Studied by 4 people
National Day of Protest (21st October 1950)
Mandela and ANC leadership called for National Day of Protest (26/6/1950)
In cooperation with political organisations representing:
Coloured = African People’s Organisation (APO)
Indian = South African Indian Congress (SAIC)
In cities, most black businesses closed and a majority of workers stayed home
Suppression of Communism Act (no.4) (1950)
Outlawed Communist Party → didn’t form a significant threat to the government
Any criticism of government = communism
Empowered the minister of justice to list members of such organisations
‘Ban’ them usually for 5 years from public office, attending public meetings, being in any area of SA
Minister of Justice could investigate any organisation, declare it illegal, liquidate its assets and ban any gatherings deemed likely to further the aims of communism
Defiance Campaign (April 1952)
ANC + SAIC organised mass rallies and stay-at-homes for 6th April and 26th June → thousans of men and women supported it
Aimed to repeal:
Pass Laws Act
Group Areas Act
Suppression of Communism Act
Separate Representation of Voters Act
Stock Limitation Act
Made it compulsory for Africans to cull their cattel = unpopular in rural aras and included in campaign to broaden support to African peasants
Government reacted by banning leaders and newspapers under Suppression of Communism Act + arresting participants
December 1952: approx. 8500 people had been arrested → Defiance Campaign largely come to an end with no real change in laws
Successes of the Defiance Campaign (1952)
For first time, ANC coordinated extended national campaign against Apartheid
Leadership proved capable of discipline and sacrifice
Thousands of ordinary SA people demonstrated readiness to be involved → as volunteers and supporters
Stage had been set for development of true mass movement
Broad coalition of interest groups involved in planning and execution
From communists and trade unions to members of Indian community and ANC Women’s League
Hardly anyone in party (including members of emerging Africanist faction) objected in principle to working alongside non-African groups
National and global profile of ANC grew as a result
Failures of the Defiance Campaign (1952)
ANC failed to achieve any of its main political objectives = not a single one of the six laws was repealed
Government emerged with even stronger repressive powers with passage of Criminal Law Amendment Act and Public Safety Act (also introduced during the campaign)
Anticipated wave of general strikes that would herald climax of campaign + cripple SA economy never materialised
Campaign viewed with hostility by many in the white community → viewed it as revolutionary challenge to their interests particularly after outbreak of riots
English language press unsympathetic → liberal whites sought to distance themselves from campaign they believed to be radical + confrontational
Congress of The People (25-26th June 1955)
3000 delegates met near Soweto
Represented:
African = ANC
White = The Congress of Democrats
Indian = SAIC
Coloured = The Coloured People’s Congress
South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU)
Goal to develop a new vision for a future South Africa
Main document discussed = Freedom Charter → drafted several weeks previously
Government Response to Freedom Charter
Charter ratified by Congress delegates when police surrounded the meeting
Announced treason was being committed
Took the names of all those attending
Following year using this information = police arrested 156 leaders
Put on trial for next 5 years
Passed 2 censorship acts:
Customs and Exercise Act (1955)
Official Secrets Act (no.16) (1956)
Established Board of Censors to censor books, films and other material produced/imported into SA
Treason Trials (1956-61)
156 people representing nearly 50 organisations → mix of Africans, whites, Indians, coloureds
Included Nelson Mandela and almost every other significant figure in the anti-apartheid movement
Government claimed the Freedom Charter was a communist inspired document = charged with treason
Trial had several phases:
Phase 1: most of those charged had their indictments dropped
Final phase: remaining 30 defendents all members of ANC had charges dropped
ANC declared to be non-voilent and not a communist-front organisation
Alexandra Bus Boycott (January 1957)
Not the first bus boycott in SA, used frequently before and some were quite large in scale
Alexandra: bus company raised prices from the township into the city
Hundreds of thousands took part in protests + generated symphathetic coverage in the white media
How did it get so large?
Context - Sophiatown removals amongst others affecting the area
1956 decision to issue compulsory passes to women
Lack of other protests against the government thanks to ANC crackdowns
Economic pressures of the time → already spending more than a month’s salary annually on bus fares → could not afford the 1p increase
Boycott spread to Sophiatown and surrounding townships of Pretoria: other cities staged boycotts in solidarity
Eventually the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce intervened = old fares restored and government subsidised the transport company
Success
Why did the ANC split after the Alexandra Bus Boycotts?
Because of ANC’s failure to achieve any practical success in campaigns led to major split by 1959
Critics said had made too many compromises + failed to represent African interests
Mainly due to its alliance with the white Congress of Democrats
Africanists led by Robert Sobukwe → called on the ANC to represent African interests first and take more action
Forced out of ANC → formed Pan-African Congress
Pan-African Congress (PAC)
Nationwide campaign against the pass laws
Called on Africans to assemble outside police stations without their passes and challenge police to arrest them
One demonstration - Sharpeville
Sharpeville Massacre (21st March 1960)
Sharpeville: ‘Native’ township of around 37,000 people in industrial area of Vereeniging, south of Johannesburg
Suffered from high unemployment + resentment towards local factories which relied on cheaper imported migrant labour
Up to 20,000 people gathered to protest pass laws
Plan was to go to police station, show they had no passes, demand to be arrested = they couldn’t arrest them all
However, seems that a policeman was pushed over by the crowd so they opened fire
In minutes, 69 dead, almost 200 wounded
Investigation later found that 70% of those killed had been shot in the back
Effect of Sharpeville Massacre
Economy suffered as foreign investors pulled money out amongst international outcry
2000 political leaders arrested
State of emergency declared → army reserves mobilised to help put down disturbances = public meetings banned
White emigration surpassed white immigration → whites began arming themselves in increasing numbers
Some Afrikaner politicians started questioning apartheid policies as being too heavy-handed
ANC + PAC banned under new Unlawful Organisations Act → 7th April 1960
18,000 people arrested and often beaten
How did the ANC’s stance change post-Sharpeville Massacre?
Calls for end to apartheid = ignored
Clear to leadership of ANC that all this energy, time, money was wasted → now they’re banned as a group too = time for something different
Mandela justified change in ANC stance by saying that violence was inevitable
Military branch of ANC formed -→ ANC secret meeting: Mandela suggested they should sponsor armed wing
Albert Luthuli opposed this and wants to commit to non-violence
Luthuli later suggested → military branch should be separate but under ANC leadership
Government Response to ANC’s Armed Struggle
Little significant military damage from ANC = small scale attacks
Sabotage Act (1962)
Those charged with acts of sabotage faced death penalty, presumed guilty until proved innocent, security forces could use torture
General Laws Amendment Act (1963)
Authorities could arrest anyone for 90 days, after 90 days passed could charge and hold for another 90 days → continue indefinitely
Bantu Laws Amendment Act (1964)
Authorities could deport any African from any urban/farming area for any reason
Rivonia Trial (1963-64)
Post-government Raid on Liliesleaf Farm
Seized 17 MK members, weapons + documents → clearly stated Mandela’s role
All arrested, faced death penalty
20th April - Mandela spoke to the court which included local + intl. press
Spoke for 4 hours, turned charges against him into an indictment against apartheid
Mandela and others pled not guilty
Judge Quartus de Wet took 3 weeks to decide
Prosecutor had been pushing for death penalty → everone sentenced to life in prison except for Denis Goldberg (22 years as the only white)
Lots of intl. Pressure to avoid death penalty but unsure why he decided to do so
Mandela sent back to Robben Island with 6 other defendants → there for the next 27 years
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