South Africa - The response to apartheid 1948-1959 Flashcards
How many Africans were in SA in 1951?
8.5 million
Why did tribes make the ANC’s work harder?
It had to bridge tribal divides and create an African identity
How many Dutch and British in the 1951 census?
1.6 million and 1 million
What role did the British have in SA?
They were more wealthy and educated than other groups, often working in business and professions
How many coloreds were in the census of 1951 and what did they usually speak?
1.1 million, usually speaking Afrikaans
Percentage of Indians in 1951 census
3%
When were blacks disenfranchised?
1936
In 1948, what percentage of the population was white and therefore could vote?
21%
What was a key issue for the National Party that gained them popularity in 1948?
The Poor White Problem, where these individuals looked for job security and to be above the blacks socially once again
Where did the majority of Africans live?
In the countryside or townships (urban areas just outside cities and places of work)
What percentage of land was owned by the white man in 1948?
80%
What was the word for white economic power over blacks?
Baaskap
What was the role of the rural African?
He worked the fields either on white-owned land or on reserves
Where was education often best for the blacks?
In the reserves, where religious congregations had set up schools
Which pre-1948 event rose Afrikaner nationalism?
1938 century of the Great Trek which incensed a feeling of volk in the population with Voortrekker monument, alongside a religious fervour due to the Covenant made with God in the Battle of Blood River made in 1838
What soft-power did the British have in SA?
Sport links as well as ownership of mines and industries by British companies which created animosity between them and Afrikaners
Which group gave the ideological backing to the National Party and what did they support?
The Broederbond, Christian republicans and nationalists from 1918
How did religion influence the Afrikaners of 1948?
The Calvinist Dutch Reformed Churches saw the need for separate racial development - desire for banning inter-racial marriage
How did WW2 influence the 1948 election?
The Ossewabrandwag who were anti-war, conservative to the point of fascism and yet militaristic, mostly turned to the National Party post-war (300,000 members at peak)
Why was SA far from the norm in world views in 1948?
The post-war consensus on the need for basic human rights and equality were rebuked by SA
Where did some members of the National Party take strength from internationally?
The Deep South of America, where religion and racism went hand in hand
Which 3 things did the National Party mention in the 1948 election to scare whites?
Swart gevaar (black danger) and oorstrooming (flooding) as well as relations across colour lines threatening a white hierachy
Why were the United Party losing votes up to 1948?
Support for WW2, as well as being seen as an appeaser of the blacks and not the true Afrikaner culture
Why did the National Party mathematically win the election in 1948?
Even though they had 11 points less than the United Party in the popular vote, they had a small majority of support in the many rural communities`
How did the National Party ensure it’s political survival?
Adding 6 MP’s for Namibia as well as somewhat unconstitutionally removing coloureds from electoral rolls in the Cape Colonies in 1956, more Afrikaners in Civil Service with British pushed to retire, senior NP members also part of Broederbond
From what to what did state employment increase by in the 1950s and who had these jobs?
482,000 to 799,000, even more jobs for the whites
What was the long-term benefit for whites under apartheid?
The cementation of hierarchy
Which roles did Verwoerd have in government?
Minister of Native Affairs (1950-58) and Prime Minister (1958-66)
What was passed in 1951?
Bantu Authorities Act which gave local chieftains responsibility in the African communities
What was passed in 1959?
Promotion of Bantu Self-Government Act; 8 self-governing African units run within tribes, blacks removed from official statistics so whites were largest group, grand apartheid
What was passed to stop crossing of racial lines sexually?
Mixed Marriage Act of 1949 and Immorality Act of 1950
What 2 pieces of key legislation was passed in 1950?
Population Registration Act and Group Areas Act
What did the Group Areas Act do?
Give whites the ability to remove other races from inner-cities along with their businesses, like with Sophiatown in Johannesburg
Why was Sophiatown targeted by nationalists?
It had a vibrant black culture with much support for the ANC and Drum magazine, as well as shebeens and tsotsis
How does the actions of the Group Areas Act in Durban show National Party policy to different races?
There was a graduation, with whites in the city center, Indians forced out to live in the south to provide a barrier from the blacks who were in a township outside the city called Umlazi
What shows the failures of the Group Areas Act to work efficiently?
District Six which still now has vacant areas of land in the Cape Town area
What was passed in 1953 to entrench petty apartheid?
Reservation of Separate Amenities Act, separate but not equal
Why was the African lifestyle so unstable in the townships?
They were unable to buy property
What was brought in in 1952 to protect white city interests?
Native Abolition of Passes Act and Urban Areas Act, leading to implementation of reference books for all (to standardised process) and creating a minority of blacks who could live in the city
How many convictions of the pass laws were there in 1952 and 1962?
160,000 then up to 380,000
How many blacks lived in the cities in 1946 and 1960?
1.8m up to 3.5m
Percentage of Africans literate in 1951
24%
What was passed in 1953 to control African education?
Bantu Education Act, which segregated classrooms and syllabuses - brought in to avoid growth of tsotsis
