Item sets
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Gold Fields : Rand Rebellion 1922
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Gold Fields : Rand Rebellion 1922
The Rand Rebellion, 1922 (also known as the Rand Revolt or Second Rand Revolt) refers to an armed uprising by white mineworkers in the Witwatersrand region of South Africa in March 1922. The rebellion arose from industrial conflict within the gold-mining industry, as mining companies sought to reduce costs in response to declining gold prices by restructuring labour practices, including the replacement of higher-paid white workers with lower-paid black labour. Following unsuccessful negotiations between mine owners, workers, and the state in February 1922, sections of the white mining workforce organised armed commandos and engaged in violent resistance to government authority. The uprising escalated into widespread clashes between strikers, police, and state forces in areas including Johannesburg, Benoni, Brakpan, Springs, Fordsburg, and Brixton. The Union government, led by Prime Minister General Jan Smuts, declared martial law and deployed the Union Defence Force, artillery, and aircraft of the South African Air Force to suppress the revolt. By mid-March 1922, government forces had regained control, resulting in significant loss of life, mass arrests, and the imprisonment or death of several rebel leaders. The Rand Rebellion had lasting political and social consequences, influencing labour relations, racialised employment policies in the mining sector, and the development of state security responses in South Africa. Materials in this item set document the events, participants, and contexts associated with the rebellion and its suppression.