Sauer Commission
Encyclopedia
The Sauer Commission was created in 1947 largely in response to the Fagan Commission
. It was appointed by the Herenigde Nasionale Party
and favoured even stricter segregation laws.
The Sauer Commission was concerned with the 'problem' of controlling the influx of African people into urban areas. White workers, traders and merchants were concerned that this would represent a threat to their jobs and businesses, particularly since African workers would work in semi-skilled positions for a lower wage than white workers. Businesses demanded racially segregated trading zones in order to protect their businesses from competition.
Numerous groups influenced this policy of 'total Apartheid', including the South African Bureau of Race Affairs (SABRA).
Ultimately the Sauer commission did not enforce the total segregation to the extent originally envisioned. Rather, it resulted in the immediate implementation of 'practical Apartheid', which allowed some African people to enter and work in urban areas, with the complete implementation of total Apartheid envisioned as a future goal. The recommendations made by the Sauer commission were still more restrictive than those made by the Fagan commission.
As a result, the Sauer commission upheld control over South Africa and segregation laws formed.
The members of the Sauer commission were: P.O. Sauer, G.B.A. Gerdener, E.G. Jansen
, J.J. Serfontein and M.D.C. De Wet Nel.
Fagan Commission
The Native Laws Commission, commonly known as the Fagan Commission, was appointed by the government of South Africa in 1946 to investigate changes to the system of segregation....
. It was appointed by the Herenigde Nasionale Party
Herenigde Nasionale Party
The Herenigde Nasionale Party was a political party in South Africa during the 1940s. It was the product of the reunion of Daniel François Malan's Gesuiwerde Nasionale Party and J.B.M. Hertzog's breakaway Afrikaner nationalist faction of the United Party in 1940.In 1934, J.B.M...
and favoured even stricter segregation laws.
The Sauer Commission was concerned with the 'problem' of controlling the influx of African people into urban areas. White workers, traders and merchants were concerned that this would represent a threat to their jobs and businesses, particularly since African workers would work in semi-skilled positions for a lower wage than white workers. Businesses demanded racially segregated trading zones in order to protect their businesses from competition.
Numerous groups influenced this policy of 'total Apartheid', including the South African Bureau of Race Affairs (SABRA).
Ultimately the Sauer commission did not enforce the total segregation to the extent originally envisioned. Rather, it resulted in the immediate implementation of 'practical Apartheid', which allowed some African people to enter and work in urban areas, with the complete implementation of total Apartheid envisioned as a future goal. The recommendations made by the Sauer commission were still more restrictive than those made by the Fagan commission.
As a result, the Sauer commission upheld control over South Africa and segregation laws formed.
The members of the Sauer commission were: P.O. Sauer, G.B.A. Gerdener, E.G. Jansen
Ernest George Jansen
Ernest George Jansen was the second-last Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, holding office from 1950 to 1959.Born in 1881, he graduated with a law degree from the University of the Cape of Good Hope in 1905, and was admitted as an advocate in 1913.An ardent champion of Afrikaner...
, J.J. Serfontein and M.D.C. De Wet Nel.
Publication
- Verslag van die Kleurvraagstuk-Kommissie van die Herenigde Nasionale Party [Sauer Report, 1948]