ABSTRACT
In my task of writing down and explaining the grievances of the Bantu in the Union of South Africa, I must first remind the reader that the Bantu people live under diverse conditions and are ruled by different kinds of masters distriƸt by distriƸt, province by province. What I say of one set in one particular locality will not necessarily hold good of another group elsewhere. My people are to be found in all stages of culture. Their complaints against the white people correspond, in consequence, to various sorts of disabilities in various conneƸtions. In all they number six millions. About half a million live in urban areas, the rest living in rural areas in reserves or as farm servants to Boers and other European landowners. A large middle class has outgrown the purely primitive conditions of life without having reached the requisite level of ability to struggle successfully in the life of modern economic competition. These suffer the most because they have learnt only enough to cause them to abandon the old simple lines of life but not sufficient to enable them to enjoy the advantages of Western culture. At the top there is an “ upper ten ”, reckoned by Dr. Loram to be about ten per cent of the whole population, who have attained the standard of modern culture. Among the latter are those with a professional education obtained overseas, and others who have conquered their environment by dint of personal force. There are also, among these three distinƸt classes, leaders often referred to as “ agitators ” and Communists, some being earnest social workers; others mentally ill-balanced cranks; others sheer impostors and crooks; but all being sensitive individuals too wary to be duped by the shams of European civilization. Grievances vary according to time and circumstances, and we shall for the present omit those due to the prevailing world-wide economic depression.
