As no other study of settler impact on the Natal environment exists for the early colonial period, this thesis is a pioneering work. It aims to document the changes white settlers made to the natural environment of Natal between 1845 and 1870. In order to do that, an understanding of the state of the environment by 1845 first had to be reached. This involved outlining briefly the nature of the environment and then assessing the impact made by the Iron Age farmers, the white hunter-traders, and the Boers of the Republic. The establishment of the Colony in 1845 meant that Natal was now in the hands of British administrators, determined to discover and utilize the resources of this outpost of the British Empire. The arrival and distribution of about 5 000 settlers in the early 1850s made the white population of Natal predominantly urban and British. Imbued with the idea of progress these settlers attempted to produce for their own subsistence and, where possible, sufficient surplus to sell for profit on the market. In so doing they not only perpetuated and intensified types of environmental exploitation already operating in Natal, but also initiated new ones. Over a period of twenty-five years, the comparatively small settler population was responsible for the irreversible transformation of the landform and mineral resources, flora and fauna of Natal. This thesis details the changes the settlers caused, on a regjon-by-region basis, but lack of evidence in some areas - despite extensive research - has resulted in several lacunae in the overall picture. However, as the conclusion shows, the general pattern of exploitation of the Natal settlers was not unique, but in fact mirrored that of settler societies in Australia and North America. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998

Bibliography: leaves 204-212. / This thesis analyses agrarian development in the Natal Midlands during the 1940s and 1950s. Based predominantly on archival and primary sources, it seeks to provide some empirical evidence in an area where such information is sorely lacking. The first chapter briefly analyses the national agricultural economy in the 1940s before turning to the Natal Midlands. The importance of urban factors in fuelling the post-war boom is examined, as is the way in which different groups of farmers reacted to these developments. The second chapter discusses the position of farm workers. The system of labour tenancy is considered and stress is laid on the various tensions within the system which became prominent at this time. The use of the courts and the police in helping farmers control their workers, informal methods of control and labourers' resistance are also examined. The next chapter discusses the severe farm labour shortage and shows how it emerged from the tensions within labour tenancy and the increasing urban opportunities seized by farm workers. Attention is also paid to the farm labour policies of the pre-apartheid state and these are compared with the policies demanded by organised agriculture. The final chapter examines these processes during the 1950s. The effect of the slowdown in agricultural growth is discussed as is the limited success of the apartheid state's farm labour policies. It is suggested that the key to understanding the state's lack of success lies in differentiating between different categories of farmers. The agricultural crisis in the late 1950s and its effects are also analysed. Finally, it is suggested that the key determinants of agrarian development are accumulation and struggle rather than state policies.

This dissertation is an historical examination of the crimes of infanticide and the concealment of birth in Natal between 1860 and 1935, where more than thirty such cases were tried before the Supreme, Magistrate, and District Circuit Courts. This study does not look at the crime of infanticide and concealment of birth in isolation, however, but also considers the crime in relation to cases of „child murder,‟ still-births, and abortion, since the term infanticide itself was highly contested and only fully defined in legal terms in South Africa by 1910. Some of the key themes this study covers include the ways in which legislation changed over time (for instance, the concept of “concealment of birth” altered to “infanticide” and the naming of the potential perpetrator from “woman” to “person.”); the problems posed for medical jurisprudence in trying to prove a separate existence of an infant from its mother; and whether a „live birth‟ had occurred before a charge could be proffered. In Natal, it is clear that legislation shaped interpretation and practice, but practice and interpretation, across many social and institutional settings, also shaped legal definitions. Other arguments raised in this study relate to the “instability of the womb” and how puerperal insanity and emotional or psychological mental evidence began to outweigh the physical, bodily evidence in the courtroom. Furthermore, such issues as illegitimacy, baby-farming, infant life protection, mothercraft, miscegenation, incest, respectability, and local cultural practices are integral to understandings of the possible underlying motives for the acts of infanticide and concealment of birth. By tracing the meaning and incidences of infanticide and the concealment of birth across the social spectrum, this study offers insights into a range of issues in social, legal and medical history. These include: the study of the domain of the family; of labour and political economy; of medico-jurisprudence and clinical medicine; of changing gender power and hierarchies; and of gendered discourses of criminality / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

This dissertation aims to examine the nature of colonial-made laws and regulations which affected the powers of chiefs in the Natal and Zululand regions between 1875 and 1910, and the context in which they were made. Since the establishment of colonial rule in Natal in the 1840s, the colonial government had aimed to bring chiefs under control and to weaken their powers. In the 1870s the pace at which chiefly authority was undermined increased. This dissertation begins in the mid-1870s because this was when white settlers in Natal gradually began to get more influence over native affairs because of important shifts in British policies in South Africa. It ends in 1910 when the administration of native affairs in Natal was transferred from Pietermaritzburg to Pretoria upon the formation of the Union of South Africa. It argues that the making oflaws governing Africans in the Natal and Zululand regions from 1875 to 1910 had to do mainly with the desire of colonial officials to tighten up control over Africans, and the desire of white settlers in Natal to ensure security against Africans who greatly outnumbered them and to obtain land and labour from African communities. The dissertation begins with a brief examination of the colonial state and the nature of the powers of chiefs in the period before 1875. From 1875 to 1893 the Natal settlers gradually gained more influence over native affairs, and used it to formalize and define the powers of chiefs and izinduna. These developments are explained in chapter two. In chapter three the laws and regulations affecting the powers of chiefs that were passed under responsible government from 1893 to 1897 are examined in detail. This was when white settlers in Natal gained power to directly control native affairs. The Zululand region, i.e. to the north of the Thukela river, also experienced similar developments as Natal from 1879 to 1897. After the Anglo-Zulu war in 1879, the powers of hereditary chiefs in Zululand were weakened, together with the strength of Zulu royal house. The impact of colonial rule on the powers of chiefs in Zululand is covered in chapter four. When Zululand was incorporated into Natal in 1897, and when the white settler farmers dominated every department in the ministry, the 'web' of chiefly authority was weakened at a faster pace than before. Some ofthe laws that were in the Natal Code of Native Law were extended to Zululand. The way in which chiefly authority was undermined in the enlarged colony between 1897 to 1910 is examined in chapter five. Chapter six summarizes the findings of the dissertation. / Thesis (M.A. ; School of Human and Social Studies) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.

This account of Native Education in Natal has been written to make available for the first time a mass of valuable information, which will, it is hoped, prove useful to Government Officials and leading Missionaries. For this purpose, details have been entered into where they would otherwise have been unnecessary, and schemes which have borne no fruit have often been discussed as thoroughly as those which have been adopted. Especially is this so in the first four chapters. The earliest reports, at present terra incognita to the Natal Education officials, are in manuscript, are bound with Miscellaneous Reports of the Secretary for Native Affairs, and are now filed for preservation in the Natal Archives. Concerning even the Zwaart Kop Government Native Industrial School (1886 - 1891) very little information has been found available in the records kept by the Natal Education Department. The writer's chief object has been to give the history of "formal" education. For those interested in "informal" education, many excellent books on the customs and kraal-life of the Natives of South Africa are available. Questions of policy have been dealt with from the stand-point of the historian, rather than from that of a political or an educational administrator. Consequently no attempt has been made to advocate any one method of solving the problems of Native Education. Information concerning Zululand before its annexation to Natal in 1897 is unobtainable, because the documents collected in the Office of the Governor of Zululand are of too recent a date to be consulted by the public. Such material as is available points to the presence of only a few missionaries in Zululand before l898, owing to the attitude of the Zulu Kings towards them. The absence of accurate records has made it impossible to deal with such interesting subjects as The largest Mission Societies and The oldest Mission Stations. The inclusion of any account of unaided missionary effort has also been impossible; but it is quite safe to assume that all missionary effort which has produced good educational results has received either Government comment or Government grant. When the spelling of any Zulu name differs from the normal modern form of such a name, the variation is due to the fact that the documents consulted make various spellings possible. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-Natal University College, Pietermaritzburg, 1927.

The Natal Provincial Museum Ordinance, No. 26 of 1973, made provision for the establishment, control and management of museums and art galleries in KwaZulu-Natal by the Provincial Administration. A museum service was created to provide technical and professional assistance to those museums which are affiliated to the Service. Twenty-one years later, museums in general, including those in KwaZulu-Natal, are discussing a restructuring of museums and policies. A new national policy for museums in South Africa is envisaged within the foreseeable future. This will effect the museums in KwaZulu-Natal. The development of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Museum Service has never been fully documented. As it is possible that the Museum Service in its present form might change, the author considered it relevant to research the development of the Service since its inception in 1974. Unpublished documents formed the bulk of the material used for the study. This includes minutes of the Museum Service Advisory Board; minutes of affiliated museum committee meetings; unpublished reports; memoranda and letters. The official legislation relating to the Museum Service, as well as resolutions taken by the Executive Committee of the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, were studied. In some instances, the author used personal knowledge gained while working at Museum Service, to augment written sources. Verbal communications with Museum Service staff members and individual curators also provided information. The findings of the study clearly show that the problems experienced in 1985, i.e. too few staff and too little money in relation to the number of affiliated museums, are still experienced. The service which Museum Service provides is of a high quality, but the delay in providing displays to affiliated museums or upgrading the displays that have been mounted, is a problem. The Restoration Section is also in need of more staff, including apprentices who can be taught the techniques of restoration. These problems will become more serious as the Service starts supplying museum services to the rural and disadvantaged areas of KwaZulu-Natal. However, these problems can be overcome if funding is increased and more staff are appointed. The Service has the infrastructure and know-how to provide a valuable service to the museums of KwaZulu-Natal. The study was significant in that it documented the past history of the Museum Service and showed, not withstanding the problems the Service has experienced, what has been achieved in the twenty-one years of its existence. The valuable foundation which has been laid should serve as an inspiration for the future. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.

No abstract available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1980.

This dissertation is a study of the gangster film genre and how it has been used to represent the sociopolitical and economic conditions of South Africa over an extended period of time. Firstly, by looking at the early history of the influence of the gangster genre on South African audiences, specifically the Sophiatown generation, a history of the genre being strongly linked to sociopolitical conditions in South Africa is established. The project then focuses on South African-made gangster films, beginning with Mapantsula (1988) and how it speaks to the tumultuous times of the 1980s prior to liberation. It then proceeds to examine Hijack Stories (2000) as a gangster film that represents South African society post-liberation. Lastly, it examines Jerusalema (2008) as a recent example of the gangster film and its representation of current issues, problems and tensions within South African society. The project delves into the messages that the gangster genre in particular holds as a genre that is intimately linked to social, economic and political conditions. The use of the genre as a tool to represent the experiences of South Africans prior to and post liberation is of particular interest to this research. Introduction: Genre and the Gangster Film This chapter attempts briefly to define genre in film studies, discuss how genres operate and explore the importance of genre. It also offers an elaboration of the history of the gangster film as well as discussion of the ideas of its three most significant theorists. Chapter 1: The Hollywood gangster figure in Sophiatown This chapter examines the influence of the Hollywood gangster figure on the audiences of Sophiatown. It explores the emulation of the style, mannerisms and behavior of the cinematic gangster by the residents of Sophiatown as a way of adopting a resistant urban identity in opposition to the dominant ideology of the time. However, it is found that this resistance fails to effectively become political in the form of an anti-government resistance. Chapter 1: The Hollywood gangster figure in Sophiatown This chapter examines the influence of the Hollywood gangster figure on the audiences of Sophiatown. It explores the emulation of the style, mannerisms and behavior of the cinematic gangster by the residents of Sophiatown as a way of adopting a resistant urban identity in opposition to the dominant ideology of the time. However, it is found that this resistance fails to effectively become political in the form of an anti-government resistance. Chapter 2: Mapantsula as Pre-liberation South African Gangster Film This chapter explores the relationship between the ‘pantsula’ subculture and the cinematic gangster and thereafter makes a case for how Mapantsula can be read as a gangster film. Furthermore, it goes on to study how Mapantsula works within the gangster genre framework looking at the politicization of Panic with a focus on pre-liberation South Africa. Chapter 3: Hijack Stories as Post-liberation South African Gangster Film This chapter examines Hijack Stories as a South African example of the gangster film by firstly situating it within the genre and then examining how it functions as a post-liberation South African gangster film around the period of its release. The gangster figure here is linked to ideas of authenticity and black experience. Chapter 4: Jerusalema as recent Post-liberation South African Gangster Film This chapter examines how Jerusalema uses the conventions of the gangster genre to explore current South African issues in particular, the tension between the ideology of capitalist entrepeneurship and that of restitution and social justice. It goes on to then study how it works as a post-liberation recent gangster film exploration of modern day South African society. Conclusion This chapter briefly examines how the gangster film genre has survived in South Africa over a long and shifting period of time and how it has spoken to different periods in South Africa’s history through the films discussed in this research. The gangster figure starts as a resistant figure in Mapantsula who slowly moves away from material pursuits and becomes politicized. Thereafter in Hijack Stories, the gangster figure is used to explore issues of black identity in the post-liberation period and to explore the growing divide between the recently advantaged and the still disadvantaged black South African. Finally, Jerusalema uses the gangster genre to stage the contradictions of the “South African Dream” and the lack of a firm direction for South Africa as the ideologies of capitalism and social justice clash while the period after the fall of an order leaves much in question as a nation finds its identity. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

This dissertation provides an exploratory study of the environmental history of the Keate' s Drift area, Umvoti Magisterial District, KwaZulu-Natal. The broad objectives are to explore the past and present modes of resource use of people living in the area, human reproduction, human consciousness and ecology from the Stone Age to the present day. Thereby we can deduce how, through the application of the techniques and methodology of environmental history, these findings can help establish baselines for understanding the problems facing environmentalists and policy makers in South Africa today. Such understanding can inform the formulation of more effective policies for the future. The study provides a history of how significant change at all levels of production, reproduction, consciousness and ecology initiated the first complete ecological revolution in KwaZulu-Natal between the Stone and Iron Age societies. Using the same methodological parameters, the dissertation then proposes that an incomplete ecological revolution has occurred in Keate's Drift since colonial times. It has found that the pre-colonial mode of resource use still exists in some form, but relies heavily upon migrant remittance money obtained from the modem industrial mode of resource use. The two modes of resource use operating together underlie the conflict between modernity and traditionalism in the Keate's Drift area. Interpretation of the historical evidence proposes that planners in charge of land redistribution in the Keate's Drift area must realise the role of the legacy of the past in development proposals. Planners must realise that the traditional mode of resource use exists alongside elements of the industrial mode. This is a situation resulting from the area's history, and any long term development plan that is going to work, needs to understand the historical legacy of the problems if they are to be resolved. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

This thesis examines the ways in which the Liberal Party - the Natal Division in particularattempted to become an effective political force in South Africa. The Party was fanned in May 1953 as a non-racial political party. Initially, it concentrated on working among the white electorate, and on achieving political change through parliamentary means. The Party gradually shifted its attention to the voteless black majority, and took its active opposition beyond the boundaries of parliamentary politics. Members of the Natal Division played a leading role in this shift. The party gave expression to a distinctive strand of radica1liberalism, within a broader spectrum of South African liberalism. The Party was unsuccessful in preventing the entrenchment of the apartheid policies it so vehemently opposed. However, the Natal LP succeeded in developing a good working relationship with Congress Alliance, especially the African National Congress, in the region, in attracting a large number of black members through its grass-roots involvement, and in keeping liberal principles and priorities in the public eye in inauspicious circumstances. From 1960, Party leaders attracted increasing government persecution for their anti-apartheid activism. The Party deserves more attention than is commonly given to it in the South African historiography of resistance politics. The Liberal Party's continued existence as a non-racial political party was rendered impossible by government legislation in 1968. The Party disbanded, rather than compromise its non-racial principles. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.