Native Life in South Africa

Sol. T. Plaatje

Native Life in South Africa by Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje stands as a powerful and firsthand account of the experiences, struggles, and resilience of Black South Africans under colonial and apartheid-era oppression. Written by one of South Africa's foremost intellectuals, activists, and founding members of the African National Congress, the book documents the devastating impact of the Natives' Land Act and other discriminatory laws that dispossessed indigenous peoples of their land and rights. Through a combination of historical analysis, eyewitness narratives, and political critique, Plaatje exposes the injustices endured by native and coloured communities, including persecution, land dispossession, and political marginalization. The book includes poignant personal stories of suffering, accounts of political activism, and reflections on the complex relations among South Africa's diverse racial and ethnic groups during periods of war and political upheaval. Native Life in South Africa remains an essential work for understanding the socio-political dynamics of South Africa's colonial and segregationist past, offering enduring insights into the fight for equality and human dignity.

Table of contents

• Chapter 1 A Retrospect
• Chapter 2 The Grim Struggle between Right and Wrong, and the Latter Carries the Day
• Chapter 3 The Natives' Land Act
• Chapter 4 One Night with the Fugitives
• Chapter 5 Another Night with the Sufferers
• Chapter 6 Our Indebtedness to White Women
• Chapter 7 Persecution of Coloured Women in the Orange Free State
• Chapter 8 At Thaba Ncho: A Secretarial Fiasco
• Chapter 9 The Fateful 13
• Chapter 10 Dr. Abdurahman, President of the A.P.O. / Dr. A. Abdurahman, M.P.C.
• Chapter 11 The Natives' Land Act in Cape Colony
• Chapter 12 The Passing of Cape Ideals
• Chapter 13 Mr. Tengo-Jabavu, the Pioneer Native Pressman
• Chapter 15 The Native Congress and the Union Government
• Chapter 15 The Kimberley Congress / The Kimberley Conference
• Chapter 16 The Appeal for Imperial Protection
• Chapter 17 The London Press and the Natives' Land Act
• Chapter 18 The P.S.A. and Brotherhoods
• Chapter 19 Armed Natives in the South African War
• Chapter 20 The South African Races and the European War
• Chapter 21 Coloured People's Help Rejected / The Offer of Assistance by the South African Coloured Races Rejected
• Chapter 22 The South African Boers and the European War
• Chapter 23 The Boer Rebellion
• Chapter 24 Piet Grobler