The Fruits of the 1973 Durban Strikes: A Powerful Black Trade Union Movement. Are they still on track or are they off the rails? by Johann Maree

This paper was submitted to the 1973 Durban Strikes Celebrating 50 Years Conference

Short Bio

Johann Maree was one of the founders of the Western Province Workers’ Advice Bureau in 1973 that became the Western Province General Workers’ Union and later the General Workers’ Union. He served on the Editorial Board of the South African Labour Bulletin from 1976 to 2008 and was chair of the Board from 1978 to 2006.

Language
English

SS Clan Stuart

The SS Clan Stuart was blown ashore in 1914 between Glencairn and Simon's Town, along Cape Town’s west coast. The SS in the vessel's name stands for ‘steamship’. This steamship was built by W. Doxford and Son in 1900, in Sunderland, England (Barnardt, 2013). It was a triple expansion steam engine ship, weighing 3,594 tons, but it was not designed to withstand strong weather conditions (Barnardt, 2013). This design meant that most of the ship would be below the waterline, the method has become known as the turret deck principle (Mitchell, n.d.).

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa- (MOCCA)

The building that plays host to the new Zeitz MOCAA has been a part of Cape Town since the early 1900's. At 57 metres, the Grain Silo was once the tallest building in Cape Town, when it was built in 1921. It was decommissioned as a grain silo in 2001, and gradually became more derelict. In 2017, it was converted to the remarkable Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA), in a spectacular contemporary reimagining of this Historical Building. Created by London-based architect; Thomas Heatherwick. The institution’s 80 gallery spaces were converted from 42 historic grain silos, storage units which were once used to hold and grade maize from all over South Africa. The Heatherwick Studio then transformed the tightly packed tubes into open areas of contemplation, carving out various oblong shapes to make room for large social spaces and lots of light from overhead windows. The Architect wished to clear out large spaces for the Galleries, however he was also careful about not eliminating the tubular structure of the Building completely. “We realised we needed to do something that your eye couldn’t instantly predict,” Heatherwick said. As well as: “Our role was destructing rather than constructing, but trying to destruct with a confidence and an energy, and not treating the building as a shrine.” The nearly 20,000 square foot Museum is one of many facilities that form the V&A Waterfront, a cultural centre dotted with several bars and restaurants on the Mother City’s, Harbour.
Geolocation
-33° 54' 29.1507", 18° 25' 20.693"
References
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2017/09/grain-silo-converted-into-art-galleries/ https://theoriginalshoreline.org.za/the-grain-silos/ https://zeitzmocaa.museum/
Further Reading

https://zeitzmocaa.museum/

https://theoriginalshoreline.org.za/the-grain-silos/

https://thespaces.com/look-inside-heatherwicks-zeitz-mocaa-a-museum-in-a-giant-cape-town-grain-silo/

https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/thomas-heatherwick-zeitz-silo-museum/index.html

https://www.heatherwick.com/

Zuurberg Mountain Village (also spelt:"Suurberg")

Lying in the North Western corner, of the Sundays River Valley, Zuurberg lies at the foot of the Mountain of the same name. The Historic Zuurberg Pass, almost entirely surrounded by the Greater Addo Elephant National Park, is a narrow cutting through the Zuurberg Mountains, built in the 1850's and the original main route into the hinterland via which today, you can also reach the Karoo.

The pass was built in 1850 and was the only road to the North, from Port Elizabeth for anyone travelling towards Grahamstown, Somerset East, Colesburg and Kimberley. This long and sometimes extreme gravel Pass is located on a secondary road (the R335) in the Eastern Cape, approximately 35 km North of Addo and 75 km South of Somerset East. At 27,5 km it is one of the longer Passes in South Africa and traverses all four tiers of the dominant Zuurberg Mountain Range.

It was originally constructed by Henry Fancourt White in 1849, but White resigned during the construction phase to take up a post in parliament, leaving the project in the capable hands of the assistant roads engineer, Mr. Matthew Woodifield, whose name appears carved into a rock slab near the Southern end of the Pass.

The Pass contains within its length 158 bends, corners and curves. As progress is made Northwards, the road surface deteriorates to the point where low range and high clearance is required. Allow two hours (excluding stops) to complete the Pass and be patient and careful as this is true puncture Country. (Changing a spare wheel on a steep incline is a risky affair, so it's better to drive slower and choose your driving lines with care!)

The Mountain overlooks the Rolling Hills of this part of the Eastern Cape. In the heart of Valley bushveld and fynbos types, unique to the Eastern Cape. The former Zuurberg National Park, on the slopes of the Mountains stretching towards Darlington Lake, which now lies within the Greater Addo National Park.

An important Late Stone Age, Archaeological Site lies at the Melkhoutboom Cave in the Zuurberg Mountains, which has uncovered artefacts dating back some 15 000 Years. Contributing greatly to our overall picture of the life and times of the prehistoric hunter-gatherers.

Geolocation
-33° 21' 3.6", 25° 44' 31.2"
References
https://www.mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za/find-a-pass/eastern-cape/item/229-suurberg-zuurberg-pass.html https://zuurbergmountainvillage.co.za
Further Reading
http://zuurbergmountainvillage.co.za/ https://www.sanparks.org/parks/addo/tourism/zuurberg.php https://www.wheretostay.co.za/topic/5866-zuurberg-nature-reserve
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