Herzog‟s four Bills in parliament passed in 1936 paralyzed the disgruntled Barolong. In particular the Native Trust and Land act made provision for the removal of Africans from White area known as „black sports‟. According to this Act if Africans were evicted from the so-called white areas they must be given alternative land. The Ratlou and the Rapulana were under the administration of the Lichtenburg district. The Farmers formed the Farmers Union to remove the
„Black Spots‟. The farmers wanted the Department of Native Affairs to identify all the „Black Sports‟ areas so that when they bought land for the resettlement of the Africans it should not encroach on the land of other farmers. This was
caused by the fact that Farmers Associations were formed all over South Africa and objected to the resettlement of the Africans near their areas. This situation meant that Africans had no control of either their land or their settlement. They would be requested to move to the open area and if they refused they would be forcefully removed from their land. This land clearance took place without resistance because the BNC had collapsed and rural organization such as the communist party could not reach all rural areas in the country.
The Farmers Union wanted to remove the Barolong from three areas, namely, Biesjiesvlei and Rietfontein and Rietkuil. The union complained to the Department of Native Affairs in Pretoria that the Africans degraded the „healthy area‟ of the whites in Biesjiesvlei. Moreover the police struggled with those people who drank beer and smoke dagga. The Africans were also accused of causing trouble next to the Provincial road.
The Commissioner of Lightenburg held a meeting with 28 Africans who lived in Rietkuil and Biesjiesvlei in 1949. Those who stayed in Rietkuil were requested to move to Boedsuierspan and those from Biesjiesvlei were advised to move to Seberia next to Khunwana. The Barolong who stayed in Rietkuil maintained that they loved the place and the Boedsuierspan had no water. The people complained about the non-existence of water and some prefered to move to Sterkfontein rather than Boedsuierspan. The communities from Biesjiesvlei were willing to move to Sibera but also complained about the non-existence of water.
This was against the Native and Land trust‟s stipulation that Africans should be given alternative suitable land. Those who refused to move were threatened with force removal through law because they reside in White areas. Sibera was already part of the Trust but according to the Department of Native Affairs it was already overcrowded. Other areas identified by the Union as Black spots were namely, Geluk, Leeuspruit, Sterkfontein, Wildfontein and Jachtkraal.
The Department of Native Affairs realised that Putfontein and Sterkfontein were predominantly Native areas but dominated by farmers who were also leaving there. These farmers did not aspire to have these areas declared „Native land‟
and they too were determined to remove the „Black spots‟ from their areas. The department requested the Farmers Union to exchange land in order to accommodate the Africans. Seven farmers from Sterkfontein were willing to sell their land to the trust but refused when they learned that it would be used for the
„Native‟ resettlement. The department requested the Farmers Union to convince their fellow farmers to sell their land to the trust otherwise the department would not grant the farmers permission to evict the Africans. According to the department if Africans were removed in Lichtenburg district they should be resettled elsewhere within the district. The department told the Farmers Union that there were no trust lands available for the settlement of Africans. The department further maintained that it would be impossible to remove Black spots if the farmers did not indicate land that can be bought by the trust. By 1950 the land clearance was far from over in the Lichtenburg district. But with the advent of the National party into power with its rural support farmers would be empowered to evict Africans from the so-called white areas. The National Party passed the Group Areas Act of 1950 and certain areas where declared White areas and Africans living there were forcefully removed.
The strength of the BNC rested on its ability to establish the first pan-Barolong organization and it brought the Rapulana and the Ratlou together as one
“nation”. It therefore laid the groundwork for Barolong ethnic nationalism. The BNC succeeded in uniting the Barolong petit bourgeois and the ordinary people.
It attempted to solve the problems of the Barolong, but it was not given the opportunity by the Ratshidi, who did not want to be led by the Rapulana and the Ratlou. Then too, the BNC supported Moshete and regarded him as the paramount chief of all the Barolong. It tried to stop the Rapulana and the Ratshidi from taking their case to the Supreme Court by suggesting that it be taken to the council for arbitration, but it was clear from the criticism expressed
by the Rashidi that they would never accept the BNC‟s decision. By the early 1930 the BNC collapsed and its demise brought negative political consequences for the Barolong. There were faced with the land clearance instituted by Herzog‟s Native Land and Trust Act which necessitated the removal of the Black spots in the areas of the Barolong including Sterkfontein, Putfontein, Rietkuil, Biesjiesvlei, Rietfontein and so on. This problem of the land clearance was closed by the 1950‟s Group Areas Act that legalized the eviction of the people from the so-called White areas and the Barolong offered no resistance.
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CHAPTER SEVEN