Violence & Instability During Negotiations (1990-1994)

• Context

  • Period marked by simultaneous political negotiations and widespread violence.

  • Fear: country sliding into an all-out civil war → potential casualties projected in the millions.

• Key extremist organisations

  • Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB)

  • Ultra-right, white-supremacist, Afrikaner nationalist movement.

  • Tactics: bombings, armed shows of force aimed at derailing talks.

  • Symbolism: Swastika-inspired AWB logo highlights ideological parallels with fascism.

  • Azanian People’s Liberation Army (APLA)

  • Military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress; radical black liberation group.

  • Carried out attacks that deliberately targeted white civilians.

• Societal perception

  • Violence seemed uncontrollable; many believed peace was impossible.

  • Nonetheless, polling & anecdotal evidence suggested the majority of both black & white citizens desired a negotiated, peaceful outcome.

The 1994 Breakthrough: Power-Sharing & First Democratic Election

• Multi-party negotiating forum struck a temporary power-sharing agreement (often called the Government of National Unity).

• Election date: (27\,\text{April}\,1994) — South Africa’s 1st fully democratic, non-racial vote.

• Outcomes

  • Nelson Mandela elected 1st black President.

  • F. W. de Klerk (last apartheid president) became one of two Deputy Presidents — symbolised inclusive transition.

• Historical memory prompts

  • Students encouraged to ask parents/guardians what they recall from (1990-1994).

  • Recommended resource: Documentary Miracle Rising — chronicles how SA averted civil war & birthed its democracy.

1. Economic Interpretation

• Thesis: Apartheid primarily an economic system safeguarding cheap black labour to sustain white affluence.

• Supporting evidence

  • Mining sector instrumental in creating pass laws to immobilise workforce geographically.

  • Group Areas Act positioned black labour close to industrial centres while segregating residential zones.

  • Stark differential in standard of living: whites enjoyed vastly superior wages, housing, education.

• Broader significance

  • Aligns with Marxist & materialist historiography stressing class exploitation over racial ideology.

2. Nationalist Interpretation

• Thesis: Apartheid as an Afrikaner nationalist project to ensure political self-determination despite demographic minority status.

• Key points

  • Continuity with Great Trek (1830s) & Boer War (1899-1902) — long arc of Afrikaner quest for autonomy.

  • Homelands/Bantustan policy crucial: by assigning black citizens to nominally “independent” territories, Afrikaner-dominated state justified withholding national franchise.

• Implications

  • Views apartheid within global decolonisation narrative—Afrikaners saw themselves resisting British & African majorities alike.

3. Racist (Ideological) Interpretation

• Thesis: Apartheid stemmed from a belief in white racial superiority → institutionalised discrimination.

• Indicators

  • Mixed Marriages Act (1949) & Immorality Act (1950) criminalised interracial unions → pursuit of “racial purity.”

  • Education & propaganda reinforced hierarchy of “superior” vs “inferior” races.

• Ethical dimension: underscores moral bankruptcy & human-rights violations inherent in racist ideology.

Comparative/Integrative Analysis

• Many historians argue the three motives were interlocking rather than mutually exclusive.

  • Economic exploitation supplied material incentive.

  • Nationalist fear provided political rationale.

  • Racist doctrine furnished ideological legitimation.

• When evaluating sources, look for:

  • Legislation (who proposed it? economic vs ideological language?)

  • Business archives (lab