South Africa 1948-59 Flashcards
What did the NP do in 1949 in order to keep power within Parliament
Added six more white seats for Parliament in Namibia (South West Africa) where the NP had support
Why were Coloured people given their own category
They were culturally similar to White People and spoke English and Afrikaans, but they couldn’t be allowed to be equal in the eyes of the NP as they mostly voted UP.
How are laws introduced in SA
Simple 51% majority
Describe the events of ‘The Coloured Vote Constitutional Crisis’
- NP wanted to remove the Coloured Vote in the Cape Province
- This was specially protected so a 2/3 majority was needed to change it
- The NP illegally tried changing it despite only getting a simple majority in 1951
- In 1952, a court deemed that the law was unfair and was not valid
- To get their way, the NP redid the trial but used Afrikaner judges and packed the senate with NP members, so they won and the Coloured People lost their vote in 1956
What was the name of the initial act trying to remove the vote of Coloured People
Separate Representation of Voters Bill 1951
What was the name of the second act that successfully removed the vote of Coloured People
Separate Representation of Voters Amendment Act 1956
How successful were the NP in the 1953 elections
Very successful, gaining another 200,000 votes and enough parliamentary seats to control SA until the end of Apartheid
How did Afrikaners completely control the country after the 1953 elections
They took most senior positions in the military, police force and government so they had full power
During the 1950s, state employed people rose from ______ to ______, the majority of which were ________
During the 1950s, state employed people rose from 482,000 to 799,000, the majority of which were Afrikaners
What 2 groups emerged within the NP who had ideological differences regarding segregation, and what did they believe
- Hardliners who believed in tighter separation of races
- Pragmatists who recognised that the economy needed large numbers of African workers so full segregation was impossible
Who was the Minister of Native Affairs from 1950-1958
Hendrick Verwoerd
What two acts did Verwoerd introduce which aimed to get African people to support Apartheid
- Bantu Authorities Act 1951: Gave authority to conservative African tribal leaders in reserves who would support the NP
- Promotion of Bantu Self-Government Act 1959: Turned tribal lands and reserves into 8 ‘Bantustans’ (later 10) which self-governed
What two laws (and years) were introduced prohibiting relationships between different races
Mixed Marriage Act (1949) - Marriage
Immorality Act (1950) - Sex
What law (and year) assigned every citizen of South Africa into four races
Population Registration Act (1950)
What were the four designated races in South Africa
White, African, Coloured, Indian
Where were most African townships located
On the edge of towns or cities, as far from the centre and inner suburbs as the government could
What act provided the government the ability to eradicate townships too close to the city centre
Group Areas Act 1950
Name three examples of areas demolished as a result of the Group Areas Act 1950
Sophiatown, Johannesburg
Cato Manor, Durban
District Six, Cape Town
How many people were removed from Sophiatown
60,000
What years were Sophiatown being bulldozed
1950-56
What could Apartheid Laws be categorised into
Petty Apartheid (day to day activities like separate facilities) and Grand Apartheid (no votes)
What act made it legal to provide separate facilities for Africans and White people of unequal quality
Reservation of Separate Amenities Act 1953
What act replaced passes with reference books for black men, establishing their identity and whether they had a right to be in urban areas (reference books were commonly called pass books anyway)
Natives Abolition of Passes Act 1952
What year did the Natives Abolition of Passes Act 1952 extend to women
1956
What were the requirements for an African Man to be allowed into urban areas
Being born in the urban area, having lived there for 15 years or having worked there for 10 years.
Even still only a minority of African people were accepted
What was a major problem for Africans who WERE allowed into urban areas
They still weren’t allowed to buy land or property in the urban areas and had to travel from townships
How many people were convicted because of pass laws in the following:
1952:
1962:
1952-62:
1952: 164,324
1962: 384,497
1952-62: 3,000,000
The African Urban Population went from ________ in 1946 to ________ in 1960
Why is this surprising?
Went from 1.8 million in 1946 to 3.5 million in 1960.
This is surprising as the Group Areas Act and Pass Laws should have reduced this number to near zero, but instead in doubled
Give two reasons for the rise in urban population of Africans from 1946 to 1960
- The work opportunities were so much better in cities that many Africans chose to brave the pass laws and take the risk
- A lot of employers colluded with Africans to help them work in the city as they could be paid less
What % of Africans were recorded as literate in the 1951 census
24%
Name and describe the act that segregated Black Schools
Bantu Education Act 1953
- It segregated the content of schools in order for Africans to be limited to less lucrative jobs like factory workers
- It DID increase educational opportunities at a basic level for all Africans
Why did Verwoerd (still the Minister of native Affairs) allow the increase of education in Black Schools (2 reasons)
- Education to an extent was valuable in building up a workforce good for roles such as factory workers who were needed
- There were fears of the rise of street gangs and improvements in education were aimed to prevent this
What was the name for criminal street youths in SA
tsotsis
What 3 universities in the 1950s accepted Black Students and gave them the same training as White Students
- University of Fort Hare, Alice
- University of Cape Town (take a wild guess)
- University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Which report was made investigating how to grow the economy in a post-WW2 global economic boom, and what year was it made
The Tomlinson Report, 1955
Who made the Tomlinson Report and what was their job
Professor F.R. Tomlinson, Agricultural Economist at the University of Stellenbosch
What did Tomlinson believe
The most crucial thing to benefit the SA economy was to invest into the Bantustans
How much did Tomlinson want to invest into the Bantustans
£100 million
What three main recommendations did Tomlinson recommend
- He believed that farms had become too small and therefore inefficient, and recommended making farms bigger and privately owned rather than communal, which would lead to some farms taking over the land of others leading to some farmers being kicked off their land
- Major funding for rural and agricultural industries
- He wanted global and South African businesses to be encouraged to invest in rural areas
Give 5 reasons why Verwoerd rejected the recommendations of the Tomlinson Report
- He thought white voters would be angry at investiture into Bantustans
- He didn’t want African industry to grow and compete with White industry
- He wanted Bantustans to ‘develop at their own pace’
- If Africans lost their land to farm expansions then they would move to the cities
- Private ownership of land would undermine the tribal structure which kept the NP-loyal tribal chiefs happy
What is Betterment, when did Betterment begin and why
Betterment is the process of forcing farmers to reduce the size of animal pastures, and move the animals from one small pasture to another throughout the year. This was introduced in 1939 in SA in order to reduce environmental degradation and soil erosion
What did the NP do about Betterment when they took charge of SA
They really committed to Betterment and enforced it a lot more
Why were Africans angry about Betterment (2 reasons)
- To create space for the Betterment Policy, Africans were forced into villages which broke the traditional way of living for many
- To be able to fit the animals into smaller pastures, many Africans had to sell or kill surplus livestock
How many Africans were forced into villages in the 1950s and 1960s
About a million
How did the NP respond to the backlash about Betterment
They gave up the policy by the end of the 60s
What year was the ANC founded
1912
Why were the ANC founded
They felt betrayed by the Creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910 as they didn’t get equal rights
Were the ANC initially successful and why (2 reasons)
No
- The leaders were too cautious and would rather hope white people changed their mind about racism than take action
- The African population was very diverse from all sort of tribal groups, and the ‘African’ identity was still taking shape
Despite a lack of a distinct anti-racism opponent in the 1940s, there was opposition. Name 3 examples of movements against racism
- Before the Group Areas Act demolished them, ‘leaders’ of squatter settlements led illegal occupations of private land and won thousands of followers who rioted with them against police
- A 1946 African Miners strike threatened the entire mining industry of SA and the army was called in to end it. Organised largely by Black members of Communist Party.
- Bus Boycotts in 1944 and 1949 to bring down expensive bus fares
Why was the ANC so much stronger than other African political movement by the 1940s
Since their foundation they had the best organisation and ability to attract the best educated members of the African elite
What divide was there in the 1940s in the ANC
The older members were more cautious and careful, whereas the newer generation of activists who demanded more action
What was the ANC organisation for the new generation and what year was it set up
ANC Youth League (1944)
Name 3 significant original members of the ANC Youth League, as well as their leader
Leader: Anton Lembede
Members: Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu
What did the ANC launch demanding a more confrontational approach to Apartheid, and what year
Programme of Action, 1949
The ANC Youth Leader ousted the old ANC Leader _______ and made _____________ their leader
The ANC Youth Leader ousted the old ANC Leader Dr Xuma and made Albert Luthuli their leader
Which party did the ANC ally with in the 1940s
Communist Party
Why did the Communist Party ally with the ANC
As the NP banned the Communist Party they needed support to overthrow the NP before establishing their socialist revolution. Also had a lot of black members
What act and year was the Communist Party banned
Suppression of Communism Act 1950
What year was the Defiance Campaign, and what was it
1952, the idea was to break racial restrictions like curfews and entering white-only areas and risk arrest, in order to overflow prisons
What cities were supposed to be the centre of the Defiance Campaign
Johannesburg and Durban
What cities were actually the centre of the Defiance Campaign, with how many (out of how many) arrests made in those two cities
Port Elizabeth and East London, with 6000 out of 8000 arrests
Context of East London in 1952
Very poor area, with a 37% infant mortality rate in their first year
Which two people led the local ANC branch in East London
Alcott Gwentshe (moderate and peaceful)
C.J. Fazzie (radical militant leader)
How did the first rally go in East London
Successfully, with 1,500 attendees and a good protest
Why did the Defiance Campaign become a problem in East London
More people starting attending meetings, including gang members who demanded violence. Eventually, the campaign became too large and Gwentshe and Fazzie lost control of the movement
What did the loss of control in East London’s Defiance Campaign culminate in
9th November 1952, a gathering of 800 activists became rowdy and starting throwing stones at the police, and apparently fired a gunshot at the police. The police opened fire, and the crowd turned into small violent groups who attacked police, burned buildings and killed a couple civilians
What were total casualties from the 9th November 1952 Riots
- 0 Police
- 2 White Civilians
- 7 Africans, 18 Injured (Police Numbers)
Which death in particular shocked the nation in the 9th November 1952 Riots
Sister Aidan, a white catholic missionary who was burned alive in her car and whose body was cut up
How did the ANC react to the 9th November 1952 Riots
They were so appalled that they called off the Defiance Campaign completely - it was out of their control
During the Defiance Campaigns, ANC membership rose from ____ to ______
Rose from 4,000 to 100,000
When were women allowed into the ANC, and when was their own Women’s League of the ANC founded
The ANC allowed women to join from 1943, and women set up their own League in 1948
Name 3 activities Women led in the 1950s
1955 - Peaceful Women’s March of 20,000 through Pretoria to protest passes
1957 - Peaceful Women’s Protest outside the Johannesburg pass office
Late 1950s - Led the resistance against the forced removals in Cato Manor
Name one example of rural resistance to Apartheid
Sekhukhuneland
- In the 1950s, the Department of Native Affairs (Verwoerd) tried to make Sekhukhuneland a Bantustan, but the people strongly opposed this
- In 1957, the Government enforced this and replaced the paramount chief with a more compliant one to the NP. The paramount chief was arrested and deported for trying to protect his citizens, and he symbolised the people’s identity and lifestyle, so this infuriated locals
- By May 1958, nine government collaborators had been stabbed to death there and many more had their houses burned down
What was the Congress Alliance
A group of many Anti-Apartheid organisations, like the ANC, Communist Party, SAIC and more.
Describe the Treason Trials, mentioning the following:
- Years involved
- Number of arrests
- Effect on the ANC
The Government became worried about the growing influence of the Congress Alliance, and in June 1956 arrested 156 members. They tried accusing them of trying to overthrow the government and being communists. The Congress Alliance used the international press of the event to make speeches and gain international support, gaining ANC support. However, the ANC were more inactive in these years as its leaders were tied up in the court cases. In 1961, all 156 were acquitted as the NP couldn’t prove anything at all
What was the Freedom Charter, and was it useful
A charter listing the core political beliefs of all those who demanded equal rights for all races. It was useful as it reflected freedom movements in other countries and created much more international support
When and where was the Freedom Charter made
26th June 1955, Kliptown, Soweto
When was the PAC formed, and by who
April 6th, 1959 by Robert Sobukwe
Why was the PAC formed
The PAC members were originally part of the ANC, and wanted more focus on African dominance than equal rights for all. The 1958 elections were cancelled due to the stress of the Treason Trials, so the future PAC members couldn’t vote to elect a more Africanist leader, so they got angry. One member got expelled due to their outrage and the others walked out. The PAC was formed by these people later
How did the PAC politically differ to the ANC
- They wanted Africans to control South Africa, instead of equality for all races.
- They were also a lot more confrontation and aggressive in their approach
When was the first PAC meeting and what happened in the meeting
April 1959, where they read message of support by politicians in Ghana and Guinea
What did the ANC think about the foundation of the PAC
They were annoyed and thought the government was involved in allowing the PAC’s setup in order to divide resistance
