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The Rhodesian Herald,

8 February 1972

SALISBURY Africans must look more to their own colleges for commercial and business courses.

Some of the European-owned private colleges in the city no longer accept African students.

One reason: a Salisbury City building by-law requiring racially segregated toilets. The regulation is contained in section 142 of the building by-laws.

The section reads: “Europeans are prohibited from using the same sanitary conveniences as Asiatics, Natives and/or Coloured people and Asiatics, Natives and/or Coloured people are prohibited from using the same sanitary conveniences as Europeans.

It adds that where Europeans and the other races live on the same premises, separate toilets must be provided for Europeans at a distance of not less than 10 feet from those of the other races.

The owners or heads of European-run private colleges said it was only when they approached the City Council for permits to take on Africans as required by the Land Tenure Act that they were asked if they provided separate toilets.

The Commercial Careers College has separate toilets, but the City Council has advised the Minister of Local Government and Housing that a permit under the Act should be refused.

The recommendation was based on a confidential report by the Council’s Director of African Administration.

The Minister still has to direct the Council on what should be done about the application. The heads of colleges which have stopped admitting Africans said their problem was made worse by the fact that they operated in rented buildings where separate toilets were not available. The only place where extra toilets could be provided was on top of the building. He said this would entail building staircases and the toilet cubicles at a cost of between $12 000 and $14 000.

LESSONS FOR TODAY

During the colonial era, there was total segregation in schools and other spheres of life. Racism was so rife as whites looked upon themselves as the superior race.

Where mixed races existed, the norm was that whites sat in their own spaces, while blacks and other races also subdivided themselves in more racial groupings.

Private colleges and private schools could only absorb a small percentage of Africans which was just a token.

Laws were enacted to separate blacks from Europeans as they were seen as a superior race, and blacks as inferior.

Four decades of Independence have watered down the racial streak. The education system is now very mixed, so is the church and workplace. Even residential areas and shopping centres are now mixed. What has not happened is seeing whites, come to reside in high density suburbs even if they are going through tough times, financially.