People from Sub-Saharan Africa who speak the Ntu languages. In apartheid South Africa, the term commonly refers to black people more broadly.
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Bantu Term Timeline in Kaffir Boy
The timeline below shows where the term Bantu appears in Kaffir Boy. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
A sign proclaims that it stands on “Bantu” land, and anyone traveling without a permit will be prosecuted. Mathabane reflects that because of...
(full context)
Chapter 6
...him off. His father decides he needs a new job, so he goes to the Bantu Affairs Department to get the permit that allows him to look for work. However, a...
(full context)
Chapter 20
...talk about their struggles to find permits, to avoid police, to fight injustice in the Bantu courts. A truck convoy passes by filled with grim black men wrapped in heavy blankets....
(full context)
Chapter 31
...why his school’s library does not have such books. Mathabane’s teachers tell him that, under Bantu Education law, black students are supposed to be prepared for tribal life, not made into...
(full context)
Chapter 52
...they and their teachers suspect that the government sabotaged the results. After several complaints, the Bantu Education Department changes them to second-class marks, which are still too low. Mathabane broods and...
(full context)
