The End of Apartheid and the Creation of the 'Rainbow Nation' - Topic 4.2 Flashcards
The National Party and the beginning of negotiations and compromise
What was Botha’s ‘total strategy’?
‘Total strategy’ was Botha’s aim to use reform in order to appease criticism and mounting unrest. He hoped to win support within South Africa and counter the threat beyond its borders.
How did apartheid change under ‘total strategy’?
The government had soften implementation of many aspects of apartheid and the pass laws were largely abandonded, with racial restrictions partly relaxed too. The government invested into townships and reintroduced private ownership of township plots and houses.
How did the military and police change with ‘total strategy’?
Magnus Malan, the head of the army and Minister of Defence, bypassed the tricameral parliament and other limits he himself set to create a State Security Council. It combined leading white cabinet members and the most senior military officers. They could establish Joint Management Centres in different parts of the country to bring the military, police and officials together. Botha made it clear that reform was not intended to shift towards democracy, and Botha declared states of emergency after states of emergency, arresting tens of thousands.
How did Botha take ‘total strategy’ beyond South Africa?
Botha had partly neutralised support for the ANC in neighbouring countries. Namibia remained under direct rule, Malawi reached an accomodation with South Africa and Zimbabwe was cautious about direct confrontation. Swaziland and Mozambique signed non-aggression pacts and Lesotho’s PM had been toppled in a South-African backed military coup. The South African military were active in the Angolese and Mozambican civil wars.
Parcel bombs were used by South Africa to take out key ANC figures abroad and the army staged direct raids on ANC bases and house abroad with major raids in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana in 1986.
How did a shift in the global balance of power affect South Africa?
With the Cold War subsiding, the balance of regional power shifted. South Africa could not maintain military superiority in Angola with UNITA as their MPLA and Cuban enemies had stronger airpower. They failed to control a key centre in Southern Angola and the government became alarmed about the losses of white troops. The End Conscription Campaign worked hard to undermine the legitimacy of South Africa’s wars in general, opposing the national services of white youths.
In 1988, Gorbachev offered to negotiate an end to the wars in Southern Africa and to persuade the Cubans to withdraw. Namibia moved closer to independence and all parties agreed to remove foreign troops from Angola. Free elections were held in Namibia in 1989 with SWAPO winning 57% of the vote and the country became independent a year later.
How did foreign pressure and economic crisis push South Africa to reform?
In 1985, American banks refused to renew South African loans and the currency slumped after investors lost faith in Botha. Reagan began supporting disinvestment and the chairman of Anglo-American, South Africa’s largest private corporation, led a delegation of white businessman to Lusaka to meet the ANC.
The Free Nelson Mandela movement began gathering traction, backed by the AAM and exlied ANC and Mandela popularity became completely clear in 1988 with his 70th birthday concert at Wembley Stadium.
How did the state of emergency affect South Africa?
The Nationalists no longer had effective political control in the homelands or townships. Much of the fighting was restricted geographically to the townships and rural areas. Nevertheless, white consumer culture and standards of living were still comfortable.
Afrikaners had split politically to the left and right and political protest was widely reported. The state broadcaster found it difficult to hide the truth and there remained an alive and diverse press. Elements within the government in the 1980s recognised that the reform strategy was unlikely to be sufficient and they began to explore a negotiation settlement.
Why did Mandela have an impact on the path to talks?
Mandela hd been elevated by the AAM by the early 1980s and the government recognised his standing abroad, and amongst the prisoners on Robben Island. In 1982, Mandela, Sisulu and three others were transferred to Pollsmoor. Part of the plan was clearly to give them better conditions and try and divide the political prisoners. The nationalists thought they would need Mandela eventually. In 1985, Botha offered Mandela’s release if they renounced violence as well as support for political movements that remained committed to such strategies; Mandela refused. Mandela outlined the basic conditions to have negotiations: ‘your freedom and mine cannot be separated’.
What was the impact of behind-the-scenes talks in the 1980s?
Mandela was taken out of prison for a three-hour meeting with the verligte Minister of Justice, Kobie Coetsee, and Botha authorised talks with the ANC in exile at the same time. The head of the Broederbond met Thabo Mbeki in New York for talks. Elements of the Dutch Reformed Church renounced their former support for aparthteid, and in 1987, a delegation of Afrikaners met the ANC in Dakar.
