the churches and southern africa - KORA

INSIDE
SOUTH
AFRICA
SOUTH AFRICA's "BANTU HOMELANDS"
Zulus Demand More Land
The White South African Government has announced
plans to consolidate Zululand in terms of the 1936 Trust
and Land Act. At present, Zululand is made up of 157
"Black Spots" and 63 "Zulu areas." These are to be
transformed into "five large pieces of homeland and one
small piece." This will involve the exchange of 668,000
hectare of "white owned land for 554,000 hectare of
Black-owned and Bantu Trust Land." This proposal has
been announced by Mr. Raubepheimer, Deputy Minister
of Bantu Administration. He made it very clear that the
proposal "in no way reflected a final decision by the
Government." He said that "White farmers should not
have to give up more land for the consolidation of the
Zulu homeland until that land already owned by the
Africans was used to its fullest agricultural advantage."
(Star, Johannesburg, June 17, 1972)
According to the 1936. Trust and Land Act, 13% of
South Africa's land will be for the Africans, who comprise
almost 80% of the population. The KwaZulu Government
has rejected the Government's consolidation plan. Chief
Minister Gatsha Buthelezi made the following statement:
"We cannot see ourselves being used in this way in
covering up naked and outright White domination....
"We find it unacceptable that we should not have been
involved at all as Black people in the preparing of the
draft even in terms of the 1936 act." (Star of
Johannesburg, June 10, 1972) In another statement,
Buthelezi asked whether Zulu development would at most
mean that Zululand would merely continue to be a vast
labor farm for White South Africa. He stated that at the
present time this was what the Black homelands are.
(Rand Daily Mail, Johannesburg, June 16, 1972)
Tswana Homeland Established
On June 1, 1972 the Tswana homeland became the
"Self-Governing" territory of Bophuthatswana. Lukas
Mangope became Chief Minister, and he has spoken out
strongly on behalf of "separate development." He said
that separate development was the only policy that would
give the Tswana people the final say over their own
affairs. His territory will rely, according to Mangope, on
mining houses and other private organizations to help in
the development of its rich mineral and agricultural
potential. He gave toe assurance tha-t-no company need
fear any interference in its industrial activities.
The territory of Bophuthatswana consists of 53,685
square kilometers of land scattered across the Transvaal
and the Northern Cape. Plans have been made to
consolidate the 20 scattered areas into only five areas.
(Star, Johannesburg, July 8, 1972) Mangope is chief of,,
1,600,000 Tswana people, only 600,000 of whom live
within the boundaries of the homeland. (Star,
Johannesburg, June 10, 1972) Already he has been widely
criticized by urban Tswana for his statements in support
of "the positive aspects of separate development."
Typical of the criticism is this statement: "Chief
Mangope's unfortunate public statements came as a big
shock to Itany of Us. The impression likely to be
created ... will be that all Tswana in South Africa are in
favor of separate development and prefer the Nationalists
to either the Progressives or the United Party. This would
be misleading." (Star, Johannesburg, July 1, 1972)
Opposition to Mangope has already consolidated in the
creation of an opposition party, led by Chief Ted Pilane.
Pilane is credited with having done the spadework for the
Tswana Territorial Authority and his supporters say they
cannot uoderstand why he did not become the first Chief
Minister instead of Mangope. (Star, Johannesburg, Aug. 5,
1972)
Ciskei Homeland Established
On August 1, 1972 the Ciskei became the third
"self-governing" Bantustan, following the Transkei and
the Tswana homeland. The new Ciskeian Constitution
Proclamation 1972 provides for the reconstitution of the
legislative assembly to have a total membership of 50-the
paramount chief of the Amarrabe, the present 29 chiefs
of the various tribes, and 20 members elected by
Ciskeians with franchise rights. (Star, Johannesburg, July
29, 1972)
The patchwork pieces of African-owned land °in Natal
which together form the homeland of the Zulu nation.