THE CRIME OF LANGA
L. B. LEE-WARDEN, M.P.
Member of Parliament representing the Africans of the Western Cape.
Now undergoing Preparatory Examination on a charge of High Treason.
THE " Crime of Langa" is a factual account of the life of urban Africans in the Western Cape, where the Government's apartheid policy is particularly ruthless. It deprives them of any vestige of security, and the perpetual threat of mass removal to some unknown promised land of milk and honey hangs heavy over their heads.
Nothing is permanent here for the Africans, their whole life is in a state of flux. Where in other parts of the Union freehold property rights have been taken from the Africans, it has been replaced by leasehold rights of about thirty years tenure. But in the Western Cape even that is denied.
In recent years the whole pattern of African life has been changed by these very circumstances, causing a serious breakdown in home life and moral standards.
That the Africans are not indigenous to this particular portion of South Africa has been stated on many occasions by Government officials and historians; but how they came to be here and the many years they have regarded this as their homeland are facts not yet included in the annals of our history.
It is estimated that to-day there are 178,00c
1Africans in the Western Cape. This figure of course includes men, women and children. In the last twenty years their numbers have increased considerably, due not only to natural increases, but mainly because of the inability of the Native Reserves to sustain them. Unwillingly they have left their homes and drifted into this region.
It is interesting to recall that about 100 years ago the farmers of this fertile region were crying out for labour, and to satisfy this demand "many thousands'' of African prisoners of war were im- ported. These men were put to work not only on the farms, but also on the badly needed harbour breakwater—all as indentured labour (i.e. a system of legalised slavery).
The Africans of that period were by no means savages, as many would have us believe. They merely lacked the scientific knowledge which the white settlers have brought with them from Europe.
1 The figure given by Dr. W. W. Eiselen, Secretary for Native Affairs, in January, 1955.
They w e r e , in t h e main, cattle farmers and enjoyed well-developed social and political institutions. T h e Chief was t h e depository of tribal rights, b u t he was in n o r m a l circumstances no despot, being c o n t r o l l e d b o t h in legislation and in t h e administration of justice by the tribal council and by t h e t r i b e itself.
W i t h t h e passing of t h e years t h e female Africans joined their menfolk in t h e W e s t e r n Cape, and so they b e c a m e part and parcel of t h e c o m p o s i t e population of this area.
In r e c e n t years the bulk of t h e Cape T o w n African population has b e e n c o n c e n t r a t e d at Langa, a so-called native T o w n s h i p (or location) specially designed to a c c o m m o d a t e , in small c o m p a c t houses, t h e African and his family. For t h e bachelor o r migrant w o r k e r , single quarters k n o w n as barracks w e r e provided.
Of course n o t all the Africans could find h o m e s at Langa, and w i t h t h e rapid industrial d e v e l o p m e n t of this area and t h e p e r p e t u a l call for cheap black labour—especially during t h e w a r years of 1940-4£—many had to find quarters e l s e w h e r e . Thus sprang u p little tin shanty-towns k n o w n as ' ' s q u a t t e r s ' c a m p s " , w h i c h are described later in this article.
It m u s t b e r e c o r d e d that no g o v e r n m e n t in South Africa—past o r present—has really c o n c e r n e d itself w i t h providing adequate housing for t h e African p e o p l e . These " s q u a t t e r s ' c a m p s " have existed, and still do exist, all over t h e U n i o n . Indeed t h e local authorities encouraged it, since it m e a n t that no m o n e y from general funds was r e q u i r e d to build houses, and it assured t h e industrialists of a c o n t i n u e d supply of cheap labour. They w e r e happy to leave things as they w e r e provided that they w e r e k e p t o u t of sight!
As far back as 1903 G o v e r n m e n t officials have t r i e d to persuade local authorities to i m p r o v e t h e housing conditions of t h e urban African, b u t apart from drawing u p r e p o r t s little o r no i m p r o v e m e n t s followed. T h e Native Affairs Commission of that year (1903) does t h r o w s o m e light on this subject, for in its r e p o r t it s t a t e d :
" T h e Commission has visited and inspected many Municipal locations and records its opinion that in some respects their condition leaves much to be desired. The Natives who reside in or frequent these locations are, in the main, working people. As such there is every reason why they should be encouraged to stay as useful members of the community."
T h e above indicates t h e policy of t h e G o v e r n m e n t half a c e n t u r y ago. Labour was hard to c o m e by and was t o be encouraged to settle p e r m a n e n t l y . Better conditions w e r e advocated b u t n o t imple- m e n t e d . Of c o u r s e , at that t i m e t h e inhuman migrant labour system
was still in its infancy and as yet unorganised.
By 1 9 1 3 t h e W e s t e r n Cape, like o t h e r parts of t h e U n i o n , had a
large and ever growing African population. A Government report on health gives an illuminating account of conditions that prevailed at that period:
" W i t h few exceptions they are a disgrace, and the majority are quite unfit for human habitation . . . Speaking generally, the dwellings are mere shanties, often nothing more than hovels constructed out of bits of old packing case linings, flattened kerosene tins, sacking and other scraps and odds and ends . . . The dwellings are low, dark and dirty, generally encumbered with unclean and useless rubbish. Mud floors are the rule, often below the ground level and consequently flooded in wet w e a t h e r . "
The fear of disease being spread to the white communities through Africans having to live under such conditions forced many local authorities to provide better accommodation for their African workers, although the above description can be aptly applied to many locations that still exist to-day throughout the Western Cape.
Langa can never fall into this category. It was designed to pro- vide better homes for local Africans. The houses are mainly brick, electric light is available, and the roads are tarred. There are schools, churches, shops, sporting facilities and all that go to make up a civilised community. But a location is limited in size, and as the children grow into adults, marry and have families of their own, either more houses must be built or overcrowding is inevitable.
In the meanwhile the squatters' camps became more numerous.
Forced to live in these overcrowded, disease-ridden slums, the poorer people were subjected to gross exploitation, having to pay not only shack rent to the landlords, but also fees for many of the other necessities for bare living.
For many years social workers have endeavoured to alleviate the hardships imposed on these unfortunate people, by instituting such things as creches, clinics, soup kitchens etc., but no money could be found for houses! The white authorities were rarely called upon to improve conditions. "Send them back to the Reserves", is a cry so often heard in South Africa when these conditions are exposed to the public. It depicts the callous attitude of the white racist to the plight of the African people in the towns.
A dusty little piece of history is worth recalling, for not so many years ago the cry was just the opposite. In fact it was govern- ment legislation which first drove the Africans from the territories which were allocated to them by the white intruders.
In 1894 the Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, Cecil Rhodes, devised a method for obtaining labour for the diamond mines and for the white farmers. He introduced a Bill in that year taxing the male African population, and made no secret of its implications.
He stated, "By the gentle stimulant of the labour tax you will
r e m o v e from t h e m that life of sloth and laziness; you will teach t h e m t h e dignity of labour and m a k e t h e m c o n t r i b u t e to t h e pros- perity of t h e state, and m a k e t h e m give some good r e t u r n for o u r wise and good g o v e r n m e n t . ' '
It w o u l d b e c o r r e c t to say that t h e Africans in South Africa have c o n t r i b u t e d far m o r e than t h e i r share to t h e p r o s p e r i t y of t h e State!
South Africa is to-day one of t h e wealthiest countries in t h e w o r l d , while t h e African population has r e m a i n e d poverty-stricken, semi- literate and chained hand and foot by legislative e n a c t m e n t s .
W i t h t h e u n e x p e c t e d rise to p o w e r of t h e Nationalist Party in 1948 o n t h e i r ambiguous slogan of apartheid, drastic legislation followed to eliminate t h e " b l a c k s p o t s " ( i . e . t h e s q u a t t e r s ' camps and shanty towns) w h i c h are so characteristic of racial differences in South Africa.
T h e n e w p a t t e r n of h o m e s for Africans and their families differed vastly from that found at Langa, w h e r e , as I have stated, family units live in comparative decency. T h e g o v e r n m e n t a n n o u n c e d that in future n o funds w o u l d b e m a d e available for family houses at Langa. Instead, only single barracks for migrant labourers will b e p e r m i t t e d , so that in d u e course Langa will b e c o m e a huge camp designed to a c c o m m o d a t e a b o u t 20,000 male African m i g r a n t labourers. T h e families n o w living t h e r e will b e r e m o v e d .
T h e e c o n o m i c and social effect u p o n t h e lives of t h e p e o p l e w h o are affected by t h e m i g r a n t labour system is really t h e subject of a long article by itself, b u t I cannot resist t h e t e m p t a t i o n to t o u c h u p o n some of t h e cardinal evils of this system since it has b e e n officially stated as g o v e r n m e n t policy that as far as all t h e Africans in t h e W e s t e r n Cape are c o n c e r n e d , all families will ulti- mately be repatriated to the Native Reserves and only migrant labourers will be allowed in this area.
This is t h e future that faces t h e inhabitants of such places as Langa. Repatriated to t h e Reserves—which are as foreign to t h e bulk of these p e o p l e as it w o u l d b e to transplant, say, a L o n d o n e r to t h e plains of Nebraska. And from t h e Reserves t h e male African m u s t r e t u r n to t h e urban areas to earn his livelihood as a migrant l a b o u r e r , leaving his wife and family to fend for themselves as best they can.
Few w h i t e p e o p l e realise just w h a t it means to b e a black migrant l a b o u r e r . It is n o t unusual for young households to disintegrate almost as soon as they are f o r m e d . T h e separation w h i c h , e x c e p t for a few brief m o n t h s , may last any p e r i o d b e t w e e n six and t e n years. T h e b u r d e n that falls u p o n t h e w o m e n w h o are thus left
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b e h i n d is indescribable. T h e y m u s t till and care for t h e land—
usually w i t h o u t any help—and also k e e p t h e i r h o m e s in good r e p a i r . T h e w o m e n are q u i t e unable to earn t h e m o n e y necessary to maintain themselves and t h e i r c h i l d r e n , w h o often b e c o m e a b u r d e n far beyond their s t r e n g t h . Occasionally t h e w o m a n receives m o n e y from h e r husband, b u t m o r e often than n o t his wages are so m e a g r e and his j o b so precarious that few w o m e n in t h e Reserves k n o w anything b u t d i r e p o v e r t y .
This is t h e fate that awaits t h e p e o p l e of Langa—a c r i m e w i t h few parallels in living history. But t h e tragedy does n o t end t h e r e .
In t h e m e a n t i m e preparations are p r o c e e d i n g to build a " t r a n s i t e m e r g e n c y c a m p " at Nyanga W e s t , some eight miles further o u t of t h e t o w n , for the p u r p o s e of a c c o m m o d a t i n g all African families in this area. A w o r d o r t w o about Nyanga is necessary in o r d e r to give t h e reader some idea of t h e type of a c c o m m o d a t i o n approved by t h e G o v e r n m e n t .
Nyanga W e s t was designed to h o l d about 8,000 African families living in tin shanties principally in t h e N o r t h e r n suburbs of Cape T o w n . Each tenant has to pay £1 p e r m o n t h for a p l o t measuring 27 feet by 14 feet. U p o n this t h e squatter may e r e c t a shack, w h i c h usually consists of t h e rusted tins that c o m p r i s e d his f o r m e r r e s i d e n c e . Very few Africans can afford t h e n e w material necessary t o house t h e i r families p r o p e r l y .
T o anyone w h o has n o t seen t h e state of these " p o n d o k k i e s "
they defy description. N o t h i n g short of a magic w a n d is necessary in o r d e r to b r e a k these d o w n from t h e squatters' camps and r e - e r e c t t h e m at Nyanga. Yet it m u s t b e d o n e before t h e C o u n c i l ' s bulldozers r e d u c e t h e m to r u b b l e . To see these unfortunate p e o p l e struggling during t h e w e e k e n d s to comply w i t h t h e removal o r d e r s (although t h e officials deny compulsion) is a heart-breaking e x p e r i e n c e .
T h e w h o l e position of t h e Nyanga W e s t T o w n s h i p is s u m m e d u p in a Cape T o w n City Council m i n u t e dated 29th N o v e m b e r , 19 c c . It states:—
" I n connection with the establishment of the new Native Township at Nyanga West, your Committee has been informed by the Department of Native Affairs that it is an essen*
tial prerequisite to the approval of any projects for the provision of services in the scheme to be financed from Native Services Levy Fund that the Council shall first set up an emergency or transit camp for Natives at Nyanga in terms of section 6 of the Prevention of Illegal Squatters Act N o . c2 of 19 c i .
" I n the case of Local Authorities outside the Western Cape, the requirement is the setting up of "Site and Service" schemes, which are, in fact, embryo home-ownership schemes, whereby sites with the minimum essential services are allocated to individual Natives on which the Natives and the local authority are expected in time to build approved houses. ' 'Site and Service' • schemes are not, however, permitted in the Western Cape,
" I n view of the special circumstances pertaining to the Western Cape, the Minister of Native Affairs has agreed to the financing fromLevy Funds of the reticulation of minimum necessary services inside the scheme by way of a grant in terms of section 19(3) bis (f) of Act 2$ of 194^. Link services will be financed from Levy Funds in terms of section 19 (3) bis (d) of the Act.
" W h e n all the Natives now living in the various squatters' camps have been concen- trated under proper control in the emergency camp, all those families who, in accordance with policy, are not entitled to be in the area will be repatriated and approved houses will be built for those families who qualify under section 1 o of the Act to remain in the urban area.
"The type of house to be constructed in the scheme should be capable of conversion to single quarters in order that when the declared long-term policy of replacing married Natives by mi- gratory workers is put into effect, the conversion will be simple and inexpensive. Similarly, the buildings should be reconvertible to family dwellings should Native migratory labour ultimately be replaced by Coloureds.
