South Africa's AMRITSAR? Responsibility for and the significance of the Port Elizabeth shootings of 23 October 1920.
Abstract
• Opsomming:
Baie voorvalle van protes deur swart Suid-Afrikaners is
onderdruk deur die toepassing van onnodige geweld. Die skiet
van betogers te Port Elizabeth op 23 Oktober 1923 is maar een
voorbeeld hiervan. Die literatuur oor die voorval spreek
merendeels die kwessie van die oorsake aan. Minder is
geskryf oor wie verantwoordelik gehou moet word vir die
hantering van die voorval en die gevolge daarvan. Die vraag
t.o.v. individuele verantwoordelikheid word bemoeilik deur die
newelagtige staatsbestel en die probleem van die staat se
verantwoordelikheid vir die optredes van sy amptenare. Hierdie
gevallestudie dui aan dat ons begrip van die verhouding tussen
plaaslike en sentrale owerhede en die regering van die dag
verhelder kan word deur die ondersoek van insidente van
spanning tussen die owerhede en opposisie-groepe. • Summary:
Many protests by black South Africans have been suppressed
with an unnecessary degree of force. The shooting of
demonstrators at Port Elizabeth on 23 October 1920 was no
exception. The literature on this incident has been more
concerned with the causes of the discontent than apportioning
responsibility for the way in which the situation was handled
and the consequences thereof. The amorphous nature of the
polity clouds the question of individual culpability, as well
accountability of the state for the actions of its functionaries.
This case study shows that an examination of moments of
confrontation between the authorities and opposition groups
can further our understanding of the relationship between the
local and central states, and the government of the day.