Pre-apartheid African land ownership and the implication for the current Restitution Debate in South Africa (Historia, 2021)
AfrikaansSwart grondbesit in die voor-apartheidsera en die implikasies daarvan vir die huidige debat rondom die herstel van grondregte Hierdie artikel neem plase in swart besit in die eertydse Transvaal onder die loep. Die outeur ontleed hoe swart grondbesitters hulle belange teen die aanslae van hulle blanke bure en die regering beskerm het. Daarbenewens toon die outeur aan hoe die swartmense na 1913 volgehou het om toestemming te vra om grond aan te koop, en soms onwillige staatsamptenare oorgehaal het om aankope goed te keur. Derdens val die klem op die kwessie van skuld en hoe amptenare van die Department van Naturellesake gepoog het om swartmense teen die oproeping van hulle verbande by te staan. Die hoofdoel van die artikel is om die ingewikkelde verhoudinge tussen die staatsamptenare en die swart grondbesitters toe te lig in 'n poging om aan te toon dat die Mandela-regering omsigtig te werk sal moet gaan wanneer die eise van swart grondbesitters, wat moontlik voor die aanvang van die apartheidsera hulle grond verloor het, evalueer word.  EnglishThis article focuses on African owned farms in the Transvaal. The author examines how African landowners defended their interests against pressures from their white neighbours or the government. In addition, the author demonstrates how Africans showed persistence in seeking permission to buy land after 1913, sometimes maneuvering reluctant government officials into approving a purchase. A third emphasis is on the topic of debt and how officials of the Native Affairs Department tried to help Africans avoid foreclosure. The ultimate aim of the article is to emphasize the complicated relationship between government officials and African landowners in an effort to suggest that the Mandela government must use caution as it evaluates claims from African owners who may have lost their land before the apartheid era.
Keywords: Harvey M. Feinberg; Historia 40(2); land ownership; pre-apartheid; South Africa; farms; Transvaal; Native Affairs Department; Africa; Mandela; government; Act Number 22 of 1994; Restitution of Land Rights Act; Land Claims Court; Union of South Africa