Apartheid

1945

Black Africans made up 50% of the industrial workforce.

1956

Treason Trial begins: 156 people charged after publication of the Freedom Charter.

Trial lasts 5 years; all are declared innocent.

1960

Same day (as sharpville): £43 million withdrawn by international investors; Johannesburg Stock Exchange crashes.

28 March: Luthuli calls national strike. 95% of Cape Town’s African population + many Coloureds participate — first national strike in SA history.

30 March: PAC-led march (30,000–50,000 people) in Cape Town. State of Emergency declared. 18,000 arrested.

By 9 April: 83 non-white civilians and 3 non-white police officers killed.

ANC banned; Mandela arrested with 2,000 others.

Black income less than 20% of white income.

1960 21 March – Sharpeville Massacre

5,000 initially march to police station, swelling to 7,000–20,000.

69 people killed, 180 wounded; 70% shot in the back.

In Langa Flats: 3 killed, 27 injured during a protest.

1962

Sabotage Act passed.

Mandela arrested for leaving the country without a permit and inciting strikes → sentenced to 5 years.

1963

Mid-year: 10,000 Poqo and MK suspects imprisoned.

1967-1976

No housing built for African families in Pretoria during this entire period.

1972-1977

4 Black Consciousness activists killed, including Steve Biko (46th known death in custody under State Security Laws)

1978

7,000 black South Africans forcibly removed from Schmidtsdrift to near the Kalahari Desert.

1980s

PAC support drops to just 2.4% in urban areas; even less in rural areas.

ANC grows; MK becomes more active.

1983

Car bomb at Pretoria Air Force HQ kills 19 people.

1986

Durban bar bombing: 3 killed, 60+ wounded.

1988

11 June: "Freedom at 70" concert at Wembley Stadium, broadcast to 60+ countries (biggest international broadcast since Live Aid).

12 June: Glasgow-to-London march begins. Ends with 250,000 people in Hyde Park before Mandela’s birthday.

86,000 sign Sunday Post’s petition for Mandela’s release — risking prosecution.

1990

Mandela released after ‘10,000 days’ (27 years) in prison.

PAC membership reaches 25,000.

Living Conditions - Bantustans

13% of land set aside for 80% of population.

Population in Bantustans grew from 4.4 million (1960) to 11 million (1980).

QwaQwa population density: 298/km²; white areas of Cape: 2/km².

KwaZulu Bantustan comprised over 40 scattered tracts of land.

Apartheid Structure - Health and Wealth Inequality

Black income < 20% of white income.

Infant mortality for black and coloured Africans: 13× higher than whites.

Apartheid Structure - Discrimination in Prison

Black prisoners received less sugar than coloured and Indian prisoners.

Mandela negotiated all prisoners get equal sugar (1.5 teaspoons).

Mandela was banned from physical contact with wife for 21 years and was denied attending his son’s funeral.

PAC and ANC

ANC swelled to 100,000 members after Congress Alliance + Freedom Charter.

Maritzburg Conference organised by Mandela: 1,440 delegates from 145 groups — biggest political African gathering in SA history.

MK

200 acts of sabotage in first 18 months.

600 people killed/injured over 20 years of operations.

300 MK recruits sent for military training abroad.

Black Consciousness Movement

• Health and economic projects improved dignity and physical conditions in villages.

• Biko’s death became a major symbol of apartheid brutality.

Free Mandela Campaign

20,000 mayors globally signed declaration for Mandela's release.

“Freedom at 70” became a unifying international campaign.