South Africa - How was Apartheid codified and implemented, 1948-59? Flashcards
STRENGTHENING THE NP
What was one of the National Party’s priorities? How did they try to do this?
to stay in political power
1949 - 6 members of Parliament were added for whites in Namibia (South West Africa)
because Nationalists had support there
STRENGTHENING THE NP
What was the National Party’s approach to Coloured people? Why?
although they share much cultural history with whites
the Nationalists were determined that they should become a separate racial category
because Coloured people still had a vote in central parliamentary eelctions
they voted overwhelmingly for United Party
STRENGTHENING THE NP
How was the Coloured vote specially protected?
Coloured vote in the Cape required 2.3 majority of parliament to change a law
the remaining of Parliament just needed a simple majority
STRENGTHENING THE NP
When was the remaining Coloured vote removed? By what Act?
1951
Separate Representation of Voters Act
STRENGTHENING THE NP
Name 2 other ways the NP set about strengthening their party?
- ‘packing’ senate with sympathetic Afrikaner judges
2. Afrikaners is senior positions (military, army, police, bureaucracy)
STRENGTHENING THE NP
Did these measures work? Di the NP increase their vote?
Yes
1953 - the NP vote increased from 400,000 to 600,000
they narrowly outpolled the UP
STRENGTHENING THE NP
How else, other than politics, did the NP get their vote strengthened?
1950s - state employment increased from 482,000 to 799,000
majority of them Afrikaners
APARTHEID LAWS
Name 3 laws that began segregation of lands and what they did.
- Bantu Authorities Act 1951
place responsibility for local government onto a conservative rural African leadership (traditional tribal leader) that would cooperate with the government - Urban Areas Act 1952
limited the category of blacks who had right to permanent residence in urban area. (had to be living for there fore 15yrs+ or employed for 15yrs) - Promotion of Bantu Self-Government Act 1959
envisaged self-governing African units
APARTHEID LAWS
Name 3 race laws and what they did.
- Prohibition of Mixed Marriage’s Act 1949
prohibited marriages between ‘Europeans’ and ‘Non-Europeans’ - Immorality Act 1950
prohibited marriage and sex by whites - Population Registration Act 1950
national register and documents were issued so race could be public knowledge (1 of 4 categories)
APARTHEID LAWS
Name a law used to crush opposition and what it did.
Suppression of Communism Act 1950
formally banned the Communist Party
prohibited any groups/party subscribing to Communism
APARTHEID LAWS
Name 2 laws to separate races in public areas and what they did.
- Natives Abolition of Passes Act 1952
made it compulsory for all black SAs to carry a ‘passbook’ in white areas - Reservation of Separate Amenities Act 1953
legalised racial segregation of public premises, vehicles and services . (only public roads were excluded)
APARTHEID LAWS
Name a law that governed where the races lived and what it did.
Group Areas Act 1950
assigned racial groups to different residential and business sections in urban areas in a system of urban apartheid
APARTHEID LAWS
Name 2 laws that separated the races in school and what they did.
- Bantu Education Act 1953
enforced separate educational facilities - Extension of University Education Act 1959
made it criminal for a non-white student to register at a formerly open university
without written permission of Minister of Internal Affairs
SOPHIATOWN
What was the state of Sophiatown in 1904 when it was established until NP moved in?
- black people has freehold ownership of their properties
- racially mixed
- overcrowded
- gang crime and ANC activity
SOPHIATOWN
Forced removal isn’t legal unless the government provide costly alternative accommodation, so what did the government do?
Pass/use the Group Areas Act 1950 enforced residential segregation
SOPHIATOWN
When and where were residents relocated?
1955
to Meadowlands Western Townships which became (Soweto)
SOPHIATOWN
What was the removal date set to? What did the Minister of Justice say?
12 February 1955
The ANC would oppose removal with violence (e.g. cars loaded with explosives and tyres to roll at police)
SOPHIATOWN
What was the ANC campaign? How long did it go on for?
‘We Won’t Move’ Campaign in 1955
18 months
SOPHIATOWN
What happened when forced removals were put in place?
- 2000 armed police invaded
- 110 families moved on 1st night
- took several years and 65,000 were removed
SOPHIATOWN
What was the impact?
new homes had no tiolets, water or electricity
Trimof was built in its place
SOPHIATOWN
What was the effect on the ANC when they didn’t save Sophiatown?
galvanised the anti-apartheid movement
forced the ANC to consider a change in strategy
DISTRICT 6
Where was District 6? How many people lived there? What races lived there?
a former inner city residential area of Cape Town
60,000 people resided
predominantly Coloured and Indian with smaller black/white communities
DISTRICT 6
Who were the first to be “resettled” and when?
blacks in 1901
DISTRICT 6
What did the 1950 Groups Areas Act declare District 6?
a white area
DISTRICT 6
What campaign turned up?
‘Hands off District 6” that prevented private development and some land remained vacant
DISTRICT 6
How did the Afrikaners portray District 6 to prove their point?
a place riddled with immoral activity such as gambling and prostitution
DURBAN
What was the population of Durban? What was the ratio of races?
450,000
1/3 Indian
1/3 African
1/3 White
DURBAN
Where and how did each race live?
White - suburbs
Indians - owed private property and lent to Africans
Africans - bought from Indians and built shacks
DURBAN
Why did the Africans attack Indians in 1949? How many were killed/injured in the riots and police suppression?
they felt like they were exploiting them
142 killed
1000 injured
DURBAN
What was the governments action? What did this mean for blacks?
they imposed the Group Areas Act
the shacks were largely removed and 10,000s of people sent to far-flung townships
DURBAN
Where the Indians moved too? To where? What was different in Indian settlements though?
Yes
41,000
to south zone of the city
they could own their private property unlike Africans