Responses To Resisitance 1978-1990

Question 1

ANC - African National Congress

Answer 1

• Was banned from 1979-1990, so it operated in exile, mostly in neighbouring countries and remained the leading force against apartheid
• ANC’s military wing MK (Speak of the Nation). Continued sabotage and attacks on government targets and worked with the South African Communist Party
• Killed police informers and blew up a shopping centre
• Oliver Tambo was leading the ANC in exile, coordinating attacks from abroad and gained international opposition, putting pressure on F.W. De Klerk

Question 2

Impact of ANC’s work in this time

Answer 2

• Forced President F.W. De Klerk to: unban the ANC, release Nelson Mandela and begin negotiations to end apartheid, mainly via international sanctions and pressure
• Showed how the ANC combined armed resistance, mass protest and diplomacy to fight apartheid
• Role was central to building pressure on the government to negotiate

Question 3

UDF- United Democratic Front

Answer 3

• Launched in 1983, non-racial, anti-apartheid coalition of over 400 organisations, including trade unions, churches, student groups, and community organisation
• Aimed to oppose apartheid laws
• Non-violent movement

Question 4

Impact of UDF

Answer 4

• Government saw it as a major threat and many activists were tortured, killed, or forced into hiding
• Played a huge role in mobilising the advancement of apartheid when the ANC was just regaining its numbers from pre-exile

Question 5

COSATU - Congress of South African Trade Unions

Answer 5

• Formed in 1985 - powerful federation of black trade unions, helped unite workers into a mass movement against apartheid and supported non-racial democracy for all SAns
• Organised massive strikes and boycotts and worked with the UDF to coordinate resistance campaign, helped mobilise the black population into taking action and spread anti-apartheid messages throughout workplaces and communities

Question 6

Mandela

Answer 6

• In prison for most of this period but continued to be a symbol of resistance, marking him the face of the apartheid struggle
• ANC leaders in exile used Mandela’s moral authority to keep resistance alive and MK carried out his visions and sabotages
• His imprisonment became a focal point for international resistance to apartheid
• Began secret talks with the apartheid government, laying the groundwork for peaceful negotiations and his eventual release in 1990

Question 7

Church leaders

Answer 7

• Desmond Tutu - Became an international figure in the anti-apartheid resistance
• Advocated for non-violent resistance and was a strong critic of apartheid policies
• Led economic boycotts and sanctions campaigns against the apartheid government, promoting global awareness
• Nobel Peace Prize Winner 1984 for his efforts towards peace and justice

Question 8

What reforms did Botha make to apartheid?

Answer 8

• 1979 - Allowed blacks to buy their own homes and move more freely in search of work, however kept strict control on other blacks
• 1980-1990 - Hugely increased educational spending and the number of blacks in secondary education trebled (skyrocketed)
• Abolition of Mixed Marriage Act, relaxed the colour bar in employment and the pass laws, and allowed cinemas and theatres to play to mixed audiences
• New parliament houses created for different races, house of assembly for whites, House of Representatives for coloureds and house of delegated for Indians, black SAns had no political power/influence

Question 9

Why did Botha make those reforms to apartheid?

Answer 9

• To gain support from better-off urban blacks
• Abolished and slackened some apartheid laws so they could say that ‘Apartheid was dead’

Question 10

How did Botha’s reforms impact South Africa

Answer 10

• Angered the black majority as they now had no direct political influence in the Tricameral Parliament
• Rise in internal resistance, the UDF (United Democratic Front) was formed to oppose the tricameral parliament
• Strikes, boycotts, and mass protests spread across the country and COSATU (Congress of South African Trade Unions), also helped organise resistance
• Government used the army and police to crush protests which led to state violence and a climate of fear in the 1980s
• International isolation and economic decline - Reforms seen as too little too late and countries increased economic sanctions and the economy was weakened which put more pressure on the apartheid government

Question 11

Afrikaner resistance to Botha’s reforms

Answer 11

• Many believed that the ‘modern apartheid’ was a weakening and giving any power at all to Coloureds or Indians (tricameral parliament) was seen as unacceptable
• Fear of the potential black majority rule in the future
• Extreme Afrikaners supported militant white nationalist groups which were openly racist and saw Botha’s reforms as a surrender

Question 12

The split of the National Party

Answer 12

• A group of Afrikaners split from the National Party (NP) and formed the Conservative Party
• The party opposed Botha’s reforms and wanted to return to the strict, regimented apartheid laws that were seen in the first apartheid government, gained a lot of support among white voters in rural areas
• Remainers in the National Party were also divided between reformers and those who wanted to return to the strict apartheid era

Question 13

State of Emergency 1985-1990 - Events and impacts

Answer 13

• Gave the government power to: Ban public gatherings, impose curfews, detain people without trials, censor the media, ban organisations and restrict political activity and deploy the army and the police into townships
• Repression and violence, thousands of activists were arrested or detained and torture and deaths in detention were reported, fear heightened as townships were militarised
• Resistance continued, underground ANC and international attention grew
• More countries imposed economic sanctions and boycotts
• By late 1980s Apartheid began to collapse and even some whites were against the government

Question 14

Improved international opposition to apartheid

Answer 14

• As apartheid became more violent and globally condemned, international opposition strengthened significantly
• Footage of uprisings, e.g. Soweto shocked the world
• Many countries refused to play sport against South Africa
• Banks and companies pulled investments from South Africa in the mid 1980s and the EU, UK and USA were pressured by the public to act and so economic sanctions were placed on South Africa
• Sanctions placed hurt the economy, causing a rise in inflation, unemploy meant and isolation