Notes on the End of Apartheid and the Transition to Democracy in South Africa
Farewell Apartheid: The Rise and Fall
Bantu Education and Black Consciousness
Bantu Education's Aim:
To train African students for subservient roles in South African society, limiting their rights and opportunities.
Designed to ensure Africans accepted their place as servants to whites without aspiring for more.
Failure of Bantu Education:
Instead of creating a docile workforce, it fostered a generation aware of apartheid's injustices.
Students recognized they were being taught to see themselves as inferior.
Steve Biko and Black Consciousness:
Biko, a product of Bantu Education, articulated the 'Black Consciousness' philosophy, responding to the system's inherent racism.
Black Consciousness aimed to empower blacks psychologically and politically.
Growing Frustrations:
Frustrations were intensified within the school systems, particularly in urban areas where the government had expanded the number of African schools due to labor shortages.
Increased enrollment in African schools and universities despite the homeland scheme.
Black enrolment rose significantly: 1 million in 1955 to million in 1969 in elementary and secondary schools.
Black university population increase: in 1961 to in 1972.
Declining Resources: The amount of GDP spent on black education steadily declined, resulting in overcrowding.
African high school enrolment grew by % from 1970 to 1975.
Disparity in resources: In Soweto, 16,000 families per high school compared to 1,300 families for every white high school.
Overcrowding Example: Morris Isaacson High in Soweto had 70 students per classroom.
Formation of SASO:
African university students, frustrated with their situation, broke away from the multiracial National Union of South African Students (NUSAS) in 1969.
Formed the South African Students' Organisation (SASO).
SASO, founded by Stephen Bantu Biko, advocated for blacks to take control of their struggle against apartheid given NUSAS adhered to apartheid laws in its daily practice.
Blacks needed their own representative organizations and should not rely on whites as allies.
Blacks should work to assert themselves and stake their rightful claim in the open society.
Blacks had to remake themselves psychologically to overcome the inferiority complex resulting from centuries of oppression.
Biko: Blacks are suffering from an inferiority complex due to 300 years of oppression.
Needed a grassroots build-up of black consciousness to assert themselves.
Biko's philosophy rejected relying on well-meaning white liberals, who vacillated between black and white worlds, extracting privileges.
Growing Contradictions
Steve Biko's Background:
Born in 1946, received primary and secondary education in missionary-run institutions.
Experienced the full effects of 'Bantu Education' from 1965 onward.
Studied at the 'Non-European' section of the medical school at the University of Natal.
Influences on Biko:
Inspired by ANC activist Anton Lembede and the Black Power movement in the United States.
Defining 'Blacks':
Biko defined 'blacks' as including Africans, Coloureds, and Asians—all racial groups denied basic civil rights under apartheid.
Non-Violent Methods:
While advocating for change, Biko rejected the violent policies adopted by the ANC and PAC in the early 1960s, emphasizing non-violent methods.
Initial Government Misinterpretation:
Initially, government officials welcomed Black Consciousness, mistakenly believing it complemented racial separation in apartheid.
Realization of Black Consciousness's True Aim:
The government soon realized that Black Consciousness aimed not to restrict Africans to homelands but to challenge apartheid.
SASO's Activities and Government Repression:
In 1972, SASO organized strikes on university campuses, leading to over 600 student arrests.
In 1974, SASO and the Black People's Convention organized rallies celebrating the overthrow of Portuguese colonialism in Angola and Mozambique.
Students' Message:
Students connected decolonization in neighboring countries to their own fight against apartheid. *Quoting Price, 1991: 52:
Farewell Apartheid: The Rise and Fall
Bantu Education and Black Consciousness
Bantu Education's Aim:
To train African students for subservient roles in South African society, limiting their rights and opportunities. The curriculum was intentionally designed to be inferior, ensuring Africans accepted their place as servants to whites without aspirations for more.
The system aimed to perpetuate the idea of white superiority and black inferiority through a deliberately skewed education.
Failure of Bantu Education:
Instead of creating a docile workforce, it fostered a generation acutely aware of apartheid's injustices. The students became more enlightened and politically active.
Students recognized they were being taught to see themselves as inferior, leading to widespread dissatisfaction and resistance.
Steve Biko and Black Consciousness:
Biko, a product of Bantu Education, articulated the 'Black Consciousness' philosophy, responding to the system's inherent racism. His ideas became the cornerstone of a movement.
Black Consciousness aimed to empower blacks psychologically and politically, encouraging self-reliance and pride in their identity.
Growing Frustrations:
Frustrations were intensified within the school systems, particularly in urban areas where the government had expanded the number of African schools due to labor shortages. The need for labor inadvertently increased educational opportunities, albeit within an oppressive framework.
Increased enrollment in African schools and universities despite the homeland scheme. Many saw education as a means to challenge the system.
Black enrolment rose significantly: 1 million in 1955 to million in 1969 in elementary and secondary schools. This surge created additional strain on already limited resources.
Black university population increase: in 1961 to in 1972. The rise in educated black individuals contributed to the growing intellectual resistance against apartheid.
Declining Resources: The amount of GDP spent on black education steadily declined, resulting in overcrowding and inadequate facilities. The government's deliberate underfunding exacerbated the problem.
African high school enrolment grew by % from 1970 to 1975, highlighting the increased demand for secondary education among blacks.
Disparity in resources: In Soweto, 16,000 families per high school compared to 1,300 families for every white high school, showcasing the stark inequality in educational infrastructure.
Overcrowding Example: Morris Isaacson High in Soweto had 70 students per classroom, creating a challenging learning environment.
Formation of SASO:
African university students, frustrated with their situation, broke away from the multiracial National Union of South African Students (NUSAS) in 1969, seeking a more radical and Afrocentric approach.
Formed the South African Students' Organisation (SASO).
SASO, founded by Stephen Bantu Biko, advocated for blacks to take control of their struggle against apartheid given NUSAS adhered to apartheid laws in its daily practice. Biko believed that blacks needed to lead their own liberation.
Blacks needed their own representative organizations and should not rely on whites as allies, emphasizing self-determination and agency.
Blacks should work to assert themselves and stake their rightful claim in the open society, demanding equal rights and opportunities.
Blacks had to remake themselves psychologically to overcome the inferiority complex resulting from centuries of oppression. Black Consciousness sought to heal the psychological wounds inflicted by apartheid.
Biko: Blacks are suffering from an inferiority complex due to 300 years of oppression, necessitating a psychological liberation.
Needed a grassroots build-up of black consciousness to assert themselves, empowering communities to challenge the status quo.
Biko's philosophy rejected relying on well-meaning white liberals, who vacillated between black and white worlds, extracting privileges. He argued for authentic black leadership.
Growing Contradictions
Steve Biko's Background:
Born in 1946, received primary and secondary education in missionary-run institutions, where he excelled academically.
Experienced the full effects of 'Bantu Education' from 1965 onward, shaping his critique of the system.
Studied at the 'Non-European' section of the medical school at the University of Natal, facing segregation and discrimination.
Influences on Biko:
Inspired by ANC activist Anton Lembede and the Black Power movement in the United States, drawing inspiration from Pan-Africanism and global black liberation struggles.
Defining 'Blacks':
Biko defined 'blacks' as including Africans, Coloureds, and Asians—all racial groups denied basic civil rights under apartheid, fostering solidarity among marginalized communities.
Non-Violent Methods:
While advocating for change, Biko rejected the violent policies adopted by the ANC and PAC in the early 1960s, emphasizing non-violent methods such as strikes, protests, and civil disobedience.
Initial Government Misinterpretation:
Initially, government officials welcomed Black Consciousness, mistakenly believing it complemented racial separation in apartheid. They failed to grasp its revolutionary potential.
Realization of Black Consciousness's True Aim:
The government soon realized that Black Consciousness aimed not to restrict Africans to homelands but to challenge apartheid at its core, undermining the entire system of racial segregation.
SASO's Activities and Government Repression:
In 1972, SASO organized strikes on university campuses, leading to over 600 student arrests as the government cracked down on dissent.
In 1974, SASO and the Black People's Convention organized rallies celebrating the overthrow of Portuguese colonialism in Angola and Mozambique, symbolizing the broader struggle against imperialism.
Students' Message:
Students connected decolonization in neighboring countries to their own fight against apartheid. Quoting Price, 1991: 52: This interconnectedness highlighted the global nature of liberation movements.