What key things does the story of Baba Khambule tell

us about the life of an African worker?

There were many challenges that were faced by Africans in general during the 19th and
20th centuries. But there were specific challenges that faced African workers, and the
story of Baba Khambule is a good example for illustrating these challenges as it start at
the beginning onto what drove Africans to the city, to their experiences in the city, their
living and work conditions and work procedures. These factors best describe the life of
an African worker during those times, here I will look into these factors with specific
interest in the life of African worker in Durban.

Living in the countryside depending on substance farming was satisfying for the Africans
but certain conditions forced them to have to earn some money these were conditions like
poll tax and the hardship of the land as Baba Khambule say; “I was sent because of the
hardship of the land” (Sitas: 96:pp227) these and many other instances forced Africans to
migrate to the city hoping to find better lives for themselves. In most times the parents
were against the whole idea of proletarianisation because in more cases than one there
had to be some sacrifice to be made so one can land him/herself a contact as it was the
case to Baba Khambule as he had to sell his father inherited cows in order to land himself
a contract in the new state mines.

There was a huge problem of accommodation at the time especially if you are an African.
The only forms of accommodation available were the hostels, barracks and so forth.
People had to have friends or relatives that they had to arrive to when coming to the city
this was the case to uBaba Khambule as he arrived to his uncle in Somtseu Road.
“Despite the relatively high wages that factory workers earned overwhelming majority
were malnourished and resided in appalling shelters” (Sitas: 96:pp227) although “the
overcrowding of Somtseu Road was indescribable” (Sitas: 96:pp228) but “it was the
cheapest form of accommodation” so people found themselves living and staying in these
degrading and maldorous living conditions.
The lives of Africans in the city of Durban were severely bad as there were laws imposed
by the state and the intensive enforcement of them by the Natal municipality made even
worse. They lived under inhuman situations worked under indentured labour meaning
they were too many restrictions that they worked under.

What is the significance of the Native (Urban Areas)

Act of 1923 in the construction of urban life for
Africans in Durban?

“The first major state intervention by the state in the urban sphere was legislated for in
the Native (Urban Areas) Act of 1923 but the immediate impact of this in Durban was
minimal some of its provision such as those recommending the building of segregated
townships and the creation of the Native advisory board were ignored by Durban until
1920’s. This was a measure of the municipal autonomy that existed at the time”
(Maylam: 96:pp03) the number of the Africans coming into the city was gradually
increasing and the state, both local and central did not like this. They did not like the idea
of sharing the city with the natives.

There was one problem that the state faced and it was that they could not afford to chase
these “Natives” away from the city because they needed their cheap labour and they
needed them for all those strength requiring duties. So they decided to legislate the
Native (Urban Areas) Act this was in 1923. The idea behind this Act was to keep the
Natives away from the city but not to bring them back in the rural homestead because by
doing so they will be chasing away the cheap labour.

Due this Act there was a development of segregated townships this was when the
Africans were allocated their only places and the Indians theirs and so forth, we see this
in this story of Baba Khambule where he was forced to move to KwaMashu because of
the Group Areas Act I think that the group Areas Act is an infant of the Native (Urban
Areas) Act. The state had all this planned up but the problem was that it was not prepared
to spend on the Natives, so some other means had to be made because even the bigger
industries like the mining which hired these people were not prepared to pay anything in
the building of these townships.

The state then decided to establish something called the Native Account this was good
plan but where was the money for this going to come from, this was the development of
the municipal beer monopoly. Municipal beer monopoly was the legal consumption of
beer (traditional/African beer) this was developed so as to contribute to the Natives
Account. The proceedings from the beer production were then transferred to the Natives
Account and it helped build these segregated townships

One could say that the townships that we see today are of the result of the Native Urban
Areas Act of 1923 so by that the significance of this Act is still visible even today
because now there is a wide gap between different racial groups and I think this is due to
this segregation because as we heard in the Sitas’s Baba Khambule story the Indians had
better house so even in this segregation they were given first preference.

What is so significant about beer production, selling

and consumption the history of the city?

The brewering of utshwala was and has always been part of the African culture especially
in the Zulu/Natal culture whenever there is a cultural ritual it is not complete if there is no
utshwala. So the state decided to trick the African workers in the city with something that
they know it is close to their heart.
There were many African women who use to bring beer for their husbands ion the city
and others bring beer for selling and the legalization of this by the state made
opportunities for women to come into the city. Men were eligible to come to the city
because the jobs there required their muscular. Now the beer industry was the one that
suit women so we can say that this industry was one of causes of women to come top the
city in large numbers.

Of course when in the city they see other things and began to feel the freedom of the city
where there is no much patriarchy the position and the respect of the person is rated by
the wealth of his pocket. In the history of Durban the beer monopoly act had a huge
impact in bringing women into the city. And also it primary establishment reason which
was to build the townships.
 Reference Page

Sitas A. (1996). The sweat was black: working for Dunlop, from P, Maylam and
Edwards, the people’s city: African life in the 20th century. Durban. UN Press

Hausse P. (1996). The struggle of the city; Alcohol, the Ematsheni and the popular
culture in Durban, 1902-1936