Beton Chemu Mncube

Johannesburg, South Africa on July 24, 1929

Interview by H.G. Falwasser

Subjects - Maphunziro:

Statement in South African National Archives, Pretoria GNLB 417 81/21 ‘Employment of Tropical Natives on Mines: Part II: Individual Applications’ (1926-1930).

Born in Mzimba, Beton Chemu Mncube worked as a miner and policeman in Johannesburg between 1920 and 1924, and an employee of a timber merchants from 1924 to 1929. By 1929, when he applied to the Government Native Labour Bureau to be re-employed as policeman at Wits Deep mine, he lived in Prospect Township and was married to a Basotho woman, with three children.

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Born in Mzimba, Beton Chemu Mncube worked as a miner and policeman in Johannesburg between 1920 and 1924, and an employee of a timber merchants from 1924 to 1929. By 1929, when he applied to the Government Native Labour Bureau to be re-employed as policeman at Wits Deep mine, he lived in Prospect Township and was married to a Basotho woman, with three children.
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Born in Mzimba, Beton Chemu Mncube worked as a miner and policeman in Johannesburg between 1920 and 1924, and an employee of a timber merchants from 1924 to 1929. By 1929, when he applied to the Government Native Labour Bureau to be re-employed as policeman at Wits Deep mine, he lived in Prospect Township and was married to a Basotho woman, with three children.
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Beton Chemu Mncube S.C. 401659 M/J previous file 314548 P/J of Chief Johan, of Mzimba, B.N.P. do hereby make statement and declare:

That about the end of 1920 I arrived in the Transvaal, and worked at the Silver Mine in Pretoria, and at the end of 1922, after the Rand Revolution, I went to Witwatersrand Deep where I was employed on timber work underground for 1 ½ years and thereafter I came to Johannesburg and entered the employ of Exchange Yard Limited.

That I have now been offered work by the Mine Police on Witwatersrand Deep Mine property. I pray for permission of the Director of Native Labour.

That I am a married man and live with my wife and two children at Prospect Township. My wife is a Msutu woman, I paid 3 head of cattle for this woman. I am paying tax in the Union and made my first payment in 1926. I have paid for 1927, 1928 & 1929 (t.k. 9214 V/OD for 1927/8 & 243174/1929)

I have no relatives in Nyasaland Protectorate, all my people are dead, and that I am now permanently resident in the Transvaal Province though I have no property. I was not a taxpayer in Nyasaland when I left as I was not a married man and had no hut.

Beton Chemu Mncube

Witness: Wm Bell.

[stamped 24 July 1929; not clear if rejected or approved]