Collapse of Apartheid (1978 - 1989)

Question 1

What was going well in 1978?

Answer 1

• Apartheid was able to defend itself against an increasing number of opponents
• SA had support from the west because of the cold war

Question 2

What was** not going well** in 1978?

Answer 2

• Vorster forced to resign because of the Muldergate Scandal
• Buffer states (e.g. Angola, Mozambique, Rhodesia) fallen to Black rule
• Increasing pressure from sanctions
• Increasing potential uprisings

Question 3

What was Total Onslaught?

Answer 3

• Communists in SA supported by USSR
• Potential invasion from nearby communist countries (e.g. Angola)
• Threat from:
- Internal uprisings
- Invasion
- USSR
- International Sanctions

Question 4

What was Total Strategy?

Answer 4

• Botha’s plan to tackle the ‘Total Onslaught’

1. Military / Police State
2. Military actions towards Neighbours
3. Western Diplomacy
4. Reforms

Question 5

What was the State Security Council (SSC)? (1)

Answer 5

• set up in 1982
• consisted of Army generals and Police chiefs
• had more influence on Botha than his Cabinet
• almost a parallel government

Question 6

How did Botha increase the size of the armed forces? (1)

Answer 6

• In 1972 made mandatory for SA males to do 9 months military service - Botha increased to 2 years
• Men could be called to do 720 days of additional service at regular intervals or for an emergency
• 200,00 school boys went on regular army-run camps and joined cadet forces
• By 1981, the South African Defence Force numbered over 250,000, with 250,000 in reserve

Question 7

How did Botha deal with the world boycott of selling arms to SA? (1)

Answer 7

• Set up its own arms industry called ARMSCOR, which made weapons with supplies from countries willing to break the boycott
• Military spending rose from 700 million in 1974 —> 3,000 million in 1981

Question 8

What did SA do in Angola? (2)

Answer 8

• Angola
- SADF supported UNITA (Angola anti-government forces), thus keeping the civil war going
- They raided MK bases & bases of guerrillas who had been fighting for independence in Nambia
• Mozambique
- There was no anti-government force so SADF set up and armed one, starting a civil war
- In 1984, Mozambique’s president made an agreement with SA to not assist the ANC