SA Unit 4 (3.0) Flashcards
Who was Botha and who did he have strong relations with? What was he prepared to do?
-Botha was Pm from 1978, a former defence minister who maintained strong relations with the security forces.
-He recognised some change to the system was necessary. He was prepared to compromise apartheid but not share power. Saw this as a key part of Total Strategy.
What petty apartheid measures did Botha abandon?
-The Mixed Marriages Act 1949 was repealed in 1985.
-Local authorities were encouraged to desegregate public facilities.
-Pass laws were abolished in 1986.
Following recommendations of the Wiehman Report(1979) what was legalised by Botha?
Trade Unions.
What was Botha’s new policies of change known as? What was the main aim? How did he think it would be achieved?
WHAM-Winning of Hearts and Minds.
-Main aim was to maintain white supremacy and would be done through a ‘divide and rule’.
-He included Indians and coloureds into gov’t separating them from blacks.
What did gov’t hold in 1984? What was decided because of it?
-An all white referendum for a new constitution.
-It was decided there would be a new parliament, made of three chambers:
-House of Assembly comprising 178 whites.
-House of Representatives comprising 85 coloureds.
-House of Delegates comprising 45 Indians.
How did whites maintain supremacy in the new system?
How was responsibility divided between the chambers?
-In any join sessions, whites could outvote the other two groups.
-There would be a multi-racial cabinet responsible for ‘general affairs’, which meant issues such as taxation, defence, business and foreign affairs.
-Uni-racial ministerial councils were to be responsible for ‘their own affairs’, or education, health and local gov’t, so far as it applied to the separate racial groups.
What was the new role/powers of the president(1984)? How would the president be elected.
-Pm became the president with executive powers.
-President was elected by a college of 50 voters including 50 whites, 25 coloureds and 13 Indian MPs.
-Given the power to dissolve parliament at any time.
-Responsible for African affairs.
-Power to appoint a cabinet from members of all three Houses.
-Multi-racial presidents council had the power to settle any disputes between the three Houses.
What were the criticisms of Botha’s reforms?
-Whites dominated
-It maintained racial separation.
-The president was too powerful- i.e. being able to dissolve parliament at any time.
-It was costly and overly bureaucratic.
-Africans were isolated, no input.(Granted powers in local gov’t but created more problems than it solved.)
-Only 30% of coloured voters and 20% of Indians voted in elections.
-Reforms were seen as a last ditch attempt to maintain white supremacy.
What did pro-apartheid politicians form in response to Botha’s reforms ?
The Conservative Party.
Who did Botha welcome in 1985 to assist with reforms? What did they do?
-He insisted in 1985 that apartheid was outmoded and welcomed ‘Eminent Persons’ Group of various Commonwealth heads of State.
-They met with imprisoned Mandela and initiated gov’t contacts with him.
What did government continue to do during Botha’s reforms?
Government oppression continued and Botha intensified military activities against ANC and PAC bases abroad.
Did many feel that Botha’s reforms were significant? What evidence suggests not?
-Many still felt Botha’s reforms were largely cosmetic.
-The principal planks of apartheid remained such as the Population Registration Act.
-While much of petty apartheid was repealed much still remained. Unlike buses trains were still segregated.
-Townships where most blacks lived still faced the same problems of overcrowding and squalor.
-New black councils faced huge hostility for raising rent prices to improve conditions.
