Microsoft Word - PhD Thesis Final.pdf - University of Limpopo ...

The removals of Blacks from land all over the country following the 1913
Natives Land Act, brought hardships, poverty and destitute among the
affected communities. With the law on their side, the new White
landowners evicted Black communities who effectively became landless.
There were various excuses forwarded for the eviction of these Blacks
from their lands and most of them were merely fabricated pretexts. At the
end of each application for eviction was provision for: “Reasons for
removal” and reasons given for the above-mentioned evictions included
“going to live nearer his church”; and “joining relatives”; and “farms
adjoining and same owners” 408 .
The provision of the White-only Union government policies - including
eviction of Blacks from land - changed socio-political identities in the
Makgabeng area. Communities which were stable under their traditional,
tribal rulers who held land in trust for every member, were disrupted by
the new arrangements. Land which was traditionally free for everyone to
use, was then taken over by White individual owners, farmers and big
companies. Most of the Makgabeng communities found themselves
landless overnight and this loss of their resources, led to most of them to
face poverty, destitution and servitude. Individual and private ownership
of land further changed identities in Makgabeng as it destroyed the
408 Volume 512 NAC6/ 04, Part 7, Secretary of Native Affairs. Correspondence with Sub- Native
Commissioner’s office with that of Resident Magistrate.
238