Beer Hall Boycott
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Beer Hall Boycott of
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
was a nationwide, women-led campaign of boycotting and demonstrating against municipal
beer hall A beer hall or beer palace () refers to a type of establishment that gained significant popularity in the 19th century, particularly across Central Europe. These venues were pivotal to the social and cultural life of cities renowned for their bre ...
s stretching from roughly the 1920s to the 1960s. The Native Beer Act of 1908 had made it illegal for South African women to brew traditional beer. Police raided homes and destroyed home-brewed liquor so that men would use municipal beerhalls. In response, women attacked the beerhalls and destroyed equipment and buildings.


Alcohol legislation

The Native Beer Act of 1908 made it illegal for South African women to brew traditional beer. Legislation restricted African natives from consuming European-produced alcohol. Educated African men were issued permits, which allowed them to consume European wine, spirits and malt beer. The average uneducated person would consume sorghum beer made by African women.
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
lost its preferential trade status in the
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
when it became a republic in 1961. This put the export trade of wine and beer under threat and soon there was an increasing demand for the lifting of the prohibition. Before 1928 African women played an important role in beer-brewing for government structures and beer halls. The sale of sorghum beer in municipalities was an industry worth R3 million in 1961. The Liquor Amendment Act of 1962 lifted authority on Africans as liquor consumers. Africans were prohibited from entering the liquor market, however, they could purchase liquor from 'non-European' entrances of white bottle stores.Journal of African History, 40 (1999), pp. 367–388. Printed in the United Kingdom 1999 Cambridge University Press By the 1950s, police were no longer able to control the sales of 'European' liquor in urban areas. The South African police stated that the lifting of the prohibition would normalise the drinking habits of African people.


Beer Hall Boycott

The boycott of the beer halls was an indication of the growing discontent of people against many oppressive measures before
democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...
in South Africa. Beer Hall Riots started in 1929 nationwide. These boycotts and riots were in response to the Native Beer Act of 1908 which resulted in many African women in urban and rural areas losing a source of income. Tradition beer brewers were resistant towards municipal beer halls as they gave authority to councils to sell African beer and the African brewer would no longer be able to make an income. The Natal branch of the
Industrial and Commercial Workers Union The Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union (ICU) was a trade union and mass-based popular political movement in southern Africa. It was influenced by the syndicalism, syndicalist politics of the Industrial Workers of the World (adopting the ...
(ICU) campaigned for the closure of municipal beer halls. Between 1950 and 1951, annual municipal profits from beer sales exceeded £175,000; by 1952, those profits exceeded £200,000. During the 1976 Soweto riots, student mobs attacked beer halls. Almost every beer hall in Soweto was affected. The police killed several
Diepkloof Diepkloof is a large zone of Soweto township in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It is also sometimes referred to as Diepmeadow, if considered as a single township with the nearby Meadowlands (although there is Orlando in between). Diepkloo ...
rioters as they fled from a beer hall during demonstrations. The beer halls destroyed in 1976 were never rebuilt.


Durban

Discussion of Beer Hall Boycotts started as early as 1926 in
Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...
. On 17 June 1959 in
Cato Manor Cato Manor is a settlement located from the city centre of Durban, South Africa. It was formed when Indian market gardeners came to settle in the area some time after it was given to George Christopher Cato in 1865, who was the first mayor of ...
,
KwaZulu Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...
, a group of African women staged a demonstration against liquor legislation at the Cato Manor Beer Hall. Other protesters entered a beer hall and destroyed beer and other property. The police dispersed the protesters and maintained surveillance throughout the evening. By 18 June 1959, demonstrations had spread to Dalton Road and Victoria Street in the city of
Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...
. This area is now part of the Liberation Heritage Route. Men present at these Beer Halls during the demonstrations were attacked and warned against supporting municipal beer halls. Director of the Bantu Administration Department, Mr Bourquin, addressed approximately 2000 women at the Cato Manor Beer Hall. After the women resisted orders from the police to disperse, a police baton charge took place. In a statement in the House of Assembly, the Minister for Justice stated that 25 buildings had been burnt down and 7 damaged, all associated to the Beer Hall riots. Beer Halls were temporarily closed and municipal bus services suspended after numerous attacks on vehicles. In June 1959 over 2000 women marched against men drinking in Beer Halls. The protestors organised a beer boycott which led to wide-scale uprisings all over Natal. During 1959, an estimated 20 000 women in Natal protested and more than 1 000 were convicted in the courts.


Eastern Cape

After the Minister of Native Affairs granted the council the exclusive right to brew and supply beer from 1 July 1938, over 200 African women marched to the City Hall of
East London East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...
to interview the Mayor. The legislation affected many women who earned a living through brewing beer in shebeens. It is estimated that over 20,000 women from 30 areas participated in various demonstrations, including the Beer Hall Boycotts.


Notable people


Dorothy Nomzansi Nyembe

Dorothy Nomzansi Nyembe Dorothy Nomzansi Nyembe OMSS (31 December 1931 – 18 December 1998) was a South African activist and politician. Biography Born near Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal, Nyembe was the daughter of Leeya Basolise Nyembe, whose father was Chief Ngedee Sh ...
was born on 31 December 1931 near
Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...
in
KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...
. She participated in the establishment of the ANC Women's League in
Cato Manor Cato Manor is a settlement located from the city centre of Durban, South Africa. It was formed when Indian market gardeners came to settle in the area some time after it was given to George Christopher Cato in 1865, who was the first mayor of ...
. She was one of the leaders against the removals from Cato Manor in 1956, and also one of the leaders of the beer hall boycotts.


Mary Ngalo

Mary Ngalo Mary Nonyembezi Ngalo (''née'' Plaatjie) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and was also active in fighting for women's rights. Early life and education Mary Nonyembezi Margaret Ngalo (nee Plaatjie) was born in Cradock, Eastern Cape ...
was born in
Cradock, Eastern Cape Cradock, officially Nxuba, is a town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, in the upper valley of the Great Fish River, by road northeast of Gqeberha. The town is the administrative seat of the Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality in the ...
. She was arrested during the beer hall boycotts of 1957 and sentenced to one month's imprisonment.Women Marching Into the 21st Century: Wathint' Abafazi, Wathint' Imbokodo. HSRC Press, 2000


See also

*
Apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English:  , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
*
Beer in Africa Beer in Africa, especially lager, is produced commercially in most African countries, and indigenous people also make varieties of beer. Beer is served in various locales, from neighbourhood shebeens to upscale bars. Many countries have standar ...
*
Umqombothi Umqombothi (), is a South African traditional type of beer made from maize (corn), maize malt, sorghum malt, yeast, and water. The beer has a rather low content of Ethanol, alcohol (usually less than 3%) but a high content of vitamin B, B vitami ...


References


External links

* *{{cite web, url=http://sabctrc.saha.org.za/reports/volume3/chapter2/subsection25.htm , title=Truth Commission - Special Report - TRC Final Report - Volume 3, Section 1, Chapter , publisher=Sabctrc.saha.org.za , date= , access-date=2017-09-24
Structure and experience in the making of Apartheid
wiredspace.wits.ac.za Opposition to apartheid in South Africa Civil disobedience in South Africa Protests in South Africa Women's marches Boycotts of apartheid South Africa Women in Durban