Days of Commitment Long Walk Original Manuscript (Image #73)

enlightened circles. It provides no scope for specialisation and the constant movement of labour between country and towns retards the emergence of scientific agriculture as well as the group of a skilled and efficient urban proletariat. Above all, the continued absence of men from their wives for long periods leads to emotional strains and the breakup of families. The abhorrent pass system makes serious inroads into the rights of an African and enables the authorities to break up his family life, to restrict his freedom of movement and to prevent him from selling his laboer on the free market. Under this system an African may not leave one district too go to another inside the country without the permission of the authorities. He may be removed in custody to his home or some other place indicated by an official or he may be ordered to perform manual labour at a farm colony for a specified period. In 1940 there were no less than 99,000 Africans in the Transvaal alone who were convicted under the pass laws. There are similar retrictions for preventing Asians from moving from one province to another. Public services for the black man are fewer and far inferior to those enjoyed by whites. In the field of education, for example, there are at present 9 universities for whites as against 3 for Africans, 1 each for Asians and Coloureds respectively. The University of South Africa is a non residential university and is open to all groups. Of the 97,858 university students in the country in 1975 84,232 were whites, 6,472 Africans, 4,639 Asians and 2,515 Coloureds. The colour bar has dominated South Africa throughout its history, with the white man as top dog. For each group there are separate schools, hospitals, theatres, cinemas, sports clubs, hotels, bars,