Work

Migrant labour after apartheid: the inside story

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: South Africas migrant labour system, enforced by the hated pass laws, was a fundamental component of the apartheid political economy as it developed during the 20th century. In its heyday, the system structured black lives at both ends of the urban-rural spectrum, encouraging residential impermanence and splitting families across space. There are no institutional mechanisms and laws which keep this system in place in post-apartheid South Africa. Yet the events in Marikana in August 2012, when dozens of striking miners were killed by the police, reminded the country that the legacies of the system endure.

Source: Human Science Research Council SA

DOI: 10.14749/32379258

Author: Human Sciences Research Council

Language: English

Topic: South African History and Culture

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funder: Human Sciences Research Council

OpenAlex ID: W7162196046

FWCI:

Cites:

Cited by:

Related to: