Apartheid Notes

Sharpeville Massacre

A deadly event in 1960 where police opened fire on a peaceful protest against the pass laws, resulting in 69 deaths.

MK (Umkhonto we Sizwe)

Armed wing of the ANC formed in 1961 to conduct violent sabotage against the apartheid government.

Rivonia Trial

A trial that began in 1963 where ANC leaders, including Mandela, were prosecuted for anti-apartheid activities.

Silent Sixties

A period in the 1960s marked by little protest due to fear and repression after the imprisonment of ANC leaders.

Black Consciousness Movement

A movement led by Steve Biko in the 1970s promoting pride and unity among black South Africans.

Soweto Uprising

A 1976 protest by students against Afrikaans in schools, which resulted in police brutality and national outrage.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)

A commission established in 1995 to uncover the truth about apartheid-era human rights abuses and promote healing.

Rainbow Nation

A term used to describe post-apartheid South Africa, promoting unity and diversity among its people.

AWB (Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging)

A far-right white supremacist group that opposed the end of apartheid and engaged in violence.

APLA (Azanian People's Liberation Army)

Armed wing of the PAC that conducted attacks to disrupt negotiations, believing they did not go far enough.

Boipatong Massacre

A 1992 incident where over 40 people were killed in a township, highlighting political violence and undermining peace talks.

Assassination of Chris Hani

The 1993 murder of ANC leader Hani, which nearly led to civil war but prompted a push for faster negotiations to democracy.

Referendum (1992)

A whites-only vote in 1992 that showed 68% support for continuing negotiations to end apartheid.

First democratic elections

Held in 1994, marking the end of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela as the first black president of South Africa.