South Africa: NP Lose Control & Botha’s Negotiations 1985-1989 Flashcards

1
Q

What did the NP realise by the mid-1980s and why?

A

-white supremacy was under threat
-township revolts, homeland problems, international condemnation, economic slowdown were all unsolvable problems that were a threat

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2
Q

What did the National Party try to do in the years 1985-1989 ?

A

To suppress African rebellion whilst also opening negotiations, all in an attempt to protect white interests

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3
Q

Give evidence of how there was enormous increases in police killings between 1985 and 1989

A

In 1984 there were less than 100 killed by security forces
1985: over 500 killed by security forces

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4
Q

What was Botha’s attitude to his own new parliament and constitution?

A

He ignored it more and more

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5
Q

What did Botha use instead of his new constitution?

A

The SSC (state security council)

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6
Q

What did the State Security Council do?

A

-coordinated security operations
-was directly supervised by government ministers-including Botha

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7
Q

What was one of the reasons for increased deaths because of security forces?

A

A SSC directive that called for the ‘physical gunning down of leaders in riot situations’ and the ‘removal of intimidators’
This tended to occur at protest marches and political funerals

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8
Q

What did Botha do that meant tens of thousands of people were arrested between 1985-1989?

A

Declared several states of emergency

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9
Q

What does ‘Kitskonstabels’ mean?

A

The instant police

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10
Q

Who made up the ‘Kitskonstabels’?

A

Usually unemployed African men who were enlisted by the security forces in large numbers as special police

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11
Q

What were the ‘Kitskonstabels’ tasked to do?

A

To destroy the community organisations established by the UDF

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12
Q

Other than the ‘Kitskonstabels’, which group set up by the security forces terrorised black communities ?

A

Vigilante groups such as ‘Witdoeke’

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13
Q

What does ‘Witdoeke’ mean?

A

White scarves

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14
Q

What did the National Party argue about violence in 1985-1989?

A
  • it showed Africans couldn’t govern themselves
    -they denied knowledge of crimes by security services and vigilantes
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15
Q

what did the high levels of state repression lead to?

A

International backlash and considerable world attention focused on police brutality in townships- e.g. the ‘Trojan Horse’ incident

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16
Q

What was the impact of international backlash on South Africa 1985-1989?

A

-significant impact on the economy because foreign bankers and investors began to pull out of the country

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17
Q

How many US companies left South Africa between 1984 and 1985?

A

40 exited in 1984 and 50 more left in 1985

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18
Q

Which banks refused to loan money to South Africa and when?

A

Citibank- 1985
Barclays Bank- March 1986

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19
Q

What did the USA do in October 1986 that impacted South Africa?

A

Congress passed legislation that implemented sanctions against South Africa
- air links between America and South Africa were also ended and South African imports were also banned

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20
Q

How did American investment in South Africa change between 1984 and 1988?

A

Investment fell from $5 billion in 1984 to $2.78 billion by 1988

21
Q

What did measures like the ones the USA took do to the South African Economy?

A

-they crippled it whilst it was already struggling
- SA unable to borrow further so inflation grew rapidly and the economy shrunk
-businessmen became some of Botha’s biggest critics, even Afrikaners were calling for solutions for the economic disaster

22
Q

What did Botha do in the face of international pressure?

A

Continued in a process of reforms

23
Q

What did Botha announce to parliament in January 1986?

A

That South Africa had ‘outgrown apartheid’
He stated that pass laws would be repealed and influx control would be ended

24
Q

What was influx control?

A

Limits to immigration into cities

25
Q

Who did Botha allow to meet Mandela?

A

An ‘Eminent Persons Group’
Kobie Coetsee

26
Q

Who made up the ‘eminent persons group’ that was allowed to meet with Mandela?

A

Commonwealth heads of state

27
Q

Who was Kobie Coetsee, when did he meet Mandela?

A

Botha’s Minister of justice
June 1986
To open discussions about the future of

28
Q

What did Botha hint to in his announcement to parliament in January 1986?

A

A speech of huge significance later in the year- the ‘Rubicon Speech’

29
Q

What was the Rubicon Speech and what did Botha say in it?

A

-delivered in August
-was a let down
-no promise to release Mandela
-he berated international community for trying to influence SA
- he did concede that the Homeland policy was unworkable

30
Q

What did Botha do at the same time as the reforms?

A

Repressed

31
Q

What did Botha do after the ‘Eminent Persons Group’ had left South Africa?

A

In May 1986 he launched commando raids by the SADF on the ANC/PAC in surrounding countries
The targets where in Zambia,Zimbabwe and Botswana

32
Q

What special unit did the NP also use?

A

‘Koevoet’ to conduct assassinations and killings
It was free from almost any control/restraint

33
Q

What is ‘Koevoet’ in English?

A

Crowbar

34
Q

What did Koevoet do?

A

They captured,killed and tortured anyone suspected of working for the ANC including MK and anti-apartheid activists

35
Q

Whose was one of the deaths Koevoet were responsible for?

A

Ruth First- a leading anti-apartheid campaigner
They were responsible for the letter bomb that killed her at her desk in Mozambique in 1982

36
Q

What was the base for Koevoet?

A

A farm near Pretoria called Vlakpaas

37
Q

Other than Koevoet, what was another secret organisation that was set up in 1987?

A

The CCB
Civilian Co-operation Bureau

38
Q

What was the purpose of the CCB and who set it up?

A
  • they sought to eliminate anyone who was identified as an enemy of state
  • not known who set it up because all the records were later destroyed
39
Q

What was the most notorious action of the CCB?

A

The killing of David Webster, a university lecturer & critic of apartheid outside his home in Johannesburg

40
Q

Give one example of failed external conflicts for South Africa

A

In the late 1980s the SADF was engaged in Southern Angola
At Cuito Cuanauale, SA troops were surrounded and forced to retreat by Cuban troops fighting for the Angolan force
In August 1988, Botha agreed to remove all SA forces from Angola

41
Q

What did the government realise when the SADF were defeated by Cuban troops in southern Angola?

A

That they couldn’t continue fighting in foreign countries as well as at home

42
Q

What country was SA involved in negotiations in giving the independence of?
When did this happen?

A

Namibia
1990

43
Q

What did the defeat in Southern Angola and independence of Namibia show?

A

The NP had lost the ability to extend its military influence beyond the borders of South Africa

44
Q

What homeland was overtaken by the ANC in December 1987?

A

Transkei

45
Q

Describe the events of the ANC takeover of the Transkei Homeland

A

Bantu Holomisa who was the head of the Transkei armed forces seized power
He began to provide refuge and support for ANC supporters

46
Q

What did the NP realise after Transkei was taken over?

A

That if it could fall, so could other homelands, most of which were governed by individuals sympathetic to the NP

47
Q

What did the NP do in fear of other homelands falling like Transkei had done?

A

Started providing funding and support for Chief Buthelezi and his new ‘Inkatha’ movement to encourage splits in the anti-apartheid movement

48
Q

Who was a confirmed enemy of the ANC?

A

Chief Buthelezi

49
Q

Why was the National Party’s attempt to split the anti-apartheid movement by supporting Buthelezi a failure?

A

He was already a confirmed ANC enemy