A historical briefing on how British policy aimed to reform native labour in the Transvaal
A government document presented to Parliament in 1902 outlines the shift from older, coercive labour practices to a regulated system designed to protect native rights and improve administration. It explains the aims and scope of new legislation affecting natives in the Transvaal and related districts, and it details measures to strengthen government oversight and accountability.
- Licensing for labour agents and compound overseers to curb abuse and illegal recruitment
- A passport system that records a native’s movements and ensures contracts are voluntary and clearly known
- A limit of contracts to one year, with penalties for desertion but no flogging under the Pass Law
- tighter controls on the liquor trade and improved supervision to reduce harm to native workers
Ideal for readers of colonial policy, legal history, and South Africa’s early 20th‑century governance.