Republic Of South Africa (1963)

[Music] the southernmost country on the great continent of Africa is the Republic of South Africa the Cape of Good Hope its southern tip is Washed by two bodies of water the vast Atlantic Ocean on the west and the Indian Ocean to the east to the South the two great oceans wash together the harbor of Cape Town has for centuries been a Haven for ships sailing the long southern route from Europe and America to the Orient and East Africa South Africa's long history began almost 500 years ago when most of the continent was unknown to Europeans Portuguese explorers notably vosco de Gama sailed down Africa's West Coast during the late 1400s and were the first to sail around the Cape of Good Hope and discover the sea route to the Indies although discovered by the Portuguese the cape was first occupied by the Dutch in 1652 they eventually lost control to the British and in 1961 the union of South Africa became an independent republic South Africa is a large country with great Scenic diversity of land area many kinds of African Wildlife Rome Krueger National Park one of the greatest animal sanctuaries in the world of South Africa's nearly 13 million people less than 3 million are of European origin yet in spite of their minority status Europeans continue to dominate the country's 9 million African Negroes most of whom still live on reserve on most of the tribal reserves the basic social unit is the family and traditional tribal life remains little Changed by modern civilization this cluster of huts with its nearby cattle enclosure or crawl belongs to the family of n as is their custom in the early morning Anga and his sons will tend the cattle highly valued possessions of the family and the measure of its wealth cattle are sometimes used as a form of money to buy the goods or food products of another [Music] tribe the family uses the milk from its herd but the animals are seldom slaughtered for food is the head of the Family household his family consists of three wives andeven unmarried children Nia is n's first wife each of his Wives has her own Hut and possessions as do three relatives who live with n's household the women of the family set out to work in the fields here in South Africa May is an Autumn month and the women are harvesting the last of the corn crop before winter 16 ox pulled the corn wagon not because of its weight but to display 's wealth and livestock corn is the staple food of the Africans in this region but they seldom grow more than they need themselves outside one of the Huts part of Ang's family is having a meal of corn porridge called mes inside the clay lined walls of their home the family's possessions are few but highly prized perhaps a few articles of European clothing knives a few gourds and a pot or two manufactured utensils are gradually replacing traditional handmade articles important events are customarily marked by tribal ceremonies as evidenced by this dance having reached manhood these boys are being accepted into the adult realm of responsibilities by the older members of the tribe who conclude the ceremony with a drink of beer the Paramount Chief presides over tribal government and with the heads of the various households rules according to tribal custom and the laws of South Africa although he governs local Affairs Major Crimes and problems must be settled by authorities of the South African government local tra posts which have introduced manufactured goods to the Africans represent a strong force for change in the African life store Goods represent a better standard of living for the villagers but the Africans need money to buy the enticing articles they also need money to pay their taxes and they have little in the way of produce to sell for cash but Africans do have their labor to sell and each year large numbers of Africans leave the reserves to earn wages on the non-african farms and in the mines and cities where they find life quite [Music] different this is the farming country of the transval most of the land owners here are descendants of the early Dutch settlers in this farming town street signs indicate that the language is Africans a language developed in South Africa from the Dutch it ranks equally with English as one of the official languages of South Africa Farms here are large with acreage usually devoted to a grain crop and the raising of cattle and sheep this Farm of over 3,000 acres has been owned by Yan foner's family for four generations Mr ner has about 600 acres of land in corn an important export crop the rest of his land pastures cattle and sheep wool is another large export product of South Africa livestock are still used for some of the farm workor although Power Machinery imported from Britain and America is increasingly common the large Farmhouse is built in a style that has changed little since the early Dutch settlements the farm provides Yan fiker and his wife and their children with a good living by existing standards they are prosperous family life is simple but comfortable in their conservatively furnished home which includes many modern conveniences Europeans often hire Africans to help with their housework Yan fiker employs about 50 African families who live on the farm the labor system here is a long established one whereby workers and their families receive a small wage a regular allotment of meat and grain a house and usually a plot of ground for a garden workers come into contact with many features of European life and their standard of living is considerably higher than in the tribal Reserve however their life away from the reserves carries with it even greater restrictions than the reserve itself no African can leave the farm without a pass from his employer and when a family dislikes life on one Farm their contract must be completed before they are permitted to seek opportunity elsewhere many Africans go to the cities Johannesburg South Africa's largest city is a great gold mining Center City life is very different from that on reserves or even the [Music] fires around Johannesburg are the gold Fields mines and gold refineries of the wheat Waters rant beneath these buildings and beneath Johannesburg itself are hundreds of miles of mine tunnels some as deep as 9,000 ft underground where the ore is extracted by the most modern methods then carried by underground Railways and elevators to a Refinery after a complex chemical refining process pure molten gold is poured into molds to cool gold makes up almost one half the value of South Africa's exports presently about 60% of the world's gold Supply comes from South Africa management and Technical supervision of the mines is by Europeans while the mine labor force is made up of Africans who have contracted to work for the mining company many of these Africans have come directly from the reserves they live in companyb built compounds on the mine property and their lives are closely regulated by their employers as well as the government because Africans must have permission to go off company property many simply spend their free time within the compound living quarters provide little more than the necessary Comforts of shelter and a place to sleep but the workers learn to make the most of the auster life or they have little chance of opportunity elsewhere because of restrictions and small wages most workers leave their families behind on the reserves and stay only a year or two before returning home with their meager earnings they learn many of the European ways yet at the same time cling to tribal Traditions miners find diversion in their dances and are encouraged by the mining companies to perform for public audiences in addition to work in the mines many Africans have come to the city to work in other trades where the growth of industry has increased the demand for labor aparte South Africa's national policy of racial segregation requires African families to live in government-built settlements or locations which are usually set apart from the rest of the city it is here that Africans learn of European ways of living and thinking and feel the full impact of the aparte society free but segregated City libraries and schools are among the scant advantages of City Life available to Africans yet in spite of segregated facilities Africans eagerly seek an education and commonly have a great desire to learn foreign Motion Pictures are among the many forces of change confronting the new city dwellers the church too represents a significant Force many Africans have embraced Christianity While others have organized religious groups of their own the way of life for the European minority of South Africa is in sharp contrast homes are spacious and family life is similar to that in the European countries of their origin a vigorous Community spirit is reflected in their fine modern schools the many beautiful churches handsome apartment buildings and the large department stores well stocked with all types of modern merchandise South Africa has many other Industries besides gold mining one of the most famous being the production of diamonds South Africa has long provided almost all the world supply of these precious stones the country has a large and important steel industry which has spurred the development of various other manufacturing Enterprises along with Transportation facilities there are also important Mining and smelting activities in the fertile coastal regions of the South the growing of citrus fruits and other agricultural Commodities have contributed to the economic growth of several large cities Durban is one of the great ports of South Africa it is also a center of settlement for many Asiatic peoples chiefly Indians who have brought with them their cultures of the Far East Petoria is one of the two official capitals of South Africa it is here that the administrative branch of government is located and where the president of the Republic resides for part of each year Southwest of Durban and ptor is the country's second largest city Cape Town it is the legislative Capital where members of the Senate and the House of Assembly convene as representatives of the electorate although representation greatly favors the European population Cape Town is the oldest city in the Republic and still the most important sea port a modern city in a beautiful setting Cape Town is an active Center of World Trade South Africa depends heavily on other nations of the world for most of its manufactured goods in return South Africa exports its valuable minerals and a variety of agricultural products but International Trade plays only a small part in the picture of South Africa's overall growth and future Prosperity the country's future precariously uncertain at best depends upon the people themselves to some like the ruling minority the future seems reasonably secure in spite of occasional tensions but to most the vast African majority there seems little Hope for Change yet there is a realization that the country's race problem must be solved so that all people can enjoy the freedom of a secure and prosperous way of life oh