The Natives' Land Act of 1913

The Natives' Land Act

• The Natives’ Land Act of 1913 was a significant turning point in South African history, turning the country's native population (4.5 million black South Africans) into pariahs in their own land.
• The act drastically limited land ownership for black South Africans, effectively restricting them to small, designated areas, representing only 1/18th of the total Union land.
• The law rendered the indigenous people squatters on land owned by Europeans, making them dependent on white landowners for survival.
• The impact of the act extended beyond land ownership, creating a deep sense of dispossession and ontological nowhere.

Squatter Rights & Land Ownership

• The act made it illegal to provide landless Natives with accommodation, imposing a £100 fine or six months' imprisonment.
• While native locations were reserved for specific clans and deemed inalienable, the act stated that Natives could only buy land within these areas further marginalizing the black population.

Impact on Political Representation

• The Natives’ Land Act was passed by a Parliament representing solely white men, who had no responsibility towards the black races.
• This lack of political representation meant that the concerns and needs of the black population were not considered in the law-making process.

The "Poor White" Problem

• The Act was presented as a solution to the "poor white" problem, which was an issue of economic disparity affecting certain white communities who spoke Dutch.
• However, the focus of the act was primarily on dispossessing Black people, rather than addressing the underlying causes of poverty amongst the Dutch-speaking white population.

Afrikaner Nationalism & Dispossession

• The act contributed to the rise of Afrikaner nationalism, with General Hertzog (Minister of Native Affairs) utilizing the law to further his political agenda.
• This political strategy attempted to address the "Poor White" problem through the dispossession of Natives, consolidating white power and control.

Spiritual Impact & Eschatological Gaze

• The text highlights a spiritual dimension to Native dispossession, with land representing not just economic resource but a home, a place of belonging, and a connection to ancestors.
• The act’s devastating impact on the Natives' relationship with the land created a sense of estrangement, disrupting a deep-rooted spiritual connection and denying them the right to burial on their ancestral lands.

The Farmer’s Eye & Dispossession

• The text employs the motif of the "farmer’s eye" as a tool for analysis, highlighting the power dynamics between white farmers and Native laborers.
• The farmer’s eye represents authority and control, shaping the Natives’ reality as ontologically nowhere, stripped of their identity and agency.
• Resistance against the farmer’s control is met with violence and criminalization, reinforcing the inherent injustice of the situation.

White Liberals & Misrecognition

• The text critiques white liberals, arguing that they fail to understand the true depth of native dispossession.
• They are socialized to see black people as perpetually in need of their aid, perpetuating a paternalistic and misinformed perspective.

The Role of the Sangoma

• The text emphasizes the significance of the Sangoma (traditional healer) in Native culture, acknowledging their unique connection to the spirit world and their role in interpreting the trauma of dispossession.
• The Sangoma sees the spiritual implications of dispossession, recognizing the need to free the spirits of the dead and uphold their connection to the land.

Eschetological Gaze (Spiritual Perspective)

• The text utilizes the term "eschatological gaze" to highlight the spiritual lens through which Natives perceived their dispossession.
• This perspective integrates the past (ancestral connection to the land), the present (suffering of dispossession), and the future (hope for spiritual deliverance) into their understanding of their relationship to the land.

The Violence of Dispossession

• The act not only deprived Natives of their land but also instilled a deep-seated fear and violence.
• The text recounts the gruesome details of farm killings, highlighting the physical and psychological brutality inflicted upon Natives.
• The text concludes by highlighting the ongoing struggle for justice and recognition, emphasizing how the Natives’ Land Act continues to shape the lives of South Africans today.

Explore the significant implications of the Natives' Land Act of 1913 in South Africa. This act not only limited land ownership for black South Africans but also enforced marginalization and systemic dispossession. Understand its historical context and the ongoing impact on land rights.