I Write What I Like

Chapter 13 is an undated article from SASO’s newsletter and a companion piece to Chapter 16. It focuses on Bantustans, autonomous Black “homelands” that were central to South Africa’s native policy, arguing for Bantustans as Tools of Government Control.

The National Government introduced its native policy in the 1960s to exclude Black people by forcibly repatriating them to all-Black “homelands” and stripping them of their South African citizenship. The government first proposed to divide South Africa and apportion sections to native populations in 1913. What the National Government did was take a discriminatory policy and cast it in positive terms, emphasizing the development and sovereignty of eight Bantustans. Separate development was initially unpopular, not just among Black people, but also among Afrikaners, liberals, progressives, and the United Party. However, the idea took hold after gaining support from a segment of the Afrikaner population, who promoted the policy in the media.

Black opinions diverged over Bantustans. Some Black people favored total acceptance in hopes of gaining concessions from white people, while others believed they could exploit the policy to benefit Black people. By contrast, Biko argues that Bantustans are dangerous and must be rejected.