The Garrison and the State

This chapter examines the evolving relationship between the imperial, colonial, and local states in relation to the role of the garrison of Fort Napier. In particular, it considers the granting of responsible government to Natal in 1893 and how this act transformed the nature of the colonial state while also setting a time limit for the continued presence of the imperial garrison. It also discusses the practical implications of the change in the structure of the state and the anticipated withdrawal of the garrison in terms of the occupation and reservation of coveted land in urban centers by the imperial military. In addition, the chapter explores the contrasting consequences of the transfer of military land in Durban, which occurred before the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War, as opposed to Pietermaritzburg, in which the transfer happened some twenty years later. The chapter concludes with an assessment of the return of regular troops to Fort Napier in 1906, along with their continued presence under a very different political dispensation as Natal was absorbed into the Union of South Africa.