Radicalisation of Resistance and the Consolidation of the National Party Power - Topic 2.4 Flashcards
The factors that strengthened 'separate development'
How did the domestic economy strengthen apartheid?
Employment in manufacturing doubled between 1951 & 1975 and the number of Africans doing white collar work quintupled. The numbers employed in gold mining increased by 100,000 but around 80% of the gold mining work force were migrants from outside South Africa.
Urban municipalities received bigger budgets to build a large number of sub-economic homes to replace the shack settlements that the majority of Africans were living in. The Natives Building Workers Act enabled municipalities to use African workers to build African houses. Paid less than white workers, this made housing cheaper.
How did the African market develop during the 60s?
Manufactures and marketers began to identify an African market and advertised cigarettes, soft drinks, cleaning materials, clothes and radios to them. This required African sales personnel. Moreover, financial services were now expanding as a market too.
Why did the National Party support immigration from Europe?
White English-speaking voters were beginning to support the Nationalists in large numbers so they welcomed Europeans and their skills and capital too. The white birth rate was falling as the African birth rate was rising, jeopardising the position of white rule in South Africa. Any immigrants from Europe were immediately classed as white and received all the benefits denied to the three other races in South Africa.
How did the growing car industry benefit South Africa?
South Africa’s production of cars increased by 100,000 over the 60s. Car ownership per capita ranked about 4th in the world with more than one car for every three people. African people are estimated to have owned one car per 100 people. Whites increasingly lived in suburbs and commuted to work in their own vehicles while Africans largely relied on public transport.
How did lives of African women change during the 60s?
They were able to assert a new freedom from rural patriarchy. African women mainly lived as domestic servants for whites, in factories or in the informal sector selling beer, running small businesses or doing washing. Educated women were able to work in teaching or nursing, however the barrier to higher education was still strong as only 342 African girls passed matric out of 3,000.
How did the Bantu Self-Government Act begin ‘separate development’?
The 1959 Act set in motion attempts by the government to transform the homelands into self-governing African states within South Africa. In December 1963, the first self-governing homeland was established when the Transkei Legislative Assembly opened. Pretoria found an able, well-educated and ambitious chief, Kaiser Matanzima, to support their policy. Mantanzima had been to university at Fort Hare and knew many of the Eastern Cape nationalists. He believed that there was no option but to work with the apartheid government.
What were the ten Bantustans that were given self-government?
Nation & (Ethnic group) & Year of self-government
- Transkei (Xhosa) - 1963; 1976
- Bophuthatswana (Tswana) - 1972; 1977
- Venda (Venda) - 1973; 1979
- Ciskei (Xhosa) - 1972; 1981
- Lebowa (Pedi/Northern Sotho) - 1972
- Gazankulu (Tsonga) - 1973
- QwaQwa (Southern Sotho) - 1974
- KwaZulu (Zulu) - 1977
- KwaNdebele (Ndebele) - 1981
- KaNgwane (Swazi) - 1984
First four were given nominal independence in their subsequent years
How did the Bantustans develop after the formation of Transkei?
1963-1994
Homelands required elections to be held before achieving self-government, which gave opponents to self-government the chance to be heard. The Democratic Party won the Transkei elections who believed that South Africa should remain one. Pretoria was now forced to prop up Matanzima’s power to ensure control.
Bureaucracy, education, healthcare and infrastructure were now given the fuding they had needed before which brought considerable economic benefits and opportunities to the rural reserves.
How did South African diplomatic ties in Africa change during the 60s?
South Africa became more isolated but relations with Western nations remained strong. The OAU immediately initiated a series of procedures against South Africa to liberate the country. However, the country was protected to the north by friendly nations and territories, such as Namibia, Rhodesia, and Portugal.
Vorster used new trade relations with nations in Africa to cut off potential ANC bases and stifle criticism of apartheid. Meanwhile, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini were dependent on South Africa and so could not cut ties.
How did police powers develop during the 60s?
Vorster, as Minister of Justice, cited the threat of communism to explain tighter security legislation. The police were given authority to detain suspect without trial for up to 180 days. The Terrorism Act of 1967 meant that suspects could be detained indefinitely without trial. The new police HQ in Joburg had floors where the police station and its security branch would commit numerous acts of violence against those suspected of illegal political affiliations. Eight detainees died as a result of torture, disfigurement and sustained abuse.
