The Story of South Africa: Empire, Apartheid, and Transformation — Fexingo History
South Africa 1914 Sanitary Segregation and the Plague artwork

South Africa 1914 Sanitary Segregation and the Plague

The Story of South Africa: Empire, Apartheid, and Transformation — Fexingo History
S4 E16508:54
Play episode

Show notes

In 1901, bubonic plague struck Cape Town. The city's response set a terrifying precedent for racial segregation in South Africa—one that would echo through the next century. This episode unpacks how British colonial officials used public health as a pretext to forcibly remove Black residents from District Six to a location called Ndabeni, the city's first formal 'native location.' We trace the connections between plague control, the 1897 Plague Act in India, and the later Natives Land Act. Along the way, we meet Dr. A. J. Gregory, the medical officer who oversaw the removals, and hear how residents resisted. This is the story of how a sanitary cordon became a racial one. #BubonicPlague #CapeTown #DistrictSix #Ndabeni #Segregation #SanitarySegregation #SouthAfrica #PublicHealth #APOCape #1901 #PlagueAct #DrAJGregory #ColonialMedicine #ForcedRemovals #History #FexingoHistory #RacialSegregation #SouthAfricanHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

More from this show

More
  1. The Black Sash: White Women Defying Apartheid

    While the ANC and PAC made headlines with mass marches and armed struggle, a quiet but formidable resistance was taking shape in the suburbs of Johannesburg and Cape Town. This epi…

    S5 E22108:37
  2. The Cape Corps at Delville Wood: South Africa's Forgotten Soldiers

    In this episode of The Story of South Africa, we dive into the little-known story of the Cape Corps, a segregated unit of Coloured South African soldiers who fought in both world w…

    S5 E22007:12
  3. The Cape Corps at Delville Wood: South Africa's Forgotten Soldiers

    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the story of the Cape Corps, the Coloured South African regiment that fought in World War I and II. From the brutal trenches of Delville Woo…

    S5 E21908:25
  4. The Cape Corps: South Africa's Forgotten Soldiers

    In Episode 218 of The Story of South Africa, we explore the Cape Corps, the segregated military unit of Coloured South Africans who served in both World Wars. From the battlefields…

    S5 E21807:55
  5. The 1960 Sharpeville Massacre: A Turning Point

    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Sharpeville massacre of March 21, 1960, a pivotal moment in South African history. They trace the events leading up to the protest again…

    S5 E21708:39
  6. The 1956 Women's March: Pretoria's Silent Protest

    In August 1956, 20,000 women of all races converged on the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest the extension of pass laws to African women. Led by Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Ra…

    S5 E21607:10
Now Playing
South Africa 1914 Sanitary Segregation and the Plague — The Story of South Africa: Empire, Apartheid, and Transformation — Fexingo History | Josplay Music