'But only we Black men die': the 1929 - 1933 malaria epidemics in Natal and Zululand.

Abstract

• Opsomming: In Natal en Zoeloeland het die buitengewoon strawwe malaria-epidemies duisende swart lewens gedurende die tydperk onder bespreking geëis. Droogte en wanvoeding het veral kinders verswak, terwyl die ekonomiese depressie werkloses na die reservate laat terugkeer het. Sowel hulle as die duisende 'vreemde' arbeiders op die suikerplase het geen weerstand gehad nie teen malaria wat uitheems aan die streek was. Uit wantroue jeens die regeringe en gesondheidsowerhede het baie Zoeloes ook geweier om die teenmiddel kinien in te neem. Al die faktore saam het meegebring dat die epidemies die hewigste nog in menseheugenis was.

• Summary: The malaria epidemics in parts of Natal and in Zululand during the period under review were unusually severe and thousands of blacks died. Drought and malnutrition resulted in debility, particularly in children, while the economic depression brought unemployed workers home to the reserves. They and the thousands of foreign workers employed on the sugar estates had no immunity to malaria, which was not endemic to the region. In addition, many Zulus refused to take quinine because of their distrust of the government and the health authorities. The combination of these factors made these the most virulent malaria epidemics in living memory.