Burger weer op kommando : die 1914-staking aan die Rand

Abstract

In January 1914 a general industrial strike took place in the Union of South Africa. For the fi rst time since its inception the Union Defence Forces would be used operationally to suppress the strike. The Permanent Force of the Union Defence Force was not yet ready to suppress the strike on its own and consequently the commandos of the Citizen Force reserve were commandeered for service. The Union Government relied on the support and participation of many of the ordinary men who had fought in commandos in the Anglo-Boer War to crush the strike. The traditional commando system of the former Boer Republics would thus briefl y be revived during the 1914 strike. This article focuses on the experience and circumstances of the members of the commandos during deployment in January 1914 as it is an important aspect of social military historiography in South Africa. Topics such as mobilization, supplies, transport, discipline as well as demobilization and compensation, illuminate the experiences and circumstances of ordinary citizens on commando service during the strike.

In Januarie 1914 het ’n algehele industriële staking in die Unie van Suid-Afrika uitgebreek en die Unieverdedigingsmag sou vir die eerste keer sedert sy ontstaan operasioneel aangewend word om die staking te onderdruk. Die Staande Mag van die Unieverdedigingsmag was nog nie gereed om die staking op sy eie te onderdruk nie en gevolglik is die kommando’s van die Burgermagreserwes vir diens opgekommandeer. Die Unieregering het gereken op baie van die gewone burgers wat in die Anglo- Boereoorlog in kommando’s geveg het, se ondersteuning en deelname om die staking te onderdruk. Die tradisionele kommandostelsel van die voormalige Boererepublieke sou dus vlugtig met die 1914-staking herleef. Dié artikel fokus op die ervaringe en omstandighede van die kommandolede tydens ontplooiing in Januarie 1914, aangesien dit ’n belangrike aspek van die sosiaal militêre geskiedskrywing in Suid-Afrika is. Onderwerpe soos mobilisasie, voorrade, vervoer, dissipline, asook demobilisasie en kompensasie werp dus lig op die ervaringe en omstandighede van gewone burgers op kommandodiens tydens die staking.