Ordinary Springboks

Roos, Neil

doi:10.4324/9781351152044

Cited by 4 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…The 'cornerstone' of the demobilisation scheme was the recognition of the white male veteran's right to employment. 32 Those that had given up employment prior to joining were guaranteed work 'under conditions no less favourable' than those existing at the time of their enlistment. Volunteers with no employment to which to return, were retained on military strength with full pay and allowances until suitable employment could be found.…”

Section: Demobilisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…34 Matters did not start well when delays in repatriation led to 'much adverse criticism of the authorities on the grounds of "muddle" and "broken promises"' 35 , which culminated in a riot in Helwan camp in August 1945. 36 The South African economy was not ready to receive the ex-soldiers. Unlike the United Kingdom, the discharge of soldiers was not controlled in accordance with the conversion of industry from a war to a peacetime setting.…”

Section: Demobilisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…employ and inappropriately skilled, white ex-servicemen's lack of occupational mobility made them vulnerable to a variety of pressures. 39 The impacts of a challenging job market were exacerbated by a shortage of housing. By 1945, it was estimated that 130,000 houses were needed nationally for whites alone.…”

Section: Demobilisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…42 On a conservative estimate, during the war the urban black population increased by about half a million to 1,689,000. 43 The number of Africans employed in manufacturing rose from 151,889 before the war to 369,055 in 1949/50. African employment in private industry during roughly the same period increased by 111 per cent in the Southern Transvaal, 190 per cent around Durban, and more than 240 per cent in the Cape.…”

Section: The Issue Of Racementioning

confidence: 99%

“…45 These issues placed much pressure on the returned white serviceman who lacked artisan skills and 'were particularly vulnerable since it was far cheaper to employ black men'. 46 Additionally, as one serviceman stated in 1943, 'a large amount of surplus money was in circulation "due to the Government paying unskilled and semi-skilled labourers excessive wages"'. 47 This caused inflation, which in turn squeezed standards of living.…”

Section: The Issue Of Racementioning

confidence: 99%

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South African veterans and the institutionalization of apartheid in South Africa

Fennell

2018

War Veterans and the World After 1945

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It is a recurring theme of this book that combatants are affected by war in profound and long lasting ways. 1 Veterans form distinct cohorts in postwar polities and as such warrant attention as discreet historical actors. This chapter, by focusing on the attitudes and voting behaviours of veterans of the Second World War, explores how they shaped the postwar socio-political construct in South Africa. By making use of new sources, in particular 234 reports based on the censorship of mail sent between the battle and home fronts during the Second World War, 2 the chapter argues that a coincidence of interest and attitudes emerged as a consequence of the conflict that led white veterans to vote for the Herstigte Nationale Party (HNP) in the 1948 general election. With the Nationalist victory, which ushered in formalised apartheid in South Africa, dependent on 'narrow majorities' in key districts. 3 it is likely that the veterans' franchise proved decisive in this epoch defining election. The chapter explores a number of dynamics that radicalised and politicalised white soldiers during the war. The censorship reports show, for example, that white soldiers were deeply affected by their shared experience of the front line, leading to the development of a new spirit of social solidarity among white South Africans, a sentiment coined 'South Africanism' by some scholars. 4 Another set of dynamics, 1 The idea that the war was a transformative event for South African soldiers is not a new one.

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Section: Demobilisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Demobilisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Demobilisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Issue Of Racementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Issue Of Racementioning

confidence: 99%

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South African veterans and the institutionalization of apartheid in South Africa

Fennell

2018

War Veterans and the World After 1945

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Trumpism, Zumaism, and the fascist potential of authoritarian populism

Hyslop

2020

Safundi

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The similarities between Donald Trump and Jacob Zuma, both authoritarian populist leaders, are striking in that they come from differing political trajectories: respectively, from deep reactionary currents and from a radical national liberation movement. This contrast points to the diverse origins of contemporary forms of authoritarian populism. Scholars have rightly identified the important differences between the fascism of the Hitler and Mussolini era and the authoritarian populisms of the years after the Second World War, of which the apartheidera National Party may be considered an example. However, the article suggests, the radicalization of authoritarian populism internationally is producing a potential slide to something approaching classical fascism. In the US, this danger is ominously threatening, whereas in South Africa the partial defeat of Jacob Zuma, reflecting real strengths in civil society and institutions, seems to have arrested this process.

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Saving Private Lugg

Punt¹

2020

Sights, Sounds, Memories: South African Soldier Experiences of the Second World War

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Average pilot. Works hard and good type. 9 One can only wonder if his 'unpolished flying skills' and 'average skills' would account for the accident that would later lead to his capture. Eric qualified as a pilot at the bottom of his class ('B' section) and was commissioned as a Warrant Officer Class II, while the 'A' candidates were commissioned as second lieutenants. 10 His training was limited. At the time of his appointment he had flown only 71 hours dual and 54 hours solo. 11 He was trained as a bomber pilot on Junkers (JU 52) aircraft. 12 The UDF had bought the Junkers with the intention of converting them into bombers. But, after converting them, they realised that the British bombs they would be using could not be used in German-style bomb bays. All the aircrafts had to be re-fitted to be used as bombers. 13 This oversight brought the quality of the training of the bomber pilots, and the bay loaders, into question, as they were unable to practise their loading skills, targeting skills or perform coastal patrols. After his training he was posted to 13 Squadron at Waterkloof Air Station 14 on 8 January 1941 and promoted to second lieutenant. As the UDF embarked on the East Africa Campaign, he was posted to Nairobi the following month where he would serve for almost a year. He made a few more transfers, to

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Ordinary Springboks

Cited by 4 publications

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South African veterans and the institutionalization of apartheid in South Africa

South African veterans and the institutionalization of apartheid in South Africa

Trumpism, Zumaism, and the fascist potential of authoritarian populism

Saving Private Lugg

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