Apartheid in South Africa Flashcards
What are the key turning points of racial segregation in South Africa before apartheid?
Racial segregation dates back to
colonialism in the 17th century
- British imposed their culture and
language on the local populations
■ Impact of the mineral discoveries
- creation of a migrant labour system
- white ownership of land and mineral
wealth, and control of African labour
■ The Union of South Africa was formed in
1910 after the South African War (AKA Second boer war)
- White people are given complete political
control over all other race groups
- Black South Africans were excluded
politically from South Africa
What were the voting laws from 1910 to 1936?
1910 - white males allowed to vote. In the cape some ‘African’ and ‘coloured’ males were allowed to vote.
1930 - white married women can vote, in order to dilute the ‘African’ and ‘coloured’ male votes.
1936 - Africans removed from common voters’ roll. They voted separately for ‘Native Representatives Council’ who were white
What was the Land Act of 1913? How was it changed in 1936?
This meant that black people could own only 7% of the land. These reserves were dispersed across SA on poor quality land. This made SA white man’s land, they owned all economically viable land.
1936: Reserves were supposed to be increased to 13% but
never were.
What was the 1923 Urban areas act?
- made each local authority responsible for the people of colour in its area.
- introduced racial segregation
- movement of Africans to white areas limited by “influx control”
- Africans in urban
areas or towns lived on the outskirts called “locations” - Urban Areas natives pass Act Africans who worked in cities and towns had to carry around passes
What happened in 1948?
National party came into power. Set about legalising apartheid by many repressive and discriminatory laws.
Considered the beginning of apartheid from a legal respect.
Why did people vote for the NP?
Instability after the war:
White voters (Afrikaners) were worried due to
- the breakdown of segregation during WWII
- growth of black labour resistance
as well as being
- fearful of the rise of African nationalism
What did apartheid promise to the white economy?
White economic domination, because:
- white workers feared competition from black labourers
- white employers wanted cheap labour
- white farmers wanted cheap labour in rural areas
What are the major apartheid laws?
- Prohibition of mixed marriages act (1949)
- Immorality amendment act (1950)
- Population regristration act (1950)
- Group areas act (1950)
- Suppression of communism act (1950)
- Bantu education act (1953)
- Separate amenities act (1953)
- Pass laws (1952)
- Separate representation of voters act (1956)
What year was the ANC created and what does ‘ANC’ stand for?
- African National Congress
What happened to the ANC post-1948?
They abandoned their traditional, moderate methods of resistance (e.g. petitions and delegations) and became a more militant liberation movement.
What year was the ANCYL founded and what does it stand for?
- African National Congress Youth League.
What occurred in the ANCYL in 1949?
Adopt a ‘Programme of Action’ that calls for strikes/boycotts/defiance/civil disobedience. Commit to militant african nationalism. adopted by the larger ANC body.
What occurred In May of 1950?
The ‘May Day Strike.’
Give info on the ‘May Day Strike.’
- First mass-based act of defiance
- Protest against low wages, banning of Communist Leaders and plans to ban CPSA (Communist Party of South Africa)
- States response: Polive shot and killed 18 strikers, then implemented the 1950 Suppression of Communism Act
What occurred on June 26 1952?
Launch of ‘Defiance Campaign.’
What is 1952’s ‘Defiance Campaign?’
- The largest scale non-violent resistance ever seen in SA.
- First campaign pursued jointly by all racial groups under the leadership of the ANC and SAIC (SA Indian Congress)
- Launched to protest against 6 major apartheid laws.
- Planned to purposefully break apartheid laws in a mass-based, organised, peaceful way (AKA civil disobedience)
- Force the police to arrest resistors, flood jails, and make the admin of the country impossible.
- participants did not apply for bail or pay fines
- more than 8000 people went to jail
- lasted until mid-December.
When was the launch of the Defiance campaign?
26 June 1952
How did the state respond to resistance in the 1950s?
- Arrests of campaign leaders, violence and 2 new laws:
1) Criminal Law Amendment Act + harsher penalties for deliberately breaking apartheid laws (1953)
2) 1953 Public Safety Act + power to declare a state of emergency in any district, & so give police massive powers. During a state of emergency, the police and army can arrest anyone who they believe is a threat to the state.
How did the ANC’s membership change due to the Defiance Campaign?
Members went from 7000 to 100 000.
What was the congress alliance?
AND, SAIC, Coloured People’s Congress, Congress of Democrats and South African Congress of Trade Unions formed an alliance and planned a national meeting knoown as the Congress of the People.
When was the Congress Alliance established?
1954
What did they plan to do at the Congress of the People meeting?
Draw up a Freedom Charter, expressing the demands of all groups in SA.
When was the Congress of the People?
25-6 June 1955
What occurred in 1960?
PAC (Pan-Africanist Congress) organise peaceful anti-pass marches.
