Roughly 600,000 black men of military age (between 18 and 45) were unemployed at the beginning of the War.' In light of this apparently large untapped labor force, the military authorities believed that the UDF would have little difficulty in obtaining recruits without interfering with the labor supply to the mines, industries, farms, or other employers in the Union of South Africa.* Due to uncertainty about the ultimate aim of the NMC and the changing requirements of the war, the precise number of recruits required varied constantly.S By April 1942, the authorities randomly fixed the ceiling at 60,000 men. This remained the goal until recruitment ceased in February 1943. The methods of recruitment used before 1942 were rather ad hoc; bowever, the DNEAS realized that a cogent recruitment strategy must be devised to improve the efficiency of its recruitment efforts.? The first two changes were to improve and expand the existing communication media and to follow a personal approach by means of recruitment tours undertaken by specially selected recruitment staff. Both methods were shaped by the stereotypical official view that blacks were particularly impressed by ostentatiousness and therefore special recruitment marches were held in large centers. Lt. J. B. Bruce put a racial spin on this arguing that "color" appealed to blacks: "While a blaze of color might offend the susceptibilities of Europeans. almost any colorful reproduction will appeal to natives."8 It certainly succeeded in drawing the crowds, but the majority of blacks enjoyed the spectacle but remained unmoved by its message. In this paragraph find methods used by South African government to recruit black soldiers?

1 answer

The South African government employed several methods to recruit black soldiers during the war, including:

  1. Improving and Expanding Communication Media: The authorities recognized the need to enhance their communication strategies to reach potential recruits more effectively.

  2. Personal Approach via Recruitment Tours: Specially selected recruitment staff undertook recruitment tours to engage directly with potential recruits, using a more personal approach.

  3. Recruitment Marches in Large Centers: To attract attention and draw crowds, the government organized ostentatious recruitment marches in larger urban areas, appealing to the perceived preferences of black individuals for colorful displays.

These methods aimed to enhance the efficiency of recruitment efforts, although the actual impact on the recruitment message varied.