Racism and space: The endeavour to remove Reagile township

Conclusion

The Koster study illustrates the tenacity of racism and how spatial distance is an intrinsic component of the practice of racism. Secondly, it reveals the power of the state to co-opt some township residents to be its main functionaries in carrying out policies that are potentially devastating for those individuals on the receiving end. Thirdly, it shows that resistance to state policies does not necessarily have to emerge from workers or younger residents, broadly defined as the youth. In township politics, pensioners can be in the forefront. Fourthly, it indicates that in certain instances, entering the local authority structure can be a viable tactic. As shown, the takeover of the local authority by the KRA threw all removal plans into disarray and forced the state to reconsider its plans. There is a strong possibility that if the KRA had not entered the local authority structure, Reagile would have been relocated prior to the new political dispensation heralded by President De Klerk's speech in February 1990. Finally, however, the Reagile Story indicates how the tactic of entering the local authority structure can have dire implications if new councillors become carbon copies of the ones they replace. In local politics the tide can easily turn and, when it does, the consequences are potentially devastating.