Conclusion

Abstract

This book has sought to examine in detail the workings of part of the international indentured labour system. It has investigated the origins of the use of Chinese labour by the Witwatersrand gold-mining industry and the very complex crisis which necessitated its introduction. Close attention has been paid to the role of the State at all levels of the scheme. The consequences of the interaction of a crisis of accumulation on the Rand and State intervention have been considered as they affected the organisation of recruiting and its history. By extension, this treatment has been applied to the procedures of embarkation and passage, and to the employment of these men in the mines. Finally, a consideration of the impact of the use of this type of labour on the crisis on the Rand, and an assessment of the impact of its subsequent loss, has been attempted.