The emergence of Ina-ethe migration : Mpondo men and continued migrant labour post-apartheid

Abstract

This thesis contributes to an understanding of the continued reliance on mining migrant labour. It explores why men from Mpondoland in Flagstaff and Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape Province continue to leave their homes to settle for work in the North West Province (Rustenburg mines) even though the authoritarian structures that supported the migrant labour system have been abolished. This thesis draws its premise from an analysis of post-Marikana events that highlighted the centrality of migrant labour to industrial action. This came after some in the government and industry stated that the migrant labour system was something of our colonial and apartheid past. Using the logic of Burawoy’s extended case method and mixed methods, this research studied mine workers in two contexts: In the context of migrant households in Mpondoland and in Rustenburg, a labour receiving area, in which migrants live and work. The study found that at the centre of continued reliance on migrant labour is the improving nature of migrant work for a significant proportion of the permanently appointed segment to the labour market. It suggests that, for these workers, there has been a move from cheap labour power centred migration to what this study refers to as ina-ethe migration. This type of migration is underpinned by reciprocal relationships between male migrant workers and their wives, a phenomenon best highlighted in the interplay of masculinities and femininities in the migrant household. Within the constraints of patriarchy, the migrant labour system has transformed both femininities and masculinities in a way that continues to motivate men to take up jobs in the mining sector. Ina-ethe migration is further underscored by improved relations between migrant workers and the mines now characterised by better remuneration and improved working and living conditions. In essence, this study suggests that the social reproductive and other socio-economic roles of women in migrant households in the labour sending areas challenge hegemonic masculinities. Therefore, Mpondo men continue to rely on migrant work to meet their traditional obligation as traditional providers and heads of households. Furthermore, the rewarding nature of the current mining sector ensures migrant labour is a plausible option for Mpondo men. This is especially in view of the minimal economic activity that denotes the former labour reserves.