GLEN GREY ACT Meaning and
Definition
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The Glen Grey Act, also known as the Native Administration Act of 1894, refers to a legislative measure enacted in the Cape Colony of South Africa during the colonial era. The act was named after Sir George Grey, a former colonial governor, and was primarily aimed at regulating the land rights and residence patterns of the indigenous African population.
Under the Glen Grey Act, specific geographic areas were demarcated as Glen Grey District. The act implemented a system where African people were allocated individual landholdings and required to reside there permanently. This act effectively restricted their movement and prevented them from owning land outside of the designated areas. It also established separate areas for black and white residents, perpetuating segregation.
The act introduced a poll tax, commonly known as the hut tax, on adult African males. Failure to pay this tax would result in loss of land and forced labor, further curtailing the economic and political rights of the African population. The Glen Grey Act, therefore, played a significant role in the dispossession, marginalization, and oppression of indigenous Africans during the colonial era.
Despite its oppressive nature, the Glen Grey Act was instrumental in paving the way for further legislation and policies that would entrench racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa, leading to the eventual implementation of apartheid in the twentieth century. It stands as a stark reminder of the injustices suffered by the African population under colonial rule.
