Fagan Commission

Categories: South Africa-related stubs

The Fagan Commission was set up by the government of South Africa in 1948 to investigate changes to the system of segregation.

The main recommendation of the commission's report was that segregation in the cities must end. This in turn would allow the free flow of labour and prevent the problem of migrant labour living in distant rural areas. The report was published at a time when Jan Smuts' popularity was low and his detractors had more support. In response the South African National Party created their own commission called the Sauer Commission. Its report suggested the exact opposite of the Fagan Commission, i.e segregation should continue and be implemented across all social and economic areas of life. The rise of postwar Apartheid can be attributed to the Sauer commission.