Browsing by Author "Ehlers, Anton"

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    Business, state and society - doing business apartheid style : the case of Pep Stores Peninsula Limited
    (North-West University, 2012-01) Ehlers, Anton
    This article uses the Pep Stores Peninsula Ltd case study (1973-1974) as a window on State-Business relationships during apartheid and to highlight the dynamics and outcomes generated by the combination of state controlled ideologically driven race based economic empowerment in tandem with corporate market driven initiatives. In the process it also sheds light on the role of Business during apartheid and the way they negotiated the apartheid context – in this case with specific reference to Coloured economic development and empowerment. The case study also underscores the viewpoint that the roots of black economic empowerment – despite the differences in context, aims and scale - in South Africa stretches back further than the much publicized post-1990 version that currently dominates State – Business relationships and debates
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    Die geskiedenis van die trustmaatskappye en eksekuteurskamers van Boland Bank Beperk tot 1971
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2002-03) Ehlers, Anton; Venter, C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences . Dept. of History.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The history of the trust companies and boards of executors of Boland Bank Limited represents a case study of the process through which these rural institutions, as part of the broader trust movement in South Africa, established themselves as an integral and respected part of the local financial and social structure of the communities in which they operated. It also represents a case study of the pressures to which these local rural trust companies were subjected by the changing South African financial environment of the 20th century and of the way they reacted to absorb and counter these pressures. Their reactions and counter-measures were attempts, on the one hand, to hold on to and promote, and on the other hand, to get rid of and discard their pasts. The history of Boland Bank Limited to 1971 represents a case study of the trials and tnbulations; the successes and failures of this process. Paarl African Trust Company Limited (PAT) and African Mutual Trust and Assurance Company Limited (AMT), the two leading role players in the establishment of Boland Bank Limited, was founded in 1900 as a result of the anti- British feelings generated among a section of the Afrikaners in the Cape Colony during the Anglo Boer War. These feelings of nationalism manifested in the Afrikaners' aspiration towards greater economic self-reliance which in the case of PAT and AMT led to the establishment of two Afrikaner-controlled local rural trust companies. These two institutions laid the foundation of a mainly Cape based tradition oflocal rural trust companies with a predominantly Afrikaans character. In the first half of the 20th century these institutions established themselves as dynamic local rural financial institutions serving the financial needs of the predominantly agricultural economies in which they functioned. As an integral part of their local communities, they were respected as stabilizing economic and social agents, -a respect demonstrated by the local inhabitants refering to these institutions as "my Kamer" (my Board). The changed nature of the economic system and climate of the post war (Second World War) period in tandem with the tendency towards stricter state control over the monetary and financial system and institutions, pressurized small local :financial institutions like trust companies and boards of executors to show a profit. In this regard PAT and AMT were no exception and together with other similar trust companies were in danger of becoming outdated financialnational monuments. Against this background PAT and AMT took the lead in the early sixties in a successful amalgamation initiative which eventually culminated in the formation of Boland Bank Limited. This process included 17 institutions of which 16 were local rural trust companies and boards of executors and created the potential for regaining their lost dynamic nature. These dynamics would eventually carry them into the 21st century.
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    The Helpmekaar : rescuing the “volk” through reading, writing and rithmetic, c. 1916–c 1965
    (Historical Association of South Africa, 2015-11) Ehlers, Anton
    This article looks at the establishment and shifting role of the Helpmekaar Society of the Cape Province as welfare catalyst, set up in the aftermath of the Rebellion of 1914-15. Driven by Afrikaner ethnic nationalist motives - it set itself two goals. The immediate aim was to save Afrikaner rebels and their families from financial ruin. The second objective was complicated and changing: to promote the general development, upliftment and welfare of the Dutch-speaking section of the South African population and to develop a distinctive Afrikaans culture. The paper concentrates on the evolution of the second goal into a sharp educational focus aimed at unlocking the potential of Afrikaner youth as a solution to the poor white problem. Because the Helpmekaar was shaped by ideologies of class and race, this analysis engages with a couple of existing historiographical conversations about poor whites, the state, welfarism and also provides a revealing lens into the politics of white education itself. Despite the Helpmekaar's sectional ethnic and racial focus and the accompanying socio-political engineering, it acted as a welfare catalyst that contributed significantly - financially and as lobbyist for educational causes - in effecting educational change; in this regard it benefited a far wider community than was originally intended.
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    Die Kaapse Helpmekaar, c.1916-c.2014 : bemiddelaar in Afrikaner opheffing, selfrespek en respektabiliteit
    (AFRICAN SUN MeDIA, 2018) Ehlers, Anton
    Die boek beoog om die verhaal van die Kaapse Helpmekaar as katalisator in die ekonomiese opheffing van Afrikaners in die vaarwater van die Rebellie van 1914-15 te vertel. In die proses was die Kaapse Helpmekaar, met sy fokus op opvoeding en onderwys, ’n bemiddelaar in Afrikaner-opheffing, selfrespek en aansien. Dit was dus ’n fasiliteerder van Afrikaner sosiale mobiliteit. As ’n kredietverskaffer vir tersiêre opleiding van Afrikaanse studente vir meer as ’n honderd jaar, verteenwoordig dié verhaal in ’n sekere sin die verhaal van Afrikaners – van hul armblanke-status in die vroeg 20ste eeu tot vooruitstrewende burgers van die kapitalistiese verbruikerskultuur van die 21ste eeu. Die verhaal van die Kaapse Helpmekaar resoneer in die sin ook met die huidige debatte rondom die finansiering van tersiêre onderrig. Dit verskaf ’n Afrikaner-antwoord op ’n 20ste eeuse #feesmustfall-uitdaging wat, ten spyte van die verskil in konteks, ’n templaat en ’n benadering voorhou waarby ’n 21ste eeuse Suid-Afrika steeds baat kan vind.
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    Sanlam-amptenare uit die volk gebore om die volk te dien?
    (Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, 2018) Beukes, Wynand; Ehlers, Anton; Verhoef, Grietjie
    Die Suid-Afrikaanse lewensversekeringsmaatskappy Sanlam het in 1918 die lewenslig aanskou te midde van verskeie verweefde ekonomiese, politieke en maatskaplike faktore wat meegewerk het om ’n taamlik stewige stigtingstydperk vir die jong maatskappy te verseker. Op politieke gebied was die stigting aan die opwelling van Afrikanernasionalisme gekoppel (Koen 1986:60- 68; Le Roux 1953:128; Scannell 1968:11). Dié nasionalisme het gepaardgegaan met die stigting van die Nasionale Party (NP) in 1914. Die volksgevoel het ontstaan uit die benarde maatskaplike posisie waarin talle Afrikaners hulle ná die Anglo-Boereoorlog bevind het. Afrikanerleiers het besef dat opheffing slegs moontlik was indien Afrikaners ook ’n aandeel in die sakewêreld verwerf. Dié wete, tesame met die sukses van die Helpmekaarbeweging en die gaping in die bestaande versekeringsbedryf in Suid-Afrika vir ’n lewensversekeringsmaatskappy veral gemik op Afrikaners, het regstreeks tot die stigting van Sanlam gelei. Die maatskappy was hoofsaaklik aanvanklik op die Afrikanermark gemik, maar het uit die staanspoor die hele Suid-Afrikaanse mark bedien. Dit het sakesin gemaak – ’n suksesvolle onderneming in die Suid-Afrikaanse mark wat sy besigheidsfokus direk mik op ’n segment van die samelewing wat grotendeels buite die versekeringsmark gestaan het, en wat terselfdertyd kon bydra tot Afrikaneropheffing. Die vraag wat in hierdie artikel beantwoord word, is in hoeverre dié voorafvermelde konteks en ook veral die Sanlam-slagspreuk “Uit die volk gebore om die volk te dien” in die aanstelling van die eerste amptenare weerspieël is. Het die maatskappy net op wit Afrikaanssprekende NP-ondersteuners staatgemaak om op dreef te kom? Was daar dus genoeg sakekundigheid in eie geledere om dié nuwe Afrikaner-wa deur die eerste drif te kry?