Nelson Mandela and ANC Negotiations

• Release and Political Changes (1990)

  • Nelson Mandela released in February 1990 after 27 years in prison.

  • Ban lifted on the African National Congress (ANC) and other liberation movements.

  • Led to negotiations resulting in a democratic constitution and the first free election in South Africa's history.

  • Transfer of power was remarkably peaceful.

• Pretoria Minute (August 1990)

  • ANC suspended armed struggle.

  • National Party agreed to negotiate.

Nelson Mandela's Early Life and Activism

• Career Beginnings

  • Began legal career in 1941 with Walter Sisulu.

  • Defended black South Africans charged with breaking segregation laws.

  • Helped start the ANC Youth League in 1948.

  • Became a prominent organizer of protests for the ANC.

  • Opened the first Black law practice in Johannesburg with Oliver Tambo.

• Political Activities and Ideals

  • Opposed communism within the ANC.

  • Supported creating alliances with other anti-apartheid groups through the Congress Alliance.

  • Involved in planning the Congress of the People (COP).

  • Deeply involved in founding the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the armed wing of the ANC.

Albert Luthuli and the ANC

• Leadership and Resignation

  • Elected ANC president in 1952.

  • Resigned as chief of Grouville due to apartheid protests.

  • Arrested but not charged in the treason trial; took over leadership from imprisoned leaders.

• Pacifism and Recognition

  • Abandoned pacifist protest ideas after Sharpeville Massacre.

  • Accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 1961.

  • Gave ANC legitimacy through peaceful defiance.

Communist Party and Black Sash

• Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA)

  • Dissolved itself in anticipation of a ban.

  • Declared illegal in 1950.

  • Reformed as the South African Communist Party in 1953, aligned with the Soviet Union.

• Black Sash

  • Founded on 19 May 1955 by six middle-class white women.

  • Symbolized mourning for the South African Constitution.

  • Held a vigil of 2,000 women marching to Johannesburg City Hall.

Bantu Education Act

• Effects on Black Education

  • Black children taught menial labor skills.

  • Missionary schools forced to change curriculum based on race or close.

  • ANC hosted an indefinite school boycott, which failed due to lack of resources.

  • Government threatened permanent expulsion for boycotting children.

Sharpeville Massacre and Aftermath

• International and National Effects

  • Sanctions by India, Jamaica, the Netherlands, and USSR.

  • Increased white support for apartheid.

  • US and UK did not place sanctions; labeled ANC and PAC as terrorist groups.

  • Clashes between police and protestors continued.

  • South Africa expelled from the Commonwealth in 1961.

• Details of Sharpeville (1960)

  • Protestors burned passbooks outside police station.

  • Police opened fire, killing 69 people and injuring 186.

  • Marked a turning point; ANC abandoned peaceful protest.

Congress of the People and Freedom Charter

• Goal and Formation

  • Convened in 1955 with multiple anti-apartheid groups.

  • Represented all races in South Africa.

  • Created the Freedom Charter as a bill of rights for post-apartheid South Africa.

Rivonia Trial

• Arrest and Charges (1963-1964)

  • Anti-apartheid activists arrested in Rivonia, Johannesburg.

  • Charged with recruiting for explosives training, conspiring to commit terrorism, and promoting communism.

  • Resulted in life imprisonment for Nelson Mandela, released after 27 years.

  • Lionel Bernstein, a Jewish anti-apartheid activist, was acquitted.

Defiance Campaign

• Nonviolent Protests (1952)

  • ANC leaders broke apartheid laws to get arrested.

  • Goal: Overwhelm the prison and justice system.

  • Gained global support through international press.

Apartheid Policies

• Legislation and Effects

  • Immorality Act (1927, 1950): Banned extramarital and marital relationships between white and non-white people.

  • Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act (1949): Prohibited interracial marriages.

  • Population Classification Act (1950): Official race classification determining rights and privileges.

  • Group Areas Act (1950): Segregated living areas.

  • Suppression of Communism Act (1950): Outlawed the Communist Party and labeled dissenters as communists.

  • Bantu Education Act (1953): Racial segregation in education.

  • Criminal Law Act (1953): Harsh penalties for political offenses.

  • Promotion of Bantu Self-Government (1959): Created semi-self-governing homelands.

  • Extension of the University Education Act (1959): Restricted non-white university enrollment.

  • Unlawful Organizations Act (1960): Banned the PAC and ANC.

Bantustans

• Homeland Policies

  • Tribal chiefs, chosen by the apartheid government, led Bantustans.

  • Controlled internal security, foreign relations, immigration, and banking.

  • Recognized as independent only by Israel and Taiwan.

  • Overcrowded, with 55% of the population on 13% of the land.

Apartheid Overview

• Timeline

  • Apartheid government came to power in 1948.

  • Ended in 1994 with Nelson Mandela becoming South Africa’s first black president.