South African Apartheid Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on the South African Apartheid Study Guide.

Afrikaner

White South Africans of Dutch descent who dominated South African politics and were the architects of apartheid.

Nelson Mandela (philosophy changes)

Early years: Focused on peaceful protest and non-violent resistance. Later: Advocated for reconciliation and negotiation to end apartheid peacefully.

Winnie Mandela

Second wife of Nelson Mandela; a militant activist in the 1980s who endorsed violent tactics.

Steve Biko

Leader of the Black Consciousness Movement; promoted black pride and resistance. Died under police detention.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Vocal critic of apartheid, Nobel Peace Prize winner, leader of non-violent resistance, and head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Black Consciousness Movement

Movement that fostered black pride and self-reliance in the fight against apartheid.

ANC (African National Congress)

Primary liberation movement; worked both through peaceful protest and armed struggle.

Umkhonto we Sizwe – Spear of the Nation

The armed wing of the ANC formed to sabotage apartheid government installations and fight repression.

Cradock Four

Four anti-apartheid activists murdered by security police in 1985; symbol of government disappearances.

F.W. de Klerk

The last apartheid-era president; lifted bans on political groups, released Mandela, and negotiated the end of apartheid.

Dutch

First European nation to colonize South Africa.

Nationalist Party (1948)

Came to power in 1948 and formally instituted apartheid.

Pass Laws

Restricted movement, requiring passbooks.

Group Areas Act

Segregated residential areas.

Bantu Education Act

Separate and inferior education for blacks.

Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act

Banned interracial marriage.

Separate Amenities Act

Segregated public places.

Afrikaans

Language of Afrikaners, forcibly imposed on black schools, leading to the Soweto Uprising.

Sharpeville Massacre (1960)

Police killed 69 peaceful protestors opposing pass laws, escalating resistance.

Soweto Uprising (1976)

Student protests against Afrikaans in schools; brutally suppressed; intensified resistance.

Pass Book Laws

Black South Africans forced to carry passbooks controlling their urban movements.

Robben Island

Prison where Mandela and other activists were held for decades.

Bantustans (homelands)

Created to give limited “independence” to Black ethnic groups but remained dependent on South Africa. Intended to deny blacks South African citizenship and political rights.

State of Emergency (1986)

Police given broad powers to arrest, torture, and detain activists; military presence increased.

Truth & Reconciliation Commission

Created to uncover truth about apartheid abuses, promote forgiveness.

Sport to unify country

Rugby (used by Mandela to promote national unity after the 1994 election).

Year apartheid began

1948 (when Nationalist Party took power and instituted apartheid).

The year Mandela was released

1990

Year apartheid ended and 1st all-race election

1994

Cyril Ramaphosa

South African politician and businessman who played a significant role in the struggle against apartheid. President in 2018.

Mark Mathabane (Johannes)

South African author known for his autobiography “Kaffir Boy,” which recounts his experiences growing up under apartheid.