Urban apartheid and African responses : aspects of life in Mamelodi township, 1953-1990

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorRalinala, Rendani Mosesen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-10-26T19:37:04Z
dc.date.available2014-10-26T19:37:04Z
dc.date.issued2002en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: leaves 251-273.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis thesis examines how urban apartheid affected Mamelodi residents, and how they responded to it, in the period 1953 to 1990. The thesis challenges the idea that township residents were victims of urban apartheid, and did nothing to improve their lives. It also challenges the idea that the African response to urban apartheid was limited to political struggles. It argues that forms of struggles went beyond social, economic and political ones, to challenge all the facets of urban apartheid. From 1953, Mamelodi residents realised the effects of apartheid laws on their lives. The thesis takes into account the influence of race, class and age in the evolution of the struggles against urban apartheid, which was implemented by bureaucratic administrative structures created by the National Party government. The notion of African Nationalism influenced Mamelodi residents in their political struggles. They saw themselves as Africans who had a birthright to rule themselves in South Africa. The thesis shows how the existence of different classes as social categories in the township contributed to various forms of struggle. These included daily struggles such as illicit beer brewing, hawking and taxi pirating. They were complemented by more organised political struggles initiated by the black middle class in the earlier years. The thesis argues that African responses in Mamelodi township made it difficult for the government to control the lives of urban blacks. It began to concentrate on curbing resistance rather than insisting on the implementation of its urban policies. This defiance on the part of the residents led to government policy losing direction. The government became defensive as it concentrated its energies and resources on curbing resistance. In the mid 1980s, the thesis argues, the government lost control of the township due to co-ordinated campaigns, which it failed to curb. When the government unbanned political organisations and released political prisoners in 1990, it was acceding to demands that township residents had made for many years.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationRalinala, R. M. (2002). <i>Urban apartheid and African responses : aspects of life in Mamelodi township, 1953-1990</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Historical Studies. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8793en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationRalinala, Rendani Moses. <i>"Urban apartheid and African responses : aspects of life in Mamelodi township, 1953-1990."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Historical Studies, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8793en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationRalinala, R. 2002. Urban apartheid and African responses : aspects of life in Mamelodi township, 1953-1990. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Ralinala, Rendani Moses AB - This thesis examines how urban apartheid affected Mamelodi residents, and how they responded to it, in the period 1953 to 1990. The thesis challenges the idea that township residents were victims of urban apartheid, and did nothing to improve their lives. It also challenges the idea that the African response to urban apartheid was limited to political struggles. It argues that forms of struggles went beyond social, economic and political ones, to challenge all the facets of urban apartheid. From 1953, Mamelodi residents realised the effects of apartheid laws on their lives. The thesis takes into account the influence of race, class and age in the evolution of the struggles against urban apartheid, which was implemented by bureaucratic administrative structures created by the National Party government. The notion of African Nationalism influenced Mamelodi residents in their political struggles. They saw themselves as Africans who had a birthright to rule themselves in South Africa. The thesis shows how the existence of different classes as social categories in the township contributed to various forms of struggle. These included daily struggles such as illicit beer brewing, hawking and taxi pirating. They were complemented by more organised political struggles initiated by the black middle class in the earlier years. The thesis argues that African responses in Mamelodi township made it difficult for the government to control the lives of urban blacks. It began to concentrate on curbing resistance rather than insisting on the implementation of its urban policies. This defiance on the part of the residents led to government policy losing direction. The government became defensive as it concentrated its energies and resources on curbing resistance. In the mid 1980s, the thesis argues, the government lost control of the township due to co-ordinated campaigns, which it failed to curb. When the government unbanned political organisations and released political prisoners in 1990, it was acceding to demands that township residents had made for many years. DA - 2002 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2002 T1 - Urban apartheid and African responses : aspects of life in Mamelodi township, 1953-1990 TI - Urban apartheid and African responses : aspects of life in Mamelodi township, 1953-1990 UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8793 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/8793
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationRalinala RM. Urban apartheid and African responses : aspects of life in Mamelodi township, 1953-1990. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Historical Studies, 2002 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8793en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Historical Studiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.titleUrban apartheid and African responses : aspects of life in Mamelodi township, 1953-1990en_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
thesis_hum_2002_ralinala_rm (1).pdf
Size:
14.41 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
PhD / Doctoral