The 1918 Influenza Pandemic in South Africa: A Forgotten Catastrophe
The Story of South Africa: Empire, Apartheid, and Transformation — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
In this episode of The Story of South Africa, Lucas and Luna explore the devastating impact of the 1918 influenza pandemic on South Africa. With over 300,000 deaths in just six weeks, the Spanish flu ripped through the young Union of South Africa, exploiting the wartime movement of troops and migrant laborers. We focus on the little-known story of the 'Native Labour Contagion' — the catastrophic spread through the mine compounds of the Witwatersrand, the role of the South African Native Labour Corps in carrying the virus home, and how the pandemic deepened racial divides in health care. We'll also discuss the controversial figure of Dr. James Mitchell, the Union's chief medical officer, whose strained public health system collapsed under the strain. Drawing on accounts from townships, mining hospitals, and government records, this episode reveals how a viral catastrophe laid bare the inequalities that apartheid would later codify. #1918Influenza #SpanishFlu #SouthAfrica #Witwatersrand #NativeLabourCorps #MigrantLabor #MineCompounds #DrJamesMitchell #UnionOfSouthAfrica #PublicHealth #RacialInequality #Pandemic #History #AfricanHistory #FexingoHistory #1918Pandemic #HealthcareApartheid #ForgottenHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
