Dissertation (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The history of the trust companies and boards of executors of Boland Bank Limited
represents a case study of the process through which these rural institutions, as part of
the broader trust movement in South Africa, established themselves as an integral and
respected part of the local financial and social structure of the communities in which
they operated. It also represents a case study of the pressures to which these local
rural trust companies were subjected by the changing South African financial
environment of the 20th century and of the way they reacted to absorb and counter
these pressures. Their reactions and counter-measures were attempts, on the one hand,
to hold on to and promote, and on the other hand, to get rid of and discard their pasts.
The history of Boland Bank Limited to 1971 represents a case study of the trials and
tnbulations; the successes and failures of this process.
Paarl African Trust Company Limited (PAT) and African Mutual Trust and
Assurance Company Limited (AMT), the two leading role players in the
establishment of Boland Bank Limited, was founded in 1900 as a result of the anti-
British feelings generated among a section of the Afrikaners in the Cape Colony
during the Anglo Boer War. These feelings of nationalism manifested in the
Afrikaners' aspiration towards greater economic self-reliance which in the case of
PAT and AMT led to the establishment of two Afrikaner-controlled local rural trust
companies. These two institutions laid the foundation of a mainly Cape based
tradition oflocal rural trust companies with a predominantly Afrikaans character.
In the first half of the 20th century these institutions established themselves as
dynamic local rural financial institutions serving the financial needs of the
predominantly agricultural economies in which they functioned. As an integral part
of their local communities, they were respected as stabilizing economic and social
agents, -a respect demonstrated by the local inhabitants refering to these institutions
as "my Kamer" (my Board).
The changed nature of the economic system and climate of the post war (Second
World War) period in tandem with the tendency towards stricter state control over the
monetary and financial system and institutions, pressurized small local :financial institutions like trust companies and boards of executors to show a profit. In this
regard PAT and AMT were no exception and together with other similar trust
companies were in danger of becoming outdated financialnational monuments.
Against this background PAT and AMT took the lead in the early sixties in a
successful amalgamation initiative which eventually culminated in the formation of
Boland Bank Limited. This process included 17 institutions of which 16 were local
rural trust companies and boards of executors and created the potential for regaining
their lost dynamic nature. These dynamics would eventually carry them into the 21st
century. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die geskiedenis van die trustmaatskappye en eksekuteurskamers van Boland Bank
Beperk verteenwoordig 'n gevallestudie van die proses waardeur die plattelandse
instellings as deel van die breer trustbeweging in Suid-Afrika hulself as 'n integrale
en gerespekteerde deel van die plaaslike finansiele en sosiale struktuur van die
gemeenskappe waarbinne hulle opgetree het, gevestig het. Dit verteenwoordig ook 'n
gevallestudie van die druk waaraan die veranderende Suid-Afrikaanse finansiele
omgewing van die 20ste eeu die plaaslike plattelandse trustmaatskappye onderwerp
het en die wyse waarop hulle gereageer het in 'n poging om die druk te absorbeer en
te opponeer. Hulle reaksies en teenmaatreels was 'n mengsel van pogings om
enersyds die status quo ten opsigte van hulle manier van dink en doen te handhaaf en
andersyds dit te verwerp of van ontslae te raak. Die geskiedenis van Boland Bank tot
1971 verteenwoordig 'n gevallestudie van die ervaringe en wedervaringe, die
suksesse en ook die mislukkings van die proses.
Paarl African Trust Company Limited (PAT) en die African Mutual Trust and
Assurance Company Limited (AMT) , die twee hoofspelers in die daarstelling van
Boland Bank Beperk, is in 1900 gestig as die resultaat van die anti-Britse gevoel wat
deur die Anglo-Boereoorlog onder 'n deel van die Afrikaners in die Kaapkolonie
gegenereer is. Hierdie gevoel van nasionalisme het gemanifesteer in die Afrikaners se
strewe na groter ekonomiese selfstandigheid wat in die geval van PAT en AMT gelei
het tot die stigting van twee Afrikanerbeheerde plaaslike plattelandse
trustmaatskappye. Die twee instellings het die grondslag van 'n hoofsaaklik Kaaps
gebaseerde tradisie van plaaslike plattelandse trustmaatskappye en eksekuteurskamers
met 'n oorwegende Afrikaanse karakter gele.
In die eerste helfte van die 20ste eeu het die instellings hulself as dinamiese plaaslike
plattelandse finansiele instellings gevestig, wat voorsien het in die finansiele
behoeftes van die oorheersend primere landbou-ekonomie waarbinne hulle
gefunksioneer het. As 'n integrale deel van hulle plaaslike gemeenskappe is bulle as
stabiliserende ekonomiese en sosiale agente gerespekteer. Dit was 'n respek wat
gedemonstreer is deur die plaaslike inwoners se verwysing na die instellings as "my
Kamer". Die veranderde aard van die ekonomiese stelsel en klimaat van die naoorlogse
(Tweede Wereldoorlog) periode in tandem met die tendens van strenger staatsbeheer
oor die monetere en finansiele stelsel en instellings het druk geplaas op die
windsgewendheid van klein plaaslike finansiele instellings soos trustmaatskappye en
eksekuteurskamers. In die verband was PAT en AMT geen uitsondering nie en het
hulIe saam met ander soortgelyke trustmaatskappye die gevaar geloop om oudmodiese
finansiele nasionale monumente te word.
Teen hierdie agtergrond het PAT en AMT in die vroee sestigerjare die leiding geneem
in 'n suksesvolle amalgamasie-inisiatief wat uiteindelik in die stigting van Boland
Bank Beperk gekulmineer het. In die proses is 17 instellings, waarvan 16 plaaslike
plattelandse trustmaatskappye en eksekuteurskamers was, ingesluit en daardeur die
potensiaal geskep om hulle verlore dinamika te herwin, Dit was 'n dinamika wat
hulle uiteindelik tot in die 21ste eeu sou dra.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52776 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Ehlers, Anton. |
| Contributors | Venter, C., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences . Dept. of History. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 374 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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