Radicalisation of Resistance and the Consolidation of the National Party Power - Topic 2.1 Flashcards
Resistance to apartheid and government reaction
How did peaceful protest change after the PAC split?
Sobukwe knew that the ANC were planning a mass action campaign and so organised a PAC campaign of his own ten days prior. The PAC wanted to outdo and pre-empt the ANC and carry out a campaign similar to the Defiance Campaign. The PAC were less concerned with disciplined leadership and instead wanted the people to carry the fire the PAC lit. PAC altered peaceful protest to mass anger movement.
What led to the politicisation of the community in Sharpville?
- In 1958, numbers were swelled by the arrival of 10,000 people removed under Group Areas. Little housing was available so there was an angry addition to Sharpeville including rent increases.
- The area was favoured by migrant workers from Lesotho who had more insecure rights than South Africans but needed the wages just as much
- A PAC branch was founded in Sharpeville in 1959. This branch was able to spread the news about the short notice campaign
Explain the events that took place at Sharpville
20th-21st March 1960
On the night of 20th March 1960, youths moved on the streets and stabbed a policeman. The police responded in force, dispersed crowds with batons and gunfire. Two protestors died.
The next morning, 5k people gathered outside the police station where the PAC requested to the police they arrest all protestors. They hoped this would renounce pass laws. Photographers and journalists were present. The mood before police reinforcements was friendly and quite relaxed.
At 1pm, Saracen armoured vehicles arrived with machine guns, 200 white policement with rifles and nearly 200 black police officer with clubs also were called. Lieutenant Colonel Pienaar was an aggresive regional chief of police.
Leader of the local PAC branch Nyakane Tsolo refused the dispersal of the crowd, and the crown surged forward. Pienaar admitted he failed to warn the crowd of the danger of an armed response. Those at the front couldn’t move back. Pienaar says he didn’t give the order to shoot, however, shortly before 2pm, a policeman shouted ‘Fire’. 69 people died and 187 were injured.
What was the impact of the Sharpeville Massacre?
Many photos were taken and provided graphic evidence that quickly circulated nationally and internationally. On 1st April 1960, the UN passed a resolution condemning Sharpeville and called for a reversal of apartheid. The government later declared a state of emergency.
Why were several political parties banned?
8th April 1960
With support from the United Party, the National Party passed the Unlawful Organisations Act which banned political parties that threatened public order. Verwoerd was shot a day later by a middle-class, English-speaking white man.
Why was a state of emergency called in 1960?
To bring law and order to the country, the state of emergency strengthened police powers. Public meetings were cancelled and the police could detain anyone without fear of restriction from courts. The Nationalists wanted to rid the opposition as quickly as possible.
