19 June 1913

1913 Land Act Passed

The Natives Land Act (No. 27 of 1913) was passed to allocate only about 7% of arable land to Africans and leave the more fertile land for whites.

This law incorporated territorial segregation into legislation for the first time since Union in 1910. The law created reserves for Blacks and prohibited the sale of territory in white areas to Blacks and vice versa. An annexure designated the territory initially allocated to Blacks, with a provision that a commission was to investigate the matter further for a more realistic delimitation.

In effect, over 80% went to White people, who made up less than 20% of the population. The Act stipulated that Black people could live outside the re-serves only if they could prove that they were in employment.