HOW REVOLUTIONARY WAS MINERAL DISCOVERY IN SOUTH AFRICA

 HOW REVOLUTIONARY WAS MINERAL DISCOVERY IN SOUTH AFRICA

Approach
• Candidates should compare the pre and post mineral discovery period showing the fundamental changes hence justifying the revolution in South Africa.
• Highlight on the few things that were less changed or those that were riot
changed at all.
Introduction
The year 1870 was a watershed in the history of South Africa, it ushered in an era of drastic change promoted by the discovery of Diamond at Kimberly in 1867 and later Gold at Witwatersrand inl 886. Other minerals included zinc. manganese, aluminium and coal.
Points to consider.
1. Generated a new wave of migration to the mines at ~ magnitude unknown before. Thousands of Africans, whites from all over South Africa as well as miners and speculators from Europe, America and Austria converged in South Africa.
2. Ushered in high levels of technological and capital investment unknown before in South Africa. Initially mines exploited by thousands of independent people but now companies’ e g the De-Beers company of Cecil Rhodes.
N B, such development relegated the Africans to the backyard as unskilled labourers.
3.Introduction of a cash economy to replace the initial rural setting, whether It were fanners selling their crops, a wood cutter selling fire wood or individuals selling the labour the issue was cash.
4. Intensified scramble and expansionist policies over Africans in South Africa by both the British and the Boers, i.e. 1876
5. Boers fought and defeated the Pedi of Sekhune. Between 1877 and 1878. the British defeated the Xhosa; in 1879 the British fought and defeated the Zulu at the battle of illundi.
6. There arose un usual demand for labour and supply of other items like food stuffs etc, this increased the opportunity of young men and Transvaal became a centre of great opportunity.
7. The mineral discovery improved suddenly on the well being of the Boers over and above those of the blacks. E.g. by 1884 TransvaaJ revenue stood at 638,000 pounds and 2yrs later raised to 1.5 million pounds
8. Revolutionalized the value of land and land ownership in SouthAfiica since the later was now needed for the construction of transport routes, commercial centres and for mineral speculation. NB, many Africans became landless and impoverished.
9. Heightened the level of racial conflict following the rise of Uitilanders ratio and the coloured and the blacks. The climax of this was the apartheid policy.
10. Transformed South Africa from a poor farming country into a relatively industrial one. 'This gave South Africa a faster pace of development between 1910 and the outbreak of World War II. South Africa was the most developed in Africa. A magnitude not found anywhere on the African continent
11. Rural urban migrations and the development of urban centres such as Duitoitspan, Kimberly and De-Beers.
12. Revolutionized agriculture due to the emergency of market for agriculture products. However there was also loss of labour from agriculture to the mines an aspect that ushered in occasional famine.
13. There was development and expansion of transport and communication.
industry e.g. in 1887 the Transvaal was connected by rail to the Deleguo Bay and Pretoria.
14. Pollution came in as result of industrialization with all its negative effects.
15. Many Africans who worked in the mines got accidents and others died
16. The discoveries subsequently made the British change their policy of protecting the rights of the Africans.
17. Diamond export replaced wool export as the chief export of South Africa.
18. Banking facilities expanded to meet the increased trade e.g. the National Bank of Orange Free State was established.
19. There was influx of white investors into South Africa and these established mining companies like Eckestein.
However there are some aspects that were less or not changed at all
20. Subsistence Agriculture remained the most dorminant form of agriculture.
21. Whites remained the monopolists o providing skilled labour while Africans remained semi and unskilled labourers.
22. Barter Trade system was not eliminated as soon as immediately for instance the Zulu continued exchanging their goods with their neighbours like the Pedi, Xhosae.t.c.
23. Respect to African leaders continued even after the discovery