2. The nature of the apartheid state in the 1970s and 1980s Flashcards
What was the difference between the active civil society protests in the United States and other parts of the world in the 1960s, versus what was happening in South Africa?
There was comparatively little open protest in South Africa.
What changed in the 1970s?
The 1970s saw a change with the rise of Black Consciousness and the growth of worker and student movements.
This resulted in the ______ ______ in 1976, an uprising which marked the beginning of the end of _______.
Soweto Uprising
Apartheid
True or false, As a result of poverty there was little protest in South Africa during the
1960s.
False, As a result of state repression there was little protest in South Africa during the
1960s.
What led to the banning of the ANC and PAC?
After the Sharpeville shootings in 1960, the government banned the African National Congress (ANC) and the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC).
The Sharpevile shootings led to changes in the government, what were they? (3)
-The government also increased state control over the media
-Gave police the power to detain people
for indefinite periods without trial
-Placed critics under restriction orders or house arrest.
How did these changed effect the military? (2)
The state became increasingly militarised: huge sums were spent on armaments, and all young white men had to do military service.
The apartheid state tried to control ________. It tried to confine Africans to the homelands (called ‘________’), a policy known as ‘_____________’.
urbanisation
‘bantustans’
‘separate development’
True or false, In 1972 all Africans had to become citizens of one of the homelands instead of
being accepted as South African citizens.
false, in 1970
What did the government try to promote by these homelands or ‘bantustans’?
The government tried to promote ‘self-government’ under homeland chiefs, and a form of ‘independence’ was given to the Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and the Ciskei, although they remained totally dependent on the government in Pretoria
Why were these homelands created?
It was an attempt to counter the demand for political rights within the rest of South Africa
What did people and foreign states realise about the homelands?
Although some homeland leaders co-operated, most people realised that this was a way of denying
black South Africans political rights in the rest of the country. No foreign states recognised the independence of the homelands.
In the _____ _____ the tide began to turn against the apartheid government.
early 1970s
Why did the economy start to decline in the 1970s?
The started to decline because of the 1973 world oil crisis, when the oil-producing countries
of the Middle East raised the price of oil.
What also affected the economy?
The economy was also affected by a lack of skilled
labour, a direct result of the policy of Bantu Education.
In ____, the general _______ led to a wave of strikes involving ______ black workers, mainly in Durban and the East Rand.
1973
dissatisfaction
60 000
What did the strikes achieve? (2)
The strikers managed to win better wages and to create the first independent black trade unions.
Which two countries gained independence from Portuguese rule? (2)
In 1975, after years of fighting against Portuguese rule, Angola and Mozambique gained independence.
Which political parties and leaders took control after the removal of the Portuguese?
The Frelimo Party (Mozambique Liberation Front), under the leadership of Samora Machel, came to power in Mozambique, and in Angola the MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) gained control.
What impact did the gaining of their independence have in South Africa? (2)
Because of this, the ANC and PAC could establish bases closer to South Africa.
The liberation of the former Portuguese colonies gave hope to many black South Africans that things could change in South Africa too. This was clearly demonstrated by the outbreak of protests in 1976 in Soweto and elsewhere.
True or false, During the 1980s, the apartheid government under President PW Botha adopted
a new policy, known as the ‘total strategy’.
True
What was the purpose of these reforms?
This policy involved some reforms in an attempt to prevent further resistance and to retain power.
The ‘_______ __________’ policy of homeland independence was dropped.
separate development
What did the ‘industrialists’ demand?
Following the demands of industrialists, Africans living in the cities were given the right to live
there permanently, although the movement of people from the homelands was still
strictly controlled.
Give two other reforms that were implemented.
African workers were also given limited trade union rights. The segregation of some urban facilities was relaxed and some multi-racial private schools were allowed.
However what forms of segregation remained?
The state education system remained racially segregated and despite these reforms, Africans were given no political rights outside the homelands.
What was hoped by the government by the implementation of these reforms?
The government hoped that these limited reforms would make many Africans lose interest in more radical challenges to apartheid.
What resulted from ‘total strategy’?
At the same time ‘total strategy’ gave the state more power to suppress opposition which government propaganda presented as a communist threat.
What else did this enable the army to do?
The army also sent raids into neighbouring countries to attack ANC guerrilla bases and to support organisations opposed to the Frelimo and MPLA governments in Mozambique and Angola.
