Bus Boycotts

## Background

In 1957, the Public Utility Transport Corporation (PUTCO) in South Africa raised the bus fare from 4d to 5d for communities in Johannesurg. This is equivalent to 2 pennies or 1 shilling more per week for South Africans. But, since 80% of Johannesburg Africans lived under the poverty line. the raise was far more than they could afford. The black South Africans in Alexandra grew tired of the behaviour and exploitation of PUTCO and of their own meager wages, so, on January 7, 1957, these South Africans launched a bus boycott and walked the 22 miles from Alexandra to Johannesburg rather than taking the bus.

## Events

The Alexandra People's Transport Action Committee (APTAC) formed on January 7, 1957, and encouraged organisations in the township to send representatives to join the the committee. Many organisations, including ANC, the Standholder's Association, the Vigilance Association, and the Movement for a Democracy of Content, among others, sent representatives. The APTAC facilitated the campaign and by the second day of the boycott the sentiment had spread to Sophiatown in Johannesburg, and Lady Selbourne in Pretoria. During the second week, South Africans in Moroka and Javabu began to boycott in sympathy, even though the bus fare had not been raised in these townships.

The reaction from the public was generally sympathetic toward the boycotters. White motorists helped the boycotters by providing them with daily lifts to their destinations. The police responded to the boycott and the white motorists with harassment. The police stopped cars to search them, demanded licenses, took down names, required "passes" from the riders, and even measured the seats of the cars to make sure that no boycotters sat on less than 15 inches of the seat.

Toward the boycotters themselves, the police constantly stopped them to check for "passes", arrested them on minor charges, such as crossing an intersection at a red light, and deflated the tires of bicycles or confiscated the valve to make them late to work.

Although the boycott initially began with singing and loud cries of "Azikhwelwa" (We shall not ride), the boycotters soon grew weary and continued their boycotts silently. The boycotters grew tired from the long travels to and from their destinaions, but still held strong to their demands. The result was that the boycott committee asserted that "when we are too tired, we will stay home and rest". Therefore, the boycott cotinued despite the exhaustion experienced by the boycotters, who were enraged to remain at home if they grew too tired.

## Conclusion

Employers, industry and the Chamber of Commerce attempted to negotiate with the boycotters as they realised that their economic interests were being damaged with the bus boycott.

Negotiating was futile within the first few months, but on the 1st of April a compromise was reached. With this compromise the boycotters purchased bus tickets that were stamped 5d even though they only had to pay 4d. The boycotts then took the buses again on te condition that a study was to be made of the need for higher wages and that a permament solution for the bus fares was to be implemented by the end of June. the solution was reached near the very end of June as the government capitulated with the introduction of a Bill in Parliament that doubled the levy on the employers for subsidization of African transport. This Bill...