THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE APARTHEID LOCAL STATE IN SOUTH-AFRICA - THE CASE OF DURBAN

There has been a paucity of research on the historical development of the local state in South Africa. In this paper the historical developm ent of the apartheid local state is examined with specific reference t o Durban. More specifically, the nature of social relations will be an alysed through an abstraction of specific moments in the periodization of the local state in Durban from the late 1800s to the early 1930s. The focus is on the nature of power relations at the local level throu gh an examination of the conflicts, contradictions, resistance and rep ression in the relationship among the local state, capital, labour, an d the white electorate. The paper reveals that the local state in Durb an played a critical role in facilitating capital accumulation by pion eering mechanisms for the control, regulation and exploitation of blac k labour, while building a strong alliance with the white working clas s. The subsequent racist discourse id Durban consolidated a political alliance between the local state, the white elite and the white workin g class.