INTRODUCTION
According
to John, (1989) defined mineral revolution as the period occurred during the hundred
years in South Africa involving dramatically change of economy took place 1880s
after the discovery of mineral in Kimberly and Transvaal
``First the diamond
fields of Kimberly in the cape then the gold and coal mines on the wit water
and river in the southern Transvaal
Moreover
Bernstein (1989) defines mineral revolution as rapid industrialization and
economic changes which occurred in South Africa from 1870s on wards. The
mineral revolution was largely driven by the need to create permanent workforce
to work in themining industry andSouth Africa transformed from a patch work of
agrarian states to a unified, industrial nation.
According
to the oxford dictionary (2000) define mineral revolution as the major economic
advance of the late nineteenth century after discovery of first diamonds and
then gold transformed the mineral revolution in south Africa A period of
mineral revolution profoundly mark them history of south Africa which resulted
due to the presence of natural resources like gold, silver, diamond discovered
in Kimberly and water Transvaal during 19th c.
BACKGROUND
According
to Feinstein (2005) suggested that before the coming of foreigners especially
the Holland the population size was about 1,500,000 but a century later the
number of growth up to 4,000,000
settlement of these people in south Africa on the large scale
differentiate south Africa and the rest of Africa hence begin of mineral revolution.
Generally
regarded to as the period of economic growth and prosperity to the world
economy. The discovery of mineral attraction many people from Canada,
Australia, New eland and Holland
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE ECONOMIC CAUSES OF
MINERAL REVOLUTION IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Development
of agriculture sector. This implies expansion and increase of food production
for agriculturalist after their settlements in the cape
of the good hope, they establish various plantation and in order to cultivate
the land easily they should started to find iron which can be used for
manufacturing of tools like hand hoes, pangas and axes which can be used for
different purpose and hence can contribute to the rise of mineral revolution in
south Africa like especially iron,
``The
agriculture sectors is also the major importance in employment white, colored
and Indian farms are located in more fertile and better watered regions which
Africans are not allowed to farm ‘’(Robert 1987).
Also
speakers were agriculturalist and when they reached at the cape of South Africa
they preached the idea of iron making and these contributed much to the
emergence of iron technology and led to the searching for iron and hence
mineral revolution took place in South Africa.
``Bantu
speaking tribes they made iron weapons and tools’ ’ pg 646 (Robert 1987).
Industry
in order to run it the industry, it must have powers the mining sectors
continues to be of major importance and it figures prominently in government
economic policy. Gold is the main product after which bituminous coal is the
most important in South Africa is the major producer and consumer of energy
``Lacking
of its own recourses but with substantial researchers of coal, south Africa has
been successful in its policy of energy self-sufficiency through a combination
of conservation and effective use of its coal resources’’( Robert 1989:640)
The
discovery of diamonds at the town of Kimberly in 1867, the discovery of diamond
led to a rush of prospectors descending on the town, whose population sky
rocketed as increasing the number of prospectors arrived to seek their fortune
in Kimberley diamond mining increased in scale, focusing in open pit
mining of three main sites. As surface deposits
of diamond were excavated deeper pits had to be duq, propetting the mineral
revolution into a new phase.
‘’To
excavate deep deposit of diamond diqqers needed machinery credit and a large
tabourforce’’ (louis 2007)
The
discovery of diamond of gold at the wit water sand or fields in 1886 triqqered
a gold rush which greatly excavated this continuing trend. The Orefield which overtopped British and Africana’s
territory were quickly excavated of all surface deposit and similar pattern to
Kimberly emerged- small digger were bought out by corporations.(Louis 2007).
THE FOLLOWING ALSO ARE THE
POLITICAL CAUSES OF MINERAL REVOLUTION IN SOUTH AFRICA
European colonial acquisition of South Africa
colonial during the first half of the 19th century cape society was radically
altered in many aspects by its integration within a British imperialist system
and globalizing economy. Therefore acquisition of the economy British possess
the settlement and send increase in influence into the interior. By 1865 the
total white in population of two British colonies of cape and natal and two Boer
republies of me orange free state and Transvaal had reached 250,000.This
population and other European play a fundamental role in economic activities
including mining due to availability of both enough man power.
Also
military strength. Apart from availability of water sources which ensure
constant water supply. Enough man power. They also had strong military and well
trained soldiers who ensure good atmosphere for in and out of the mining field. `Whitepossess superior weapons’’ This
ensured availability of peace (Feinstein)
Specialization labour division was also among the factors of
resulted to the development of mining sector in south Africa existence of
handcraft provide essential tools for agriculture and mineral extraction. Hence
farmer produces food in the mining areas and food. More ever mineral obtained
were used in industries such as cooper industries.
``Mining
directly stimulated local engineering and manufacturing. The rapid by expanding
urban industrial complex on it rand was a primary market for domestic agriculture
and industrial production’pg. 66.
The
following are the social causes of mineral revolution.
Presence
of infrastructures such as roads, railway lines and ports/ this paved a
way ofmineral industrial growth as
models in the formation of south Africa capitalism.
``Much
of the early transportation system connected these centers of extraction in the
interior with the ports of Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town’’
THE
FOLLOWING ARE THE GEOGRAPHICAL CAUSES OF MINERAL REVOLUTION
The
earliest presence of Arabs in SouthAfrica. The gold deposit of South Africa was
known in the southern coast early in the 16th century. And numerous indicator
of gold were found in 1845 by LeopardVon Boch theGerman geologist. Pl.Marais
found small quantities of alluvial gold in the Jutskei River in 1853 and reef
gold was discovered in 1871 at Oversetting in the Transvaal.
The
discovery of Sheba reef in 1885 marked development of the gold deposit of the
wit waterstrand.The presence of non-metallic minerals, it mainly due to the
existence of cheap coal that the large and output of the gold and diamond
became possible the the existence of coal in the cape province was reported in
1878 in natal 1881 and in Transvaal in 1887 and larger reserve have also been
proved in the orange free state
CONCLUSION.
The
above mention causes were the major responsible for the economic and social
change which took place in south Africa which resulted to industrialization,
urbanization which resulted to the formation of new political structure and
growing of proletanisation which ensured constant labour supply, employment in
mining sector, labourers in the industrial areas and urban services.
REFERENCES.
Feinstein C, A, (2005): AN ECONOMIC HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA CONQUEST DISCRIMINATION AND
DEVELOPMENT. Cambridge University Press UK.
Lois W, T, (2007); AN ECONOMIC IT’S STORY OF SOUTH AFRICA, CONQUEST DISCRIMINATION AND
DEVELOPMENT, LondonCambridgeUniversity Press.
Robert, Gwinn at all (1987): THE NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNIA VOL 27-1ST EDITION,
USA, The University of Chicago.
Vivian B (1995): ETHNIC PRIDE AND RACIAL PREJUDICE IN VICTORIAN CAPE TOWN(Johannesburg;
Wits, University Press)
Whitson, J. (1989) THE HIGHEST STAGE OF WHITE SUPREMACY, UK:
Cambridgeuniversity press
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