Ciskei: Economics and Politics of Dependence in a South African Homeland

Originally published in 1980, this book examines the ‘self-government’ constitution, administrative and party system of The Ciskei which was one of the black ‘homelands’ created by the government of the Republic of South Africa in its pursuit of ‘separate development’. (It has since been reintegrated into South Africa, becoming part of the Eastern Cape Province). The book discusses how, because poverty was endemic and agricultural resources poorly developed the region was dependent on the encapsulating white area for jobs, capital, entrepreneurial skills and markets. It examines how the existence of job opportunities in contiguous white areas has stimulated the growth of black towns, it has also inhibited their development. The book considers the role of the mass media played, illustrating how both traditional oral forms and contemporary mass media depended ultimately on white input and were thus oriented towards white rather than black politics.