
audiobook
by Sol. T. (Solomon Tshekisho) Plaatje
This etext was prepared by Alan R. Light (alight@vnet.net, formerly
Chapter I A Retrospect
Chapter II The Grim Struggle between Right and Wrong, and the Latter Carries the Day
DIVISION
AYES — 32.
NOES — 57.
Chapter III The Natives' Land Act
Chapter IV One Night with the Fugitives
Chapter V Another Night with the Sufferers
Chapter VI Our Indebtedness to White Women
A vivid portrait of early‑20th‑century South Africa unfolds through the eyes of a determined educated African who witnessed the nation’s rapid transformation. The narrative follows the upheaval caused by the 1913 Natives’ Land Act, showing how whole communities were displaced from their ancestral fields and forced onto marginal reserves. By pairing personal anecdotes with sharp political commentary, the book captures the daily realities of families struggling to survive under a new regime of segregation.
Beyond its urgent protest, the work reads as a rich social record, blending humor, oral proverbs, and firsthand observations of rural life. It reveals how the forced relocation reshaped villages, labor patterns, and cultural practices, while also documenting the growing sense of collective resistance among black South Africans. The author's eloquent, multilingual voice offers a rare window into a pivotal moment that set the stage for later movements toward justice.
Full title
Native Life in South Africa Before and Since the European War and the Boer Rebellion Before and Since the European War and the Boer Rebellion
Language
en
Duration
~13 hours (779K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
1998-09-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1876–1932
A pioneering South African writer, journalist, and political organizer, he used language and storytelling to challenge injustice. Best known for "Native Life in South Africa," he also helped found the movement that became the ANC and wrote one of the first English novels by a Black South African.
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