Why were the nationalists able to come to power in 1948 and following laws Flashcards
How were black people employed?
As guest workers
Immortality Act
Made interracial sex illegal
Coloured
Not classified as either black or white
Mixed race
Africans
Original inhabitants
Originally San/ Bushmen
Significant force in 20th century despite British
Zulu widely spoken
Indians
Some Indian traders
3% of population
Originally came to SA to work on plantations
Whites
60% in 1951
2 most dominant:
1) Afrikaners
2) British descent
Apartheid
Built on segregation and legalised it
1910: discrimination
1948: legalised
1923: Urban Areas Act
Afrikaner response
Felt discriminated by British- result of Empire
Wanted to reclaim political identity
Formed Brotherhood
Laager: mentality of Afrikaners- refers to Boer’s Great Trek
Land- urbanisation and industrialisation
WW2 meant more employment for black workers
Gold discovered in the Transvaal (Rand) in 1886
Johannesburg grew to supply and provide business- used African migrant workers
By 1948: pop of Johannesburg dominated by African no. over whites
Gold industries diversified to producing textiles, clothing, food, chemicals etc
Land- rural society and townships
By 1948: land ownership deeply divided by race and class (WSA owned 80%+)
WSA lived in towns and BSA in countryside
Whites maintained ‘baaskap’: ‘boss hood’
Economy of reserves effectively peasant economy
Land- the influence of Britain
British investors dominated by mines and industries
1948: SA was a self governing part of the British empire- political and social links as SA encouraged to fight with GB
English is joint official language, links in cricket, rugby, football
NP victory- issues facing WSA in 1948
1) Lack of jobs- BSA took over during war
2) City space cramped and BSA settled around cities
3) wage increased for BSA worried WSA
4) WSA didn’t want to walk with BSA
5) black protests
6) farmers had lack of cheap labour
NP victory- type of gov’t voted in
Promotion of apartheid/ support for WSA
Pride in SA
The Sauer Report Apartheid is only way forward Numbers strictly controlled Urban BSA should have no rights Separation/ need for migrant labour
Nationalistic victory
1) Ruthless laws of segregation
2) promised to reverse negative impacts of WW2 eg crowding in cities
3) ref Sauer report
4) less international relations- Laager mentality
5) election campaign promoted strength
6) propaganda linked to fascism and promotion of radical measures
7) voting system worked in favour
Impact of WW2 on SA
Relaxed laws: rapid growth in urban African population in ‘squatter camps’: formation of townships
Population change in urban and rural areas
Transformed industry
BSA press for rights
Employment for black and white South Africans
Wage increase for BSA
Was there anything new about apartheid?
Aimed to minimise competition and conflict
Bantu should be defeated and European must dominate
Will lead to a clash
Strengthening the National Party
Race centric to policies- determine to segregate
Simple majority could enact a new law
1951 Separate Representation of Voters Act meant Nationalist could remove the coloured vote- seemingly abandoning political constraint, prepared to be ruthless
Gradually increasing white voters
Definition of race laws
1949 Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act
1959 Immorality Act and Population Registration Act
Laws to crush opposition
1950 suppression of Communism Act
Public areas and pass laws
1953 Reservation of Separate Amenities Act
1952 Native Abolition of Passes Act
1952 Urban Areas Act
1950 Group Areas Act
Divided SA into geographical areas according to race: had to acquire property rights permits
Laws to divide country
1951 Bantu Authorities Act
1952 Native Law Amendment Act
Race in school laws
1954 Bantu Education Act
1959 extension of University Act
Four divisions
Coloured
Africans
Indians
Whites
