Uprooting Indian farmers in Chatsworth
From a banana plantation, Chatsworth has mushroomed, and today has a thriving economic sector, opulent homes and plush cars contrasting starkly with pockets of poverty. POST examines the history of this suburb which is still predominantly occupied by the
THE PLANS to uproot Indian farmers in Chatsworth to make way for a housing scheme was vehemently opposed.
As reported in the Daily News on July 1, 1959, Mr PR Pather, President of the Natal Indian Organisation, wrote to the Town Clerk condemning the scheme. He said the most disturbing factor in the plan was the intention to uproot Indian farmers in the area who were dependent on intensive banana farming for their livelihood.
He pointed out that the Indian suffered inequality in every respect and that he was not as mobile as the European in land holdings. Once the Indian farmer had been uprooted at Chatsworth, he could find no other land to cultivate.
Mr Pather said that to start the housing project, the City Council would acquire 5 700 acres of land owned by Indians. The Group Areas Act militated against the development of the Indian people, residentially, industrially and commercially. He described the City Council's proposed R17 000 towards the Indian township at Chatsworth as a move towards making Durban an all-white city.
Indian banana farmers of Welbedacht, Zeekoe Valley and Chatsworth formed the Umhlatuzana – Cavendish Co-ordinating Council with BA Naidoo, chairman, and George (Muthusamy) Thaver, secretary. The Co-ordinating Council represented the various ratepayers’ organisations, school committees, religious, cultural and social bodies in the area.
Meetings were convened at Bharathy Indian School, Zeekoe Valley and at Chatsworth Hindu Institute Hall. The Co-ordinating Council, in opposing the incorporation of Chatsworth into Durban, stated that incorporation would affect over 5 000 acres of bananas, and displace a settled community of 15 000 people and 2 000 farm labourers, mostly blacks, all of whom were dependent on the land for a living.
It stressed that the housing scheme would spell ruin to their economic interest and investments and there were no prospects of re-establishing themselves as banana farmers in any other land within easy reach of Durban. It also observed that the Durban City Council had chosen the most valuable land outside its boundaries for the scheme – an area which Indians possessed and which held much prospect of further developments by private enterprise.
The National Housing Commission and representatives of the Ministers of the Interior and Finance had assured the Durban City Council that sufficient funds would be available for the Chatsworth scheme.
Mr Sidney Smith, chairman of Durban’s finance committee, revealed this information to a Council meeting in May 1961. From the deliberations it was abundantly evident that the Council was implementing the obnoxious Group Areas Act.
Move
In June 1960 the Musgrave and Botanic Gardens Ratepayers association passed a resolution asking the Group Areas Board not to move any Indians from good homes until all those then living in unhealthy and inadequate conditions had been properly housed.
Mr J Higginson, chairman of the Durban City Council Housing Committee, told a meeting that the Chatsworth Indian Housing scheme would be established without ratepayers of the city “dipping their hands in their pockets”.
Then mayor, Mr CA Milne, outlined a memorandum to the Minister of Finance, Dr Donges, on the implications of the National Housing Commission’s ruling that there should be no sub-economic housing for Indians in future.
In September 1961 the Natal Administrator in Executive announced the move to incorporate the Umhlatuzana Township, the first township planned as such for Indians in South Africa by SC Schelin, and the Kharwastan Township at Cavendish into the City.
The out-of-city electricity and water tariffs as prescribed in the by-laws of the City of Durban would also continue to operate in the areas to be incorporated.
Durban’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr A Stephen, laid a detailed plan for public health services for the Chatsworth Indian housing scheme. In October 1961, Mr E Green, Durban’s City Treasurer, wanted the City Council to increase the price of land at the Chatsworth Indian Housing Scheme to reduce the shortfall between the developed cost of land and the income from the sales of houses.
He reported to the Finance Committee that there would be an automatic increase in the rate income on properties in the area. He warned the Council to exercise caution. About R20 000 for health services would be required there because of the “very low rate income accruing from the area during the initial period”.
He further admonished the Council to the effect that “the cost of the services rendered should bear some relationship to the rate income. Various services would be developed and expanded as the rate income expanded. He concluded that “if such a policy was not followed and full services were provided, health and others, then the inevitable result would be a substantial burden on the Borough Rate Fund”.
Beyond any doubt the callous policy followed by the Durban City Council was based on racial discrimination. Over the years the Indian Ratepayers Organisation had repeatedly accused the Council that rate income from Indian areas was not fully utilised in their areas for civic improvements.
There followed an amusing chapter in regard to the development of houses in the scheme. Durban Mayor Mr CA Milne, used his casting vote at the City Council meeting on October 30, 1961, to obtain approval for a motion that 740 houses be built at Chatsworth. Indian housing schemes should have combined privies and showers in a room unattached to the houses.
According to reports, seven councillors and the mayor voted in favour of having them attached and eight for incorporating them in the houses themselves. With voting even, it was a stalemate, so the Mayor then used his casting vote.
Mr Milne said that the rooms containing the privies and showers would be only twoand-a-half yards away from the houses, so the residents would not be inconvenienced. At this point there was an unexpected turn in the debate. Mr D Watterson said, “I am surprised, Mr Milne, that you should suggest having the privies and showers separate from the houses. At the meeting of your inauguration as mayor you impressed us as a man of progress. In your address you said we must build for the future and build wisely as well.
“We as a City Council should try to advance the western way of life among all sections of the community. Well, it is our way of life to have privies inside our houses, so we should extend this facility to all those for whom we build houses.”
Mr JC Boulton said: “The majority of Indians want privies and showers incorporated in their houses. Let the people live decently even if it costs slightly more. These are the trial houses only to give the people the best facilities that we can.”
The late PI Devan, community leader and educationist, is the father of media consultant Yogin Devan. This is an extract from PI’s book, Glimpses of Rural Chatsworth. E-mail: yogind@meropa.co.za