The 1922 Rand Rebellion: White Workers Rise Up
The Story of South Africa: Empire, Apartheid, and Transformation — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
In March 1922, Johannesburg was a war zone. White miners, backed by armed commandos, took up arms against the state in what became known as the Rand Rebellion. This episode explores the Workers' Flag unfurled in the streets of Fordsburg, the leadership of striker Taffy Long, and the brutal crackdown by Jan Smuts that left over 200 dead. We examine the complicated racial politics of early South African labour — how white miners defended a colour bar that guaranteed them high wages while Black workers were locked out of skilled jobs entirely. The rebellion ended with aerial bombing by the South African Air Force and the trial of ringleaders, but it also reshaped the alliance between Afrikaner nationalism and organised labour. We trace these events through the streets of the Witwatersrand, from the strike committee in the Trades Hall to the final stand at the Fordsburg Town Hall. #RandRebellion #TaffyLong #JanSmuts #Witwatersrand #Fordsburg #ColourBar #SouthAfricanLabour #WhiteMiners #1922Strike #SouthAfricanAirForce #AfrikanerNationalism #Johannesburg #MinesAndWorksAct #CommunistPartySA #SouthAfricanHistory #FexingoHistory #History #SouthAfrica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
