State Infrastructural Power and the Bantustans: The Case of School Education in the Transkei and Ciskei

The author argues that education administrations in the Transkei and Ciskei bantustans exhibited weak infrastructural power, characterized by poor control over system expansion, uneven supervision of teachers, and an inability to regulate social relations for routine education provision. While professional teacher associations attempted to limit protest, they could not ensure compliance among a stressed teaching workforce. This weakness persisted into the post-apartheid period in the Eastern Cape, suggesting a continuity of weak state authority in the education sector.

• During the 1970s, education administrations in the Ciskei and Transkei lacked effective control over the expansion of their education systems and failed to consistently supervise teacher performance or the distribution of resources.
• Despite the presence of professional teacher associations and the occasional use of state force against political dissent, many schools operated with significant autonomy because the state struggled to regulate social relations to support routine education.
• The weakness of state authority in the education sector has continued into the post-apartheid era within the Eastern Cape.

APA

Meny-Gibert, S. (2019). State Infrastructural Power and the Bantustans: The Case of School Education in the Transkei and Ciskei. Public Affairs Research Institute. https://pari.org.za/article-state-infrastructural-power-and-the-bantustans-the-case-of-school-education-in-the-transkei-and-ciskei/

Chicago

Meny-Gibert, Sarah. State Infrastructural Power and the Bantustans: The Case of School Education in the Transkei and Ciskei. Public Affairs Research Institute, 2019. https://pari.org.za/article-state-infrastructural-power-and-the-bantustans-the-case-of-school-education-in-the-transkei-and-ciskei/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Meny-Gibert |first1=Sarah |title=State Infrastructural Power and the Bantustans: The Case of School Education in the Transkei and Ciskei |publisher=Public Affairs Research Institute |date=29 April 2019 |url=https://pari.org.za/article-state-infrastructural-power-and-the-bantustans-the-case-of-school-education-in-the-transkei-and-ciskei/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{menygibert2019state, author = {Meny-Gibert, Sarah}, title = {{State Infrastructural Power and the Bantustans: The Case of School Education in the Transkei and Ciskei}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, year = {2019}, month = apr, url = {https://pari.org.za/article-state-infrastructural-power-and-the-bantustans-the-case-of-school-education-in-the-transkei-and-ciskei/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }