History of South Africa: Apartheid and After Chapter Notes | Footprints Class 7: Book Solutions, Notes & Worksheets PDF Download

Introduction

Nelson Mandela, a former South African president, dedicated his life to ending the racist apartheid system in South Africa. He believed in equality for all and fought against racial discrimination and injustice. After spending 27 years in prison, he was released in 1990 and his party, the ANC, won the democratic elections in 1994, making him the first black President of a new South Africa.

Apartheid in South Africa

• 1940s: Apartheid legalized in South Africa by the National Party.
• 1950s: Group Areas Act segregates where people can live based on race.
• 1960s: Sharpeville Massacre highlights violent resistance to apartheid.
• 1976: Soweto Uprisings mark a turning point in anti-apartheid movements.
• 1980s: Mass resistance leads to the beginning of the end of apartheid.
• 1989: F.W. de Klerk becomes leader of the National Party.
• 1990: ANC party wins elections, and Nelson Mandela becomes President.

South Africa's apartheid regime ensured white control by restricting black rights, such as voting, city residence, and high-paying jobs. Laws favored whites over black and colored people, deepening societal divisions.

What is Apartheid?

Apartheid, which means 'apartness' or 'being apart,' was a system of racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa. It was based on the following principles:

• Separation of Races: Races were to be separated as much as possible in social, political, economic, and geographic terms.
• White Supremacy: White people were considered superior to other races and were therefore expected to hold higher positions in society.
• Segregation of Nations: The black and coloured populations were to remain separate from the 'white tribe' of Afrikaners.

Historical Background of Apartheid

Although the National Party in South Africa officially legalized apartheid when it came to power in 1948, the roots of segregation in South African society were planted much earlier.

• Early Explorations: In 1488, Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Dias discovered the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, a region primarily inhabited by African tribes such as the Xhosa, Zulu, and Khoikhoi.
• Dutch Settlement: In 1652, Dutch navigator Jan van Riebeeck established Cape Town, displacing the local Khoikhoi people and marking the beginning of racial mixing known as 'Cape Coloured.'
• Colonial Conflicts: Over the next 400 years, Dutch settlers (Boers), English colonizers, and local tribes engaged in wars and massacres to gain control over South Africa’s wealth, including its farmlands and gold and diamond mines.

Mahatma Gandhi's Role in South Africa

Mahatma Gandhi, after studying law in England, arrived in South Africa to work as a lawyer and opened a law office in Johannesburg.

• Protests Against Discrimination: Gandhi organized numerous protests against discriminatory laws targeting Indians. He even set up a special group of Indian ambulance workers during the South African War between the British and the Boers.
• Support and Imprisonment: Gandhi gained many supporters in South Africa who believed in his peaceful protest methods. However, his activism led to multiple imprisonments.
• Return to India: After 21 years in South Africa, Gandhi returned to India in 1914, where he continued his nonviolent protests against British rule.

Legalizing Apartheid

After winning the 1948 election, the National Party of South Africa swiftly began to enact and amend laws to establish the apartheid system.
Here is a summary of key laws passed between 1949 and 1953:

• 1949: Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act: This law made it illegal for black and white people to marry each other.
• 1950: Population Registration Act: This law required every person in South Africa to be classified by race—Native (black), European (white), Indian, or Coloured (mixed)—based on their physical appearance.
• 1950: Group Areas Act: Specific areas were designated for particular race groups to live or own property and businesses. Members of other race groups living in these areas were forced to vacate and relocate.
• 1951: Separate Representation of Voters Act: Colored voters, who had been granted the right to vote since 1910, were removed from the voters' list in 1956 after a legal battle.
• 1952: Natives (Abolition of Passes and Coordination of Documents) Act: This law introduced a new identity book called the "reference book," which replaced all previous passes. Every black man was required to carry this book at all times or face arrest and imprisonment. The book contained personal details, including the person's name, address, photograph, ID number, ethnic group, and employment information.
• 1953: Reservation of Separate Amenities Act: This law mandated separate public facilities for different race groups, such as buses, trains, beaches, parks, post offices, and more. These amenities were often unequal, with better facilities reserved for whites. Facilities exclusive to certain race groups were legally permitted.

Passive Resistance to Apartheid in the 1950s

In the 1950s, people of all races in South Africa engaged in peaceful resistance to pressure the government to end apartheid.

• 1952: The Defiance Campaign: The African National Congress (ANC), the South African Indian Congress, and the African People's Organisation initiated the Defiance Campaign. The ANC, a non-racial organization that included white members, sought to challenge apartheid laws by deliberately breaking them. The goal was to overwhelm the prison system by filling the jails with protesters, hoping the government would be forced to repeal the apartheid laws. Over 8,000 people were arrested for acts such as riding on whites-only buses and entering areas reserved for whites.
• Government Retaliation: In response to the Defiance Campaign, the government enacted more repressive laws targeting the colored population. These laws allowed for arrests without cause, censorship of newspapers, and banning of individuals.
• 1956: Women's Protest: On 9 August 1956, 20,000 women from across South Africa gathered at the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the government's plan to introduce pass books for women, a measure that had already been imposed on men for years. Although Prime Minister J.G. Strijdom refused to meet with the women, their protest successfully delayed the implementation of pass books for women for many years.

The passive resistance efforts in the 1950s, including the Defiance Campaign and the women's protest, played a significant role in uniting people against apartheid and increasing support for the ANC.

The Armed Resistance Against Apartheid in the 1960s

• Formation of the Pan African Congress (PAC): At the end of the 1950s, the Pan African Congress (PAC) was formed by individuals who were dissatisfied with the African National Congress (ANC). The PAC believed that the struggle against apartheid should be led by black people and criticized the ANC for not doing enough to end apartheid. In 1960, the PAC launched a nationwide protest against the pass laws, with the ANC initiating a similar campaign that year.
• 1960: The Sharpeville Massacre: On 21 March 1960, during one of the PAC protests in Sharpeville, a few thousand people gathered outside the local police station to protest against the pass laws. The police opened fire on the crowd, killing 69 and injuring hundreds more. This tragic event marked a turning point in the resistance against apartheid.

Formation of Armed Resistance Groups

In response to the Sharpeville Massacre, the South African government banned the ANC and PAC, making membership in these organizations illegal. Thousands of their supporters were arrested, and leaders were forced into exile. As a result, both the ANC and PAC decided to adopt violent methods to combat apartheid.

• The ANC's Armed Wing: Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK): The ANC formed an armed wing called Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) or MK. This group focused on sabotage, initially targeting government buildings, powerlines, and railways in an effort to disrupt the apartheid regime.
• The PAC's Armed Wing: Poqo: The PAC established its own armed group called Poqo (Standing Alone). Poqo's tactics were more direct and included the assassination of chiefs believed to be collaborating with the apartheid government, as well as attacks on white farmers.
• Government Repression: The government responded harshly to the armed resistance, arresting thousands of people, including key leaders like Nelson Mandela. Many were sentenced to death, while others, including Mandela, were given life sentences. By the end of the 1960s, the armed resistance had been severely weakened due to the government's relentless crackdown.

These developments in the 1960s marked a shift from peaceful protests to armed resistance against apartheid, although the government's brutal response temporarily stifled these efforts.

Divide and Rule: The Homelands

• Policy of 'Separate Development': In the 1960s, the National Party government began promoting apartheid as a policy of 'separate development.' They claimed that different races needed to be kept apart to develop in their unique ways.
• Creation of Homelands (Bantustans): The government transformed the reserves established by the 1913 Land Act into what they called separate countries for black people, known as Bantustans or homelands. Black South Africans were stripped of their citizenship and rights in South Africa and were instead designated as citizens of these homelands, where their rights were severely limited.
• Government's Justification: The National Party claimed that by giving black people rights within the homelands, such as the right to vote, they were addressing the issue of rights. This argument was used to justify not extending these rights to black people within South Africa. The homelands were also a tool to maintain white control over the country's cities, mines, industries, and fertile farmland.

Life in the Homelands

• Overcrowding and Land Issues: The homelands were characterized by severe overcrowding, as there was not enough land to accommodate all the people. The land that was available was largely infertile, making it difficult for residents to sustain themselves.
• Poverty and Lack of Opportunities: Life in the homelands was marked by extreme poverty, with very few job opportunities available. The lack of economic prospects forced many people to seek work in the cities, mines, and farms controlled by white South Africans.
• Health and Malnutrition: The dire conditions in the homelands led to widespread malnutrition, particularly among children, who also lacked access to proper healthcare. These hardships exacerbated the already difficult living conditions, pushing many to leave the homelands in search of a better life.