1936

Datum

Gebeurtenis
  1936 African voters transferred to a separate roll.
    Zainunnisa Cissie Gool founds the National Liberation League, and becomes the first President 1938-1951.
    The government sets up a Commission of Inquiry into African education. The Commission points to problems with the system, but virtually nothing is done to improve things.
    Dr. Yusuf Dadoo returns to practice in South Africa after obtaining a medical degree in Edinburgh. He subsequently joins the Transvaal Indian Congress (TIC) and is offered a position on the executive of TIC, which he refuses.
    Chamberlain Nakasa, brother of Nat Nakasa and compositor and columnist on African affairs in "Indian Views" weekly, starts a monthly journal called New Outlook. The editorial board consists of himself, B. Asher, Dr. Goonam, Farooqi Mehtar and I.C. Meer. A radical journal, New Outlook lasts for a short time. New Outlook is followed by Call, published by H.A. Naidoo, Cassim Amra, D.A. Seedat, George Ponen, A.K.M. Docrat and others who later become active in the Liberal Study Group.
    Cape African Voters are removed from the voters roll.

All African Convention (AAC) deputation led by John Tengo Jabavu meets Prime Minister Barry Hertzog in Cape and expresses its opposition to the Representation of Natives Bill.

I. B. Mbelle alleges that Jan Smuts had said in 1926 that if Natives of the Cape were deprived of the vote, it would be a direct violation of the constitution.

Industrial Conciliation Act No 36:It provides for the registration and regulation of trade unions and employers’ organisations, the settlement of disputes between employers and employees, and the regulation of conditions of employment.Repealed by section 56 of the Industrial Conciliation Act No 28 of 19.

The Development Trust and Land Act no 18 of 1936: This Act compliments the Representation of Natives Act of 1936 in that it allows for a further 6.2 million hectares of land to be added to the African reserves under the 1913 Land Act. It also establishes the South African Native Trust, which became the Bantu Trust and then later the Development Trust. The function of the Trust is to acquire and administer all released land. This means that African people are not permitted to own land in their own right.

Neville Edward Alexander is born

Martha Mohlakoane joins the African National Congress (ANC).

Theophilus Kgosikobo Musi is born.

Lionel Davis is born in Cape Town.

The All African Conventions Executive Committee deputation led by Professor Davidson Don Tengo (D. D. T) Jabavu meets with Prime Minister Barry Hertzog and other government officials in Cape Town. Their discussion centres on the acts that were passed in South Africa in 1935. The Act segregates and limits African rights. Hertzog offers a compromise: the retention of the Cape African Franchise but the removal of all registered African voters from the common voters roll but, instead, they vote for the same candidates as the Whites, on a separate roll which would elect three White members to the Cape Provincial Council.

Prime Minister Barry Hertzog refuses to allow postponement in the passing of some of the Bills and having some of the Act looked at again. The All African Convention (AAC) deputation led by Professor Davidson Don Tengo (D. D. T) Jabavu reaffirms its opposition to the Bills in the strongest possible manner; as it did in its meeting in December 1935.

Selby Msimang, Secretary General of the All African Convention (AAC) expresses his view in an article published in The Crisis. He argues that Parliament and White South Africans have disowned Africans of their belongings and flirted with their loyalty.

Max Yergan is elected All African Convention (AAC)s secretary of External Affairs having left South Africa for New York.
    The Godfrey South African Challenge Cup is established
    The All African Conventions Executive Committee deputation led by Professor Davidson Don Tengo (D. D. T) Jabavu meets with Prime Minister Barry Hertzog and other government officials in Cape Town. Their discussion centres around the acts which segregated and limited African rights and were passed in South Africa in 1935. Hertzog offers a compromise: the retention of the Cape African Franchise but the removal of all registered African voters from the common voters roll where they would vote for the same candidates as the Whites but a separate roll would be established in order to elect three White members to the Cape Provincial Council.
    Prime Minister Barry Hertzog refuses to allow postponement in the passing of some of the Bills and having some aspects of the Act looked at again. The All African Convention (AAC) deputation led by Professor Davidson Don Tengo (D. D. T) Jabavu reaffirm its opposition to the Bills in the strongest possible manner as it did in its meeting in December 1935.
    Selby Msimang, Secretary General of the All African Convention (AAC) expresses his view in an article published in The Crisis. He argues that Parliament and White South Africans have dispossessed Africans of their belongings and toyed with their loyalty.
    It is found that the All African Convention (AAC) has a budget of 100 British Pounds. The bulk of which was spent on printing conference minutes.
    Max Yergan is elected All African Convention (AAC)s secretary of External Affairs after leaving South Africa for New York.
  January The rank the representative of the Indian Government in South Africa is raised from "Agent" to "Agent-General".
  18 January Sir Reza Ali, the Indian Agent-General to South Africa, marries a Hindu, Miss Ponnoosammy. This causes a furor and several Hindu officials and Sorabjee Rustomjee resign from the leadership of Natal Indian Congress (NIC) and the South African Indian Congress (SAIC). The leadership of the NIC passes to A.I. Kajee and other Muslims.
  February The fifteenth annual conference of the South African Indian Congress is held in Durban and attended by the Indian Agent-General, Sir Reza Ali.
  14 February The All African Convention (AAC) holds a public meeting where they decide they will not accept any compromise regarding the mandate from the December 1935 Bloemfontein convention. They also plan to issue a unity resolution outlining the AAC position; Umteteli wa Bantu (The mouthpiece of the African people) beat them publishing their intended press release to the masses before they could disclose it.
  15 February The All African Convention (AAC) passes a resolution regarding the abolition of the Cape Native Franchise.
    Umteteli wa Bantu (The mouthpiece of the African people) reports that the delegation that went to Cape Town led by Professor Davidson Don Tengo (D. D. T.) Jabavu made a compromising agreement with General Barry Hertzog. Jabavus acceptance of the separate voters roll signalled the end of his political career as he lost respect within the All African Convention (AAC) Executive Committee. The blame was laid entirely on him.
  March Professor Davidson Don Tengo (D. D. T.) Jabavu issues a statement through the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) denying that the All African Convention (AAC) did not accept a compromise Bill.
  18 March Frederick Willem (F. W.) de Klerk is born in Johannesburg
  April The Representation of Natives Act no 16 of 1936:The Bills proposed by General Barry Hertzog in the 1920s finally got the two-thirds majority required to be passed into law 1936, when the Development Trust and Land Act (also referred to as the Native Trust and Land Act and Bantu Trust and Land Act) and the Representation of Natives Act are enacted. The Representation of Natives Act essentially strips African people in the Cape of their voting rights and offers instead a limited form of parliamentary representation, through special white representatives. Under this Act, a Natives Representative Council (NRC), which is a purely advisory body, is also created. The NRC could make recommendations to Parliament or the Provincial Councils “on any legislation regarded as being in the interest of natives.
    Professor Davidson Don Tengo (D. D. T.) Jabavu writes to Jan Hofmeyr thanking him for voting against the Representation of Natives in Parliament Bill. The Bill was passed by a vote of 168 to 11.
  7 April The Representation of Natives Bill is passed at the joint sitting of parliament. Eleven members of parliament including Jan Hofymeyr votes against the Bill with 169 in support.
  May The Native Trust and Land Bill becomes a law.
  28 May The Minister of the Interior, J.H. Hofmeyr, introduces a Bill to give legal form to the Feetham Commission's recommendations, namely the Asiatic Land Tenure Amendment Act. The Bill, as amended by the Select Committee comes up for a second reading. The Indian Agent-General, Sir Syed Raza Ali, fearing that a second reading will remove elements favourable to Indians, gives evidence in Parliament favouring voluntary segregation in an attempt to prevent second reading. The South African Indian community is outraged at the suggestion of voluntary segregation.
  June Professor Davidson Don Tengo (D. D.T.) Jabavu delivers a presidential speech at the All African Convention (AAC) two months after the passing of the Native Bills.

The Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) newspaper Umsebenzi (The Worker) backs Umteteli wa Bantu (The mouthpiece of the people) in saying that the All African Convention (AAC) is wasting time on things of less importance. The CPSA sees AAC as a parliament for Africans, and wants action, unity and leadership.
  3 June The “Programme of Action” which the All African Convention (AAC) adopts is not what the General Secretary Selby Msimang was anticipating. He resigns from the AAC and joins the African National Congress (ANC).
  16 June Anti-Indian Legislation: The Asiatic Land Tenure Amendment Act, 30/1936
The Asiatic Land Tenure Amendment Act, 30/1936 is passed.
Minister of Interior empowered to exempt further areas for Indian occupation with possibility of freehold title.
Act accepts policy of segregation. Indians to be confined to separate areas.

Anti-Indian Legislation: Native Representation Act, Act 12 of 1936.

Anti-Indian Legislation: Native Representation Act, Act 34 of 1936.
    The Asiatic Land Tenure Amendment Act, Act No 30 of 1936 is passed. The Act empowers the Minister of the Interior to exempt further areas for Indian occupation with the possibility of freehold title. The Act accepts the policy of segregation whereby Indians are to be confined to separate areas.
  29 June Professor Davidson Don Tengo (D. D.T.) Jabavu addresses the All African Convention (AAC) meeting.
    The All African Convention (AAC) reconvenes two months after the passing of the Native Bills into law. Professor Davidson Don Tengo (D. D. T) Jabavu, is elected president of the AAC and address the meeting
  10 July Representation of Blacks Act No 12:

Removed black voters in the Cape from the common roll and placed them on a separate roll (Dugard 1978: 90). Blacks throughout the Union were then represented by four white senators.
Commenced: 10 July 1936
Repealed by s 15 of the Representation between the Republic of South Africa and self-governing Territories Act No 46 of 1959.
  28 August The Transvaal Indian Congress (TIC) hosts a banquet to honour a delegation of South African Members of Parliament, led by J.H. Hofmeyr, the Minister of the Interior, to India.
  31 August Development Trust and Land Act No 18:It expanded the reserves to a total of 13, 6 per cent of the land in South Africa and authorises the Department of Bantu Administration and Development to eliminate black spots (black-owned land surrounded by white-owned land) (Horrell 1978: 203). The South African Development Trust (SADT) is established and could, in terms of the Act, acquire land in each of the provinces for black settlement (RRS 1991/92: 381).Commences: 31 August 1936. Repealed by Proc R 28 of 1992, 31 March 1992 (phasing out and abolishing the SADT in terms of the Abolition of Racially Based Land Measures Act No 108 of 1991).
  19 September A South African Parliamentary delegation consisting of eleven Members of Parliament, led by J.H. Hofmeyr, Minister of the Interior, arrive in Bombay, India. The visit, solely for the purpose of courtesy and goodwill and not for negotiations, will last 26 days. The delegation consists of J. H. Hofmeyr, Minister of the Interior; J. G. Kemp, Minister of Lands; Members of Parliament J. G. Derbyshire, Dr. N.J. Van der Merwe, Leif Egeland, and M.J. Van den Berg; P. I. Hoogenhout, Secretary of the Interior; P.F. Kincaid, Commissioner for Immigration and Asiatic Affairs; and C. J. Dames and K.V. Penzhorn, the Private Secretaries of the two Ministers.
  December Seth Govind Das, member of the Central Legislative Assembly of India, visits South Africa on behalf of the Indian National Congress and advises Indians not to accept any qualified franchise.
  16 December The All African Convention (AAC) states that:-The AAC hereby expresses its utmost condemnation of the savage and the unprovoked and unwanted attack made by Italy upon Abyssinia (later renamed Ethiopia) and declares as its considered opinion that the ruthless action of Italy can only be regarded as large scale violence against fundamental human rights.-Further the convention sees in this action of Italy a continuation of the game of grab, which the imperialist nations of Europe have played in this continent whereby millions of inhabitants have become deprived of their land, exploited and robbed of their labour.-The convention hereby declares its conviction that imperialism, which has thus resulted in the ruthless destruction of African culture, is an evil force to be exposed, condemned and resisted.The AAC further declares that:The AAC recognises the value and desirability of establishing contacts with Africans and African organisations in other parts of the world. To this end the AAC believes that a call to an international conference of Africans and international people of African descent should receive serious consideration by its Executive Committee.