History of South Africa

Question 1

Three Major Conflicts of the 1980’s

Answer 1

1. Conflicting political ideology:
   The British government sought unifying South Africa under
   Imperial British rule, whereas the two Boer republics of the
   Orange Free State and the Transvaal had a desire for
   independence.
2. Gold Discovery in Witwatersrand (1886)
   Made SA the world’s primary gold producer
   Created tension between British interests and Boer governments
3. Tension between political leaders:
   Cecil Rhodes was the supporter of the British imperial plan to
   unite South Africa under British rule. Paul Kruger was a supporter
   of Boer independence. These conflicting agendas resulted in two
   leaders to be at loggerheads with each other.

Question 2

Who was the ruling party in 1948

Answer 2

national party came to power
continuing and strengthening the idea of
White, particularly Afrikaner superiority

Question 3

4 Ideas that were at the heart of Apartheid.

Answer 3

 4 racial groups.
 White racial group formed a single nation.
 White as a civilized culture.
 White interests above any other

Question 4

Legislation that enabled the Apartheid ideas

Answer 4

Population Registration Act, 1950: Required people to register from birth as belonging to one of four different racial groups: White, Black, Coloured and Indian.

The prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, 1949 which was amended in 1968: Prohibited marriages between races.

Immoratality Act, 1957: The law made it illegal to have sex with people of different races in the area of marriage as well as casual sex.

Group Areas Act, 1950: It was obsessed with separating the citizens of South Africa on a racial basis.

Bantu Education Act, 1953:
The Act advocated for separate schools for each of South Africa’s population groups -whites, Africans, Indians, and Coloured.
 Its purpose was to create a separate and different school system for African people way too inferior to that rendered in white schools.

Question 5

Economic Changes

Answer 5

1. Early Economy
   Based on primary commodities (diamonds, gold)
   Required cheap, unskilled labour
2. Economic Shift (1960s-70s)
   Manufacturing overtook mining as dominant sector
   Created need for skilled, settled workforce
   Apartheid policies became economic obstacle

Question 6

Opposition to Apartheid

Answer 6

o ANC and other black organizations
o Some white universities
o Churches
o Trade unions

Question 7

Apartheid and The International Community

Answer 7

 Western countries in general supported the apartheid government because of two main reason.
 First, they benefitted from the rich resources discovered in South Africa
and trade in general.
 Second, South Africa was seen as an ally against the soviet and communism. The British supported the regime until the end of the 1980’s.
 The soviets and the communist block supported the anti-Apartheid cause and armed insurrection in Southern Africa.