The politics of discontent: the grievances of the Uitlander refugees, 1899–1902

Abstract

In most literature concerning the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, the Uitlanders' infamous grievances are cited as either the cause of or the excuse for the war. In actual fact, the so-called grievances were in most cases little more than issues which had gained their enhanced status of 'grievances' as a result of the publicity given them by the South African League and the Uitlander Council. While Milner ensured that these topics received public notice, many of the more basic concerns of the Uitlanders received little attention from the outside world. The purpose here is to elucidate the content and the form of some of these other grievances, particularly those expressed by a part of the Uitlander population during the war. In doing so, the extent of the distrust held by one section of the Uitlanders for the other becomes apparent, thus giving social meaning to the term class division. Milner's actions, when faced with Uitlander discontent during the war, illustrate his pragmatic political sense and give us an insight into his feeling for the very people he had supposedly gone to war to protect. His attempts to co-opt working class leaders and to suppress working class discontent arose from considerations of practical politics, but also from his natural tendency to rely upon commercial and mining leaders for advice and support. Hence, a study of his conduct in this instance presents a clear view of the more personal nature of the state-capital alliance which was to formulate much of South African policy in the early 20th century. In the two and a half years prior to the outbreak of war, many of the white residents of the Rand suffered from the effect of a business depression. Unemployment, particularly amongst building trade artisans and shop assistants, characterised the period as did an increase in the number of