This dissertation puts into historical context allegations of farm labour abuse during the period 1948 to 1960 on the eastern Transvaal Highveld. It not only gives an exposition of these events, but importantly analyses these allegations of abuse in the context of the South African government’s intervention into farm labour for this period. The dissertation, however, first gives an overview of the government’s policies of regulating and providing farmers with black labour in the period 1910 to 1948. It deals specifically with the dubious measures introduced and coercive actions taken by the National Party government after 1948 to provide farmers with “cheap and plentiful labour”. The reactions to the accusations of abuse by the South African government, the farmers, the conservative, liberal and leftist press, and other independent bodies, such as the churches, Black Sash and the South African Institute of Race Relations, are also explored. The reaction of the African National Congress and the Potato Boycott launched in 1959 by this organisation in response to the mistreatment of farm labourers, also receives specific attention. It concludes with a discussion of how the farm labour scandals and the reaction during the 1950s and more specifically the Potato Boycott of 1959 are still relevant today by considering the contested nature of the commemoration of this event in 2009 AFRIKAANS : Hierdie verhandeling plaas bewerings van die misbruik van plaasarbeid gedurende die periode 1948 tot 1960 op die oostelike Transvaalse Hoëveld in historiese konteks. Dit bied nie net ‘n uiteensetting van hierdie gebeure nie, maar ontleed dié bewerings van mishandeling teen die agtergrond van die Suid-Afrikaanse regering se ingryping ten opsigte van plaasarbeid vir dié tydperk. Die verhandeling bied ten eerste ‘n oorsig van die regering se beleid van die regulering en voorsiening van swart arbeid aan boere gedurende die periode 1910 tot 1948. Dit handel spesifiek oor die twyfelagtige dwangmaatreëls wat deur die Nasionale Partyregering na 1948 geïmplementeer is om boere van “goedkoop en voldoende arbeid” te voorsien. Die reaksies op die bewerings van mishandeling deur die Suid-Afrikaanse regering, die boere, die konserwatiewe, liberale en linkse pers, as ook ander selfstandige instansies, soos die kerke, Black Sash en die Suid-Afrikaanse Instituut van Rasseverhoudinge word ook ondersoek. Die reaksie van die African National Congress en die aartappelboikot wat deur die organisasie in 1959 van stapel gestuur is in reaksie op die mishandeling van plaaswerkers, work ook ontleed. Die studie sluit af met ‘n bespreking van hoe die plaasarbeidskandale, die reaksie in die 1950s en meer spesifiek die aartappelboikot van 1959, steeds vandag relevant is teen die agtergrond van die omstrede herdenking van die gebeurtenis in 2009. / Dissertation (MHCS)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Historical and Heritage Studies / unrestricted

AFRIKAANS : Die Simboliese Ossewatrek wat op 8 Augustus 1938 by die Van Riebeeck-standbeeld in Kaapstad begin het en op 16 Desember 1938 met die hoeksteenlegging van die Voortrekkermonument in Pretoria geëindig het, het tydens die honderdjarige herdenking van die Groot Trek grootliks tot die oplewing van Afrikanernasionalisme en Afrikaneridentiteitsvorming bygedra. Tydens die Voortrekkereeufeesvieringe in 1938 het die waens na beraming by meer as vyfhonderd dorpe en plekke aangedoen waar entoesiasties feesgevier is met historiese optogte en opvoerings, kerkdienste, toesprake en feesredes en die lê van ’n klipstapel of die onthulling van ’n monument of gedenkteken wat spesiaal vir die geleentheid opgerig is. Die doel van die studie was om eerstens ’n gedetailleerde databasis saam te stel oor die minder bekende monumente en gedenktekens wat in 1938 dwarsoor Suid-Afrika opgerig is en om hulle sover moontlik behoorlik te dokumenteer. Tweedens is die relevansie, kulturele betekenis en bewaring van die tasbare onverskuifbare erfenis in ’n post-apartheid Suid-Afrika geëvalueer en bespreek. ENGLISH : The symbolic ox-wagon trek that started on 8 August 1938 at the Van Riebeeck statue in Cape Town and ended with the foundation stone laying of the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria on 16 December 1938, contributed to the revival of Afrikaner Nationalism and the forming of an Afrikaner identity. During the Voortrekker Centenary celebrations in 1938 the wagons visited more than five hundred towns where the inhabitants enthusiastically celebrated the event with historical pageants and processions, church services, speeches and usually stone cairns were layed or a monument or memorial was unveiled to commemorate the occasion. The main aim of this study was to compile a detailed database about these often unknown monuments and memorials that were erected all over South Africa in 1938 and to document them as far as possible. The second aim was to evaluate and discuss the relevance, cultural significance and preservation of these unmovable heritage structures in a post-apartheid South Africa. / Dissertation (MHCS)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Historical and Heritage Studies / unrestricted