The Marabastad riot, 1942.

Abstract

• Opsomming: Op 28 Desember 1942 het onluste in Marabastad, Pretoria uitgebreek toe 'n loongeskil tussen die Munisipaliteit en sy swart werknemers in 'n gewelddadige konfrontasie ontwikkel het. Die Suid- Afrikaanse Polisie, 'n eenheid van die Unieverdedigingsmag en 'n onbekende getal blanke burgerlikes het spoedig by die botsing betrokke geraak. Sewentien mense (sestien swartmense en 'n soldaat wat van diens af was) is dood en 'n onbekende aantal beseer. Weinig skade is aan eiendom aangerig. Hierdie artikel speur die ontwikkeling van die dispuut na vanaf sy geboorte as 'n onbeduidende kwessie, tot en met die verrigtinge van 'n geregtelike kommissie van ondersoek na die gebeure. Die finale gevolgtrekking is dat 'n komplekse same loop van omstandighede tot die gebeure gelei het, maar dat dit eerstens veroorsaak is deur die snelle opwelling van vyandigheid eie aan groeps-angs in rasverdeelde en klas-gedifferensieerde gemeenskappe soos Suid-Afrika destyds was.

• Summary: On 28 December 1942 rioting broke out in Marabastad, Pretoria when a wage dispute between the municipality and its African labourers developed into violent confrontation. The South African Police, a contingent of the Union Defence Force and an unknown number of white civilians soon became involved. Although little damage was done to property, seventeen people were killed and numerous others were injured. This article traces the origins of the riot, explains the development of the dispute from a low-key issue through the fatal clash and the proceedings of a judicial commission of enquiry appointed to investigate events. It concludes that a complex concurrence of events led to the violence but that the primary cause was the ever-present hostility generated by group-anxiety in a racially and class differentiated society.