South Africa 1.1 (Origins of Apartheid)

Coloureds

Coloureds is the European-made term given to people who have mixed descent. They are generally part Euorpean and part Indian or part native South African.

Afrikaner

Afrikaners are generally white or European colonizers (or people who descended from them) who live in South Africa. They founder the Afrikaner Party and started Apartheid in South Africa.

Battle of Blood River

This was the famed battle between the Dutch (Boers) and native South Africans (Zulus) that ended in a European victory. This led to the belief that Europeans were chosen by God and they vowed to civilize Africa.

Xhosa

The Xhosa were the native people of South Africa that had flourishing kingdoms which came under fire during the midst of the establishment of British settlement.

Transvaal

It was officially known as the South African Republic. Along with the Orange Free State, it made up the Dutch Republic where racial discrimination was rampant. Gold was found here and the area became highly concentrated with White workers.

Orange Free State

Along with the Transvaal, this was the Dutch Republic where racial discrimination ran rampant.

Bloemfontein/Sand River Conventions

During these conventions, the British acknowledged the independence of the Transvaal and Orange Free State through a treaty. Even though the treaties forbade the revival of slavery, it was still practiced.

Gold/Witwatersrand 1886

Gold was discovered and there was a massive influx in people coming to the Transvaal. White workers who spoke English came in search of gold ad work, leading to the emergence of the city of Johannesburg.

South African War 1899-1902

This was mainly caused by the dispute between wealthy Europeans and native Africans over extending the right to vote to all Whites in the republic - parties did agree on White political domination, though. There were harsh economic effects.

South African Party (SAP)

This party had the main goal of establishing legal roots for a system of racial segregation. It was replaced by a party led by Hertzog.

Act of Union (South Africa Act) 1909

The South Africa act unified the British colonies and placed the issue of “native affairs” under the control of the government.

Natives Land Act 1913

This act prohibited Africans, the majority population, from owning or renting land anywhere outside of “native reserves”. These reserves were tiny and quickly became overcrowded and impoverished. Africans could only live outside the reserves if they were employed by Whites.

Native (Urban Areas) Act 1923

This act stated that cities were for White use and required that Africans living there would need passes or would otherwise be arrested and expelled.

Industrial Conciliation Act 1924

This act allowed Whites to register in a trade union, and it excluded Blacks. This meant that Africans couldn’t negotiate for better pay or working conditions.

National Party

The NP replaced the SAP in power, which brought ambition and harsh ideas regarding segregation to the political scene.

JMB Hertzog

He was the founder of the NP and saw segregation carried out through policies of so-called civilized labor.

Wage Acts 1925

The Wage Act was enacted by Hertzog’s NP government and it was a law that made private companies give preference to White when hiring workers.

Mines and Works Amendment Act 1926

The Mines and Works Amendment Act enforced more restrictions on the mining industry to prevent Blacks from competing for jobs that were typically dominated by White workers.

United Party

The South African and National Parties had to merge following the economic effects of the Great Depression, which paved the way for the United Party to take over. This party enacted more racist legislation because they were scared that they would be overturned.

Purified National Party

The Gesuiwerde Nasionale Party (GNP) was a faction of the National Party that was rooted in strong beliefs surrounding radical racism. It aimed to reinforce and expand apartheid policies, advocating for the complete separation of races in all aspects of life.

Representation of Natives Act 1936

This act took away the right of native South Africans to vote. It did not take away voting rights from coloureds (mixed descent Africans), and it was confined to the Cape.

National Representative Council

The Representation of Natives Act also resulted in the creation of a Natives Representative Council in an attempt to make it seem like African opinions were being considered. The council was made up of traditional African leaders who did not have any true power.

Native Trust and Land Act 1936

This act legally extended the area granted to Native Africans in the form of reserves from 7.5% of the country to 13%. However this was never actually carried out. This act also gave authorities more power to expel Africans living illegally outside reserves.

Native Laws Amendment Act 1937

This act was similar to the second specification of the Native Trust and Land Act since it strengthened law enforcement’s power to regulate and enforce laws that required Africans living in cities to be employed by Whites and carry legal passes at all times.

Broederbond

The Afrikaner Broederbond was a secret Afrikaner nationalist group that worked to celebrate events like the Great Trek and the Battle of Blood River. These were historic European victories over the native South African population which led to the initiation of apartheid.

Reunited National Party

When Hertzog stepped down and then reconciled with the NP breakaway party leader Malan, the national party was renamed to the Herenigde Nasionale Party or just the NP. Afrikaners identified with Nazi Germany and there was a surge in nationalist support and NP party membership.

African Mine Workers’ Union (AMWU)

When Black trade unions were formed against the law, the AMWU was one of the leading organizations. It organized huge strikes despite brutal police pushback and intervention. Their strikes let the government know the severity of labor conditions.

Fagan Commission/Report

Following the AMWU miners’ strike, the Fagan Commission was set up. The report detailed that African urbanization was irreversible and economic benefits pointed to normalizing the status of Blacks living in the cities and relaxing pass laws. The report was the foundation of the United Party’s campaign goals.

Sauer Commission

The Fagan report worried racist White voters and in pushback, the NP commissioned Sauer to assess the situation. His report detailed the White survival in Africa required preservation of the country’s White identity, which could only happen with the complete separation between races.

Black Peril/Red Peril

Whites connected with Sauer’s report as it embodied their fears. The NP’s campaign slogans became swart gevaar and rooi gevaar, meaning black and red peril. This raised the twin spectres of White cities overwhelmed by Black workers and civilized Afrikaner way of life threatened by a godless, revolutionary communism