Gendered Narratives of Salisbury Island

Abstract

The University College for Indians at Salisbury Island was formed in November 1960. The South African government under the National Party (NP) followed a policy of apartheid or separate development of the various racial groups in the context of education, housing, residence, trade and recreation. By the 1960s the Indian population was a permanent part of the South African demographic landscape. The higher academic needs of the Indian community had to be addressed and the NP believed this could only be achieved through the establishment of a separate University. Subsequently the University College, Durban, located at Salisbury Island was established in terms of the Extension of University Education Act of 1959. The college grew rapidly, starting with 39 students in 1961, but gradually extending its activities to provide tuition of 1232 students in 1966 of whom 400 were studying extramurally. The college was co-educational with a strict dress code. Most of the academic teaching and administrative staff were Afrikaners who were selected and employed to further perpetuate the apartheid ideology. Thus the entire institution was run by “Super-Afrikaners”. The curriculum embraced the Faculties of Humanities, Pure and Biological Sciences. However, the content and method of teaching was aimed to instil little critical engagement with texts. In other words the curriculum was “narrow and doctrinaire”. Seminars and public lectures were non-existent. Sporting activities were limited mainly to cricket, table-tennis and tennis.