History_ Term 3 & 4

Topics include: The UN, Apartheid and Resistance to Apartheid

The United Nations

An international organization formed after WWII in 1945 to bring people together, keep the peace and improve the lives of the poor
- HQ in New York
- Started with 51 countries, now 193

The Atlantic Charter (1941)

A joint proclamation by the United States and Britain declaring that they were fighting the Axis powers to ensure that everyone in the world should have the right to 4 freedoms

4 Freedoms of the Atlantic Charter

Freedom from want
Freedom of speech
Freedom from fear
Freedom of religion

Main objectives of the UN

- maintain peace and security in the world
- work together to reduce poverty, disease and reduce illiteracy to encourage respect for each other's basic rights
- develop friendly relations among nations
- be a centre to help nations achieve these goals

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

A document that outlines the basic human rights that all people in the world should have, regardless of nationality, gender, age, color, religion, wealth, ability or any other discriminating factor.

Some Articles in the UDHR

Everyone has the right to:
Education
Take part in Democratic Government
A healthy standard of living
Freedom of though and religion
Life, freedom and safety
Travel and live anywhere in their country

Racism

The belief that one's own race is better than another, and the unfair treatment of these other races

Apartheid

The official system of segregation or discrimination on racial grounds formally enforced in South Africa (Afrikaans 'separateness')

The National Party

- came into power in 1948
- introduced a policy of racial segregation (Apartheid)

The foundations for Apartheid were laid long before the NP came to power. Why?

Racial segregation had been introduced by the previous governments in the following areas:
- land ownership
- the labor market
- access to cities, towns
- administrative systems segregation

Land Act (1913)

Black people could only own land in the 'reserves'. These reserves covered only 7% of the country and became overcrowded very quickly
- extended in 1936, many more people forced off their land , reserves increased from 7% to 13%

Reserves

Areas that were set aside where black South Africans were allowed to own land. These land reserves would later become the 'homelands' during Apartheid

Color Bar Act (1926)

Skilled Jobs on the mines were reserved for white workers only, Black workers could only get unskilled or semi-skilled jobs.
- black workers were not allowed to strike o be members of a trade union
- part of the civilized labor policy

Civilized Labor Policy

Policy designed to raise the standard of living of white workers, but make sure that black workers could never rise above a low level in the workplace

Pass System

- government of the 1920s and 1930s tried to limit the movement of black South Africans from the reserves to the towns
- form of influx control because blacks were seen as only temporary residents of a town

The Native Representation Act (1936)

Management of the reserves was handed over to traditional leaders in the form of tribal councils.
- those leaders who refused to become a part of this segregated system were sidelined, and another leader was appointed

Group Areas Act (1950)

South Africans were only allowed to live and own property in areas of the city that had been set aside for their race
- urban areas were divided up according to race

Consequences of the Group Areas Act (1950)

Inconvenient
Cost to work
Loss of community
Drugs and gangs in new areas

Native Abolition of Passes Act (1952)

This law forced every black person over the age of 16 to carry a pass when in white only areas
- if a person did not produce their passbook when requested they were fined/imprisoned

Population Registration Act (1950)

All South Africans had to be classified as European, Indian, Coloured or African
- race was recorded in ID books

Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act (1949)

Prohibited marriages between "Europeans" and "non-Europeans"
- marriages between white and black people were illegal

Immorality Act (1950)

Prohibited all sexual relations between whites & non-whites.

Seperate Amenities Act (1953)

Separated public facilities according to race.

Bantu Education Act (1953)

Created a separate, inferior education system for black students
- schools were divided according to race
- less funding was given to black schools

Bantustans

The name given to the 10 Homeland 'reserves' created by the Apartheid Government.

Bophuthatswana

- consisted of seven pieces of land located in three different provinces in SA
- received its "independence" from South Africa in 1976
- Apartheid government made sure that they retained control over many aspects of Bophuthatswana
- people lived mostly in extreme poverty as a result of the overcrowding and lack of jobs

Suppression of Communism Act (1950)

Banned the SACP, and made it possible for the government to arrest anyone they suspected of being a communist

1 May 1950

May Day Strike (SACP)
- national 'stay at home' protest organized by the SACP
- police opened fire on protesters, killing 18 and wounding 30

ANC

- formed in 1912
- Youth League established in 1944; aim was to encourage young people to fight against the segregation of races within the country

Albert Luthuli

Zulu chief who became the president of the ANC in 1952 known for his commitment to non-violence. He was a strong advocate for peaceful protest and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960.

Defiance Campaign (1952)

A non-violent form of protest against the Apartheid Laws

Aim of the Defiance Campaign (1952)

For thousands of people to purposely break the law and be arrested, because so many people were involved, South Africa would become ungovernable and the government would be forced to end Apartheid

Response of government to the Defiance Campaign (1952)

The declared states of emergency, arrested its leaders and passed new laws to stop resistance

Positive Consequences of the Defiance Campaign (1952)

- 8000 people arrested
- support for ANC + increase in membership
- led to international solidarity movement (Civil Rights Movement - Martin Luther King)

Negative Consequences of the Defiance Campaign (1952)

NP creation of new and harsher laws
- people could be arrested for no reason
- newspaper censorship
- people banned
- public safety act

Public Safety Act (1953)

Allows government to declare a State of Emergency at any time

Freedom Charter

- adopted in 1955
- the statement of core principles of the South African Congress Alliance, which consisted of the ANC and its allies: the South African Indian Congress, the South African Congress of Democrats and the Coloured People's Congress.

Government response to the Freedom Charter

They believed that it promoted treason and arrested 156 members of the Congress of the People (the Treason Trial)

Woman's March

- 9 August 1956
- march by women to the Union Buildings
- to protest against the pass laws for women

Formation of PAC (1959)

- Pan African Congress
- led by Robert Sobukwe
- broke away from ANC
- rejected the ANC's policy of non-racialism
- saw the struggle as a national struggle against white domination

Sharpeville Massacre (1960)

21 March 1960
In order to get ahead of the ANC, the PAC organized the anti-pass demonstration 10 days before the ANC's

Events of the Sharpeville Massacre (1960)

- protests happened at Sharpeville townships, near Vereeniging and Langa in Cape town
- people went to the pass station and demanded arrest for not carrying pass books
- they chanted, challenged officers, a few threw stones but unarmed
- 300 policemen opened fire, 69 killed, 186 injured
- many shot in the back

Short term consequences of Sharpeville Massacre (1960) and response by Resistance movements

Massive stay away from work organized
Anti-pass demonstrations continued

Short term consequences of Sharpeville Massacre (1960) and response by Apartheid government

Over 18 000 demonstrators attested, including much of ANC and PAC leadership + Sobukwe
Verwoerd declared a state of emergency
- detention without trial
- gatherings of over 10 people banned
ANC and PAC banned 1 month later

Long term consequences of Sharpeville Massacre (1960) and response by Resistance movements

Many went into exile to avoid arrest
Others took the struggle underground
ANC and PAC decided to adapt violent methods of struggle
Formed secret armed resistance groups

Umkhonto we Sizwe

Spear of Nation
Military group of ANC
Commander in Chief : Nelson Mandela
Attacked government buildings, power lines and railways

Poqo

We go alone
Commander in Chief: Robert Sobukwe
Assassinated Transkei chiefs and Langa and Paarl policemen

Sabotage Campaign (1961-1963)

- Led by Spear of the Nation
- destruction of government installations and buildings by means of bombs
- aim: overthrow government
- 200 acts of sabotage orchestrated in the first 18 months

Long term consequences of the Sabotage Campaign (1961-1963) and response by the Apartheid government

Intensification of oppression an police brutality
Police were given more power to crush resistance
- arrested thousands of people
- crushed poqo
- 90 days detention act, renewed to 180 days
- Rivonia trial

The Rivonia Trial (1963)

Leaders of ANC's underground movement were designing Operation Mayibuye, a plan to overthrow the government
- arrested in July 1963 at their HQ Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia
- arrested for 221 acts of sabotage
- Mandela + 7 colleagues sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island

World Response to the Armed Struggle

- saw that the Apartheid government was violent and that 'separate development' was not equal
- April 1960: UN Security COuncil demanded an end to apartheid
- International Demonstration
- International anti-apartheid organizations

Factors that led to the Soweto Uprising

A growing sense of pride in being black, which began with the rise of BCM
The successful strike action by workers in Durban
The liberation of Angola and Mozambique
Bantu Education and the introduction of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction

Black Consciousness Movement (1969)

Founded by Steve Biko
All non-white South Africans should work to achieve their aims without the help of whites
- this was to restore confidence and pride in being black

The successful strike action by workers in Durban

Wages dropped and working hours increased. In response, over 200 000 workers went on strike
- wages increased
- working hours decreased
Inspired anti-apartheid activists; resistance can be successful

The Liberation of Angola and Mozambique (1975)

White, majority rule was overthrown after many years of struggle
- set amazing example to anti-apartheid activists that change was possible
Samora Machel (new leader of Mozambique) became a great hero to South African youth

Bantu Education and the introduction of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction

South African high school students rejected Bantu Education
Different student organizations across the country connected and organized boycotts
Afrikaans as a medium of instruction for some subjects was the catalyst for the Soweto Uprising
- black students saw it as the language of the oppressor and neither teacher nor students could speak or understand it very well

Short term consequences of the Soweto Uprising (1976)

Politicization of the youth
Worker's stay away
6 July: government backed down on AMI
Uprising spread to the rest of SA
Police brutality

Long term consequences of the Soweto Uprising (1976)

Beginning of the end of Apartheid
14 000 students joined MK
October 1977: government banned BCM organizations
International Media Attention
1977: UN full arms embargo

Tricameral Parliament

Gave colored and Indian South Africans their own Parliament
Black Africans were disregarded
In reality these parliaments had very little power

United Democratic Front (1983)

Several anti-apartheid movements joined together to urge people not to vote for the separate parliaments (tricameral)

Unbanning of political movements (1990)

FW De Klerk became president in September in 1989
In February 1990 he scrapped all Apartheid laws, unbanned parties and released political prisoners

Conflict in the 1990s

1990-1994 : appalling unforeseen violence; 14 000 dead; 22 000 injured
ANC - IFP violence
- leadership vacuum to be filled and pre-existing ethnic tensions flared up
White extremists also making their last stand