South Africa and Apartheid

Background:

• IN 1910, South Africa becomes a self-governing Dominion within the British Empire
• Population  = 70% black, 20% white, 10% mixed races.
• The whites were from Dutch descent, Boers or Afrikaans, some also of British background
• In 1948 the government’s official policy towards Blacks was Apartheid, which means apartness
• This is legal racism backed up by the constitution (law)

Apartheid in Practice:

• Land was owned – 87% - by the whites
• Blacks had no vote, segregation separated them from the whites in daily life
• Blacks lived in shanty towns, ghettos with very poor housing
• The Suppression of Communism Act in 1950 gave the government broad powers
• 1976, the Soweto Riots in Johannesburg – blacks fighting back against oppression – 500 blacks were killed by the South African police force. Steve Biko dies while in police custody and becomes a martyr for the cause

External Opposition to Apartheid:

• UN efforts to organize trade and arm boycotts failed
• The West relied on South African gold, diamonds and multinational corporations (Shell Oil)
• Also South Africa was seen as anti-communist
• The ANC (African National Congress) was banned and its leader Nelson Mandela was jailed.

Recent Trends:

• Prime Minister Notha (1978) began to liberalize some racial laws
• Some changes to Parliament, but still dominated by whites
• State of emergency in July 1985 – heavy Black protests
• Bishop Desmond Tutu tries diplomacy
• Blacks split into violent and non-violent activist groups.

South Africa Under Botha:

• Botha removed from office in 1989, with heavy International pressure and trade restrictions
• F.W. deKlerk takes power of the Parliament
• He is more willing to move towards reforms for the blacks
• The ANC is legalized and in 1990, Nelson Mandela is released from prison, where he had been since 1963.
• Negotiations begin between the ANC and the government towards a peaceful transition
• But! – Many problems, militant Black anti-white groups and neo-nazi white groups.
• First ever free elections in 1994, blacks allowed into Parliament
• Violence still around as Zulu’s and the ANC argue about power
• Today, relatively stable, there are more freedoms for blacks, and apartheid is dead

Sharpville Massacre:

South Africa, March 21^st, 15,000 black protestors gathered at Sharpville township to protest against the pass laws, which required Africans to carry identity cards at all times. Police opened fire on the protestors and within minutes, 56 people were killed and nearly 200 were injured. More Africans were killed in a similar protest at Langa Township near Capetown.