The Crisis Of Apartheid In The 80s Flashcards
Who lead the National Party from 78 to 89 and what policy did his administration implement as a result of the Soweto uprising?
P.W. Botha
“Total onslaught - total strategy”
Explain the “total onslaught- total strategy”.
Using government propaganda, the National Party tried to convince people that communists (USSR and Cuba) were trying to take over SA via military attacks, protests and international criticism, they called this a total onslaught, to meet this imaginary onslaught they created a “total strategy”, in which there was increased military presence, increased censorship, banning of people and organisations, detentions without trial as well as the declaration of a national state of emergency in which the police were allowed to take violent action against protesters. This was paired with smalls reforms here and there to try and win the support of the black middle class.
How did the growth of the South African economy contradict a core apartheid principle?
The system of apartheid was designed to keep black workers as providers of unskilled manual labour. As the economy began to grow, more jobs were made available and thus the need for skilled black workers was increased and there was pressure on the apartheid government to reform it’s policies surrounding labour.
Describe how the pass system came to fall.
As the economy grew and the demand for black labour increased, more black folk began to leave the homelands and move to cities in spite if the pass laws. The rate of people breaking the pass laws increased so much that prisons began to overflow and thus the system began to break down. There were fewer persecutions under the pass laws in the early 80s and in 1986 the system was abolished.
What was COSATU and when was it founded?
The Congress of South African Trade Unions and it was founded in 1985. Cosatu aimed to provide one indisputable voice for trade unions everywhere by uniting them under one front. At one point COSATU represented just over 500000 workers.
What issues did the unions fight against in the 80s?
The economic recession of the 80s as well as the pass system. Growing power of unions was a key reason for the abolishment of the pass laws in 1986.
Why was the Bantustan policy rendered ineffective?
The Bantustan policy was rendered ineffective as there was a need for a permanent black working force (the economy was growing and thus the need for labour had increased). Thus keeping black people in Bantustans was ineffective as it meant that the workforce was never constant.
Explain the tricameral Parliament.
The tricameral Parliament or three chamber Parliament was introduced in 1983 and was an attempt to win support from the coloured and Indian communities while still maintaining white control. The houses of assembly (white), representatives (coloured) and delegates (Indian) respectively, each house in control its own affairs in matters such as education and housing whilst still being controlled by the house of assembly (white). Africans were excluded completely.
Explain the local authorities act.
Established in 1982 the black local authorities act was implemented after the Soweto uprising. The government set up local community councils in order to administer the townships under the control of white government officials, the government hoped to quell black political demands by giving them very limited powers at a local level.
Splane the response to PW Botha’s reforms.
The response to Portos reforms was not with the National party had expected. Both the black local authorities act and the tricameral Constitution that far-reaching political results and spark mass protests nationwide. The government failed to gain support from the Indian coloured and black voters as they hoped it would. It was clear to all that the government was merely trying to re-construct apartheid rather than dismantle it. Voting under the tricameral Parliament was boycotted by the Indian and coloured community as less than 20% of potential voters bothered to vote in the first elections.
The reaction to Portos reforms in the time ships was far more geometric the reforms lead to an uprising called the township revolt which lasted from 1984 to 1986 the protest started in Sharpeville Sebokeng and boipatong. Students and workers alike were are united under the common goal of dismantling apartheid and negotiating for a democratic future.
