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Apartheid History: Resistance and Crisis Study Notes, Study notes of History
These study notes cover the history of apartheid in south africa, focusing on resistance movements, government policies, and the eventual crisis of the apartheid regime in the 1980s. Key topics include the introduction of apartheid, resistance from the anc and pac, the rise of the black consciousness movement, the soweto uprising, and the internal and external challenges faced by the south african government. The notes also detail the strategies employed by the government to maintain white rule and the contradictions within the apartheid system that ultimately led to its downfall. These notes are useful for students studying south african history and political science, providing a concise overview of the key events and movements during the apartheid era.
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- History Study Notes Topic
TheApartheidstate(1960s–1970s)
⟶Apartheidbecameincreasinglyoppressive
- Stateemployedmilitaryforcestostampresistance
- Forcedremovals
- Passsystem
- Social,economicandpoliticalsegregation ⟶Governmentwasconfidentithadovercomeresistance o Theycontinuedwithplansforseparatedevelopment Separatedevelopment(Verwoed’sgrandApartheidscheme): ⟶Calledforthecompleteseparationofblacksandwhites
- Separatehomelands
- Eachethnicgroupwouldbecomeanationinthehomelands
- Inthe1970sthegovernmentbegangrantinghomelandsindependen ce
- 1970CitizenActmadeallAfricanscitizensofahomeland ⟶Inthe1970s,pressureontheApartheidregimebegantoincrease
- Theeconomybegantoslowdown
- Influxcontrolbegantocollapse
- TheprotectivebarrierofwhiteruledstatesbrokewhenMozambi queand Angola gained independence
- BCMremovedfeelingsofhopelessnessinAfricans
- The1976SowetoUprisingbecameaturningpointforresistance
Totalstrategy
ApolicydevelopedbyPrimeMinisterPWBothainordertoensurecontinualwhiterul e ByappeasingWesterngovernmentsandincreasingmilitarycampaignsinorderto destabilise neighbouring countries. He therefore: o PutacrossthemessagethatSAfacedthethreatoftheUSSRtakingove r. o Asaresultpres.RonaldReaganandPMMargaretThatcherresi stedthe pressure to impose sanctions on SA o Increasedtheperiodofmilitarysubscriptionto2years,tostreng thenthe SADF o Introducedreforms o Introducedatri- cameralparliamentgivinglimitedpowertoIndians&Colour eds
2. Opposition
ChallengesfacedSAgovernment(1980s)
- Trade unionism
- DivisionwithintheNP
- Economicdecline
- Townshipunrest
- Oppositionbecomingbetterorganised
OppositionUnderground
⟶AfterSharpeville(1960)theANCandPACwerebanned o Non-violentresistancehadfailed o Theydecidetosetupunderground“armies”
⟶ANC:UmkhontoweSizwe: (anundergroundmilitaryforce)
o Destroyedgovernmentproperty o Nounnecessarybloodshed o Aim:forcegov.tonegotiatewiththeANC
⟶PAC:Poqo: (armedwing)
o Didnotavoidbloodshed o Responsibleforpoliceattacksandmurders o Aim:bringaboutrevolutionarychange ⟶ANCandPACformedundergroundstructures(cells) o Securitypolicewereabletoinfiltratethecellsanddestroythem ⟶Early1970s,blackoppositionwasseverelyrestricted,poorlyorganised and ineffectual ⟶TheBlackConsciousnessMovementsparksrevivalinopposition ⟶AfterSowetoUprising1976,thousandsofyoungpeoplejoinANCandPACine xile ⟶TheANCisabletorevivetheundergroundstructures ⟶ANCundergroundstructuresbecomemoreorganised
3. BlackConsciousness
Aphilosophythatadvocatedblackprideandvalues. Blackpeoplemustliberatethemselvesfromdiscrimi nationand oppression.
NatureandAimsofBC
In the 1960s, effective resistance was crushed and the brutal suppression led to feelingsofhopelessness.BCideasinspiredarenewaloftheAnti- Apartheidstruggle in the 1970s ⟶BCstartedasauniversitystudentmovementledbySteveBiko ⟶Aimedatchangingthewayblackpeoplethoughtandinstilasenseofself- worthin them ⟶BCwasbasedon: 1.PanAfricanism o Calledforthe unity ofall Africans o CreatedunityandsolidarityamongAfricans o Thebeliefthat peopleofAfricandescentshouldbeunified 2.NegritudeMovement o Soughtto reclaim the valueofBlacknessandAfricanculture
- BlackPower o EncouragedAfricanAmericanstobe proudofwhotheywere o Liberatethemselves withoutthehelpofsympatheticwhites Aimsandideas: ⟶Restorepeople’sprideinbeingBlackandAfrican ⟶Theterm“non-white”wasrejectedinfavourof“black” ⟶Encouragedblacksolidarity–includingIndiansandColoureds ⟶Promotedideathatblacksshouldliberatethemselves ⟶Hopedtoendblackdependencyonwhites
SteveBiko
⟶Becameinvolvedinstudentpolitics(1960s) ⟶MemberoftheNationalUnionofSouthAfricanStudents(NUSAS) o Non-racialunion,majoritywaswhite ⟶Believedthatblackstudentsneededtheirownunion ⟶1967,formedtheUniversityChristianMovement(UCM) o gaveblackstudentstheopportunityforrepresentation o Discussedtheneedforanationallyrepresentativeblackstudentorga nisation ⟶Recruitedstudentsfromotherethnicuniversities ⟶MetMariannhillinDec 1968 o DraftedaconstitutionfortheSouthAfricanStudents’Organisation(S AS0) o Taskwastoconscientizeblackcommunities o Instilinthemself-confidenceandself-pride WhatthreatdidBCposetothegovernment: ⟶SoughttoundermineApartheid ⟶Biko’sspeechesencouragedblackstorejectApartheid ⟶Incitedworkerstoembarkonstrikeaction ⟶BCMsupporteddisinvestment ⟶Apartheidgovernment’sreaction: o BCleadersbannedfromspeakinginpublic o TerrorismAct,1974,allowedfor80BPCactiviststobedetainedwitho uttrial o SASObannedoncampusesby 1975 o 1977,SteveBikowasbrutallymurdered
TheBlackConsciousnessMovement
⟶Haditsrootsinethnicuniversities ⟶Blacksolidarityandself-reliance o Youngpeopleweresenttocommunitiestocreateandrunclinic s,setup literacy campaigns ⟶Openlysupporteddisinvestmentcampaignsoverseas 1970s:LargenumberofgroupsassociatedwithBCM o BlackPeople’sConvention(BPC) o ServedasanumbrellabodyforBCM o InvolvedadultsintheBCM o Aims: liberateblackpeoplefrompsychologicalandphysicaloppr ession Introduce black communalism
ResultsoftheSowetoUprising ⟶Thousandsofstudentswereimprisoned ⟶SanctiononSAincreased o Internationalcommunityshockedbytheshootingofunarmedstuden ts ⟶Growingnumberofpeoplebecameinvolvedinresistance
4. ThecrisisofApartheidinthe 1980s
Internalchallenges: Strikeaction Widespreadviolenceintown ships Deteriorating economy Externalchallen ges:Sanctions
GovernmentattemptstoreformApartheid
Totalstrategyaimed to:
- Increasesecuritymeasurestostampoutresistance
- IntroducereformstowinthesupportofBlackmiddleclass
- MakeApartheidappearlessracisttoappeaseinternationalcommunity ⟶InordertomaintainWhiterule,Bothaproposedstrategiestomodifyandmod ernise Apartheid o These“reforms”aimedto:restructurelabour,createablackmiddl eclassand institute a new government including coloureds and Indians ⟶Thesechangesweresuperficialandmetwithmuchresistance,increasingvi olence ContradictionsofApartheid:
- Homelands
- Labourlaws
- Passsystem ⟶Homelandscouldnotsupportthemselvesandwerenotinternationallyreco gnisedas separate countries. Separate development therefore failed because: HomelandsremainedpoliticallyandeconomicallylinkedtoSouthAfrica Maintaining homelands became too costly for SA ⟶CitiesneededAfricanworkersbutthepresenceofAfricansincitieswasre stricted (pass laws and Urban Areas Act) o Itwasthereforedifficultforindustrytoestablishapermanentskill edlabour force ⟶Bigbusinessesdemandedachangeinlabourlaws o SAwasenteringaneconomicdecline o ThereforethecostsofApartheidoutweighedthebenefitsofitscheapl abour ⟶Inthe1970smillionsofAfricansdefiedPasslawsandmovedintoth ecities (to escape poverty and overcrowding) o Prosecutionsincreased o Influxcontrolbegantocrumbleasitbecametoocostlytomaintain
1982BantuAuthoritiesAct: InordertocreateaBlackmiddleclassgov.setupnewinitiativesintownships:
- 99-yearleaseholdsallowingBlackstobuyinsteadofrent
- Liftingtraderestrictionsintownshipsandlegalisingblackmini-buses
- GivingAfricanstheresponsibilityofadministeringthetownships ⟶BantuAuthoritiesActallowedforlocalauthoritiesmadeupofelectedBlack councils to run the townships ⟶Localauthoritieshadlimitedpower(stillcontrolledbythestate) ⟶Theywereself-financingandwereforcedtoraiserents (making them increasingly unpopular) ⟶Someofthemwerecorruptandusedtheirpositionstoenrichthemselves ⟶Theywererejectedbytownshipresidents o Seenasawayforthestatetodenythemparticipationinana tional democratic system o Seenassello uts Tri-cameral Parliament BothaproposedanewparliamentarysystemthatwouldincludecolouredsandIndi ans Metbymixedreactions: o ConservativeParty-outragedbytheideaofsharingpowerwithBlacks o ProgressiveFederalParty-rejecteditasitexcludedAfricans ⟶Tolegitimisehisproposal,BothaheldareferenduminNovember 1983 ⟶66%ofthewhiteswereinfavourofthischange ⟶Whitesstillhadmajoritypower ⟶Africanswereexcludedonthepretextthattheywouldbeabletovoteinth e homelands ⟶Thetri- cameralparliamentcausedgreatangerandledtopopularrevoltacrossSA ⟶BothahadunderestimatedtheangerandfrustrationfeltbythemajorityofS A ⟶HisattemptstomodifyApartheidfailedtowinBlacksupport o CausingviolentprotestagainstApartheid o Theseactionsmadethecountryungovernableandbrought aboutthe downfall of Apartheid
Internalresistancetoreforms
Trade Unionism ⟶AfricanunionismwassuppressedandAfricansweredeniedrightsinthewor kplace ⟶Intheearly1970s,Africantradeunionismbegantorevive ⟶MoreandmoreAfricansjoinedtradeunions(whichwasillegal) ⟶Thestrikesof1973boostedmorale ⟶The1979LabourRelationsAct^1 legalisedAfricanTradeunions o StrikesbecametheirmostpowerfulweaponinunderminingAparthei d ⟶Strikeactionincreaseddramatically(1984over300strikesin10months) ⟶DivisionsbetweenFOSATUandCUSAmadetradeunionactionlesseffective o 1981,theyhadunitytalks,resultingintheformationofC OSATU (LAUNCHED IN 1985) o Consistedof30non-racialtradeunions ⟶Tradeunionsplayedavaluableroleasthey: o weakenedtheeconomythroughstrikes o playedaroleinorganisingcivilprotests o