Masters and Slaves Ordinance
Quick Summary
The Masters and Slaves Ordinance of 1841 in South Africa was a piece of legislation that tightened control over African laborers. It imposed criminal penalties for contract breaches and desertion, effectively increasing the legal power of settler employers over their workers. This ordinance built upon earlier policies like Ordinance 49 of 1828, which allowed Black laborers from outside the Cape Colony to enter for work but with restricted rights, requiring them to possess proper contracts and passes. These measures were part of a broader colonial strategy to manage labor shortages while limiting the rights and freedoms of the Black African population.12
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Southern AfricaChanges in the status of AfricansBy 1841, largely through “masters and servants” legislation, settlers had reimposed much of their old authority.
Read MoreBy 1841, largely through “masters and servants” legislation, settlers had reimposed much of their old authority.
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South AfricaBritish occupation of the Cape…laborers became stricter through the Masters and Servants Ordinance (1841), which imposed criminal penalties for breach of contract and desertion of the workplace and increased the legal powers of settler employers.
Read More…laborers became stricter through the Masters and Servants Ordinance (1841), which imposed criminal penalties for breach of contract and desertion of the workplace and increased the legal powers of settler employers.
Read More