Bantu Authorities: Apartheid's System of Race and Ethnicity

Veronica Ehrenreich-Risner's book Bantu Authorities explores the system of race and ethnicity implemented by the Bantu Authorities (BA) in South Africa, which extended segregation and established underfunded "self-governing" homelands to protect white capital while retaining control of cheap labor. The book argues that the primary objective of the system was to protect white capital, with white racial purity secondary, and disrupts the traditional practices of guardianship and reciprocity for ubukhosi. It examines the lingering consequences of rural apartheid and questions what rural Africans have gained with majority rule when they remain bound to BA structures.

Format: Hardback
Length: 388 pages
Publication date: 18 February 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

In her groundbreaking work, "In Bantu Authorities: Apartheid's System of Race and Ethnicity," Veronica Ehrenreich-Risner delves into the intricate details of the Bantu Authorities (BA) system, which implemented rural apartheid in South Africa. This system aimed to extend segregation by incorporating ethnos theory, leading to the establishment of underfunded "self-governing" homelands, ostensibly to reduce the costs of "native" administration while maintaining control over the cheap labor that white capital heavily relied upon. Through extensive interviews with Zulus and former commissioners, as well as archival research, Ehrenreich-Risner compellingly demonstrates that the primary objective of the BA system was to safeguard white capital, with white racial purity serving as a secondary concern. She further argues that this system disrupted the long-standing traditions of guardianship for commissioners and reciprocity for ubukhosi.

In conclusion, "In Bantu Authorities" offers a comprehensive and insightful analysis of the BA system, shedding light on its origins, mechanisms, and enduring consequences. Ehrenreich-Risner's work challenges the notion of a unified and harmonious pre-apartheid society and highlights the complex and fragmented nature of South African society during this period. By examining the legacy of rural apartheid, the book prompts us to consider the gains and losses experienced by rural Africans in the aftermath of majority rule, as they continue to be bound by the structures and institutions established under the BA system.

Weight: 694g
Dimension: 227 x 160 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793631268