Apartheid Intersections and Heritage Denial

The introduction of legislated racism (apartheid) in 1948 directly impacted on organised klaverjas. As the governing party started to roll out its legislative programme to enforce strict racial segregation between the races, community life, including the operations of klaverjas clubs were severely disrupted. Forced removals resulted in the uprooting of clubs and the dispersal of members throughout the Cape Peninsula. These events intersected with the Van Riebeeck Tricentenary to celebrate three hundred years of white civilisation and colonisation. This chapter traces both the attempts of the apartheid authorities to co-opt the black population and the concomitant resistance by the anti-apartheid movement. In addition, it maps the ensuing ideological tensions, its associated challenges, and the resilience of the existing clubs.