Cllr charts his path to Ph.D and author
WARD 66 councillor, Duncan Du Bois hopes to bring his recently completed Ph.D. thesis on the colonisation of the South Coast to the public through the publication of a book.
“The end of year means exams for some but for me it has meant the completion and submission of a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) at the University of KwaZulu Natal. I commenced background reading and preparation late in 2010 on my topic ‘Sugar and Settlers: the colonisation of the Natal South Coast, 1850-1910,’ and enrolled as a student at UKZN in 2011, 40 years after I first enrolled there as an undergraduate in 1971.”
Du Bois imposed a strict schedule of research and writing over the last three years, going back and forth between archives in Durban and Pietermaritzburg and the Killie Campbell and Don Africana libraries. “My research involved delving through 1,500 boxes of unpublished material in the archives and perusing 58 years of editions of the Natal Mercury, aside from numerous other sources.”
When asked why he took on such an expansive project, Du Bois said: “The answer is simple – I’m passionate about history and enjoy research and writing. As far as my topic is concerned, to date no comprehensive account of the South Coast has ever been made. My study is, therefore, the first one.”
The councillor is now adapting the thesis into a book for the public, which involves more research for photographic images and other data. “The role of the sugar pioneers in rolling back the frontiers which beset the fledgling settlement of the colony of Natal more than 140 years ago, needs to be historically elevated and appreciated. At the same time the dark shadow of the abuse of indentured Indian labourers on certain South Coast sugar estates must not be forgotten.”
– erinh@dbn.caxton.co.za
