this immediately leads us into wider and deeper areas, to poverty, social dislocation and strategies of class defence. And within and beyond these conditions can be found an ongoing struggle for survival, a class struggle, and the outline of the state itself. (It is here that one encounters a strange paradox: a system which upholds law and order while at the same time creating the preconditions for its breakdown.) But we must start with the street gangs. A count in 30 areas on the Cape Flats during 1982 found in daily existence 280 groups who identified themselves as gangs. Nearly 80 per cent of the gang members interviewed for this study said their group was more than 100 strong, 54 per cent put the figure at 200 and several as high as 2000. An extremely rough estimate gives a figure of 50,000 youths who would define themselves as gang members, or about five per cent of the city's total population.

Browsing by Subject "Economic History"

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