apartheid

A policy of segregation and discrimination against non-white groups in the Republic of South Africa

Literally means “apartness” in Dutch

History of Apartheid• 1600’s – Dutch arrive (known as Afrikaners or

Boers)

• 1900 - Discovery of diamonds

• English invasion – beginning of Boer War

• Uneasy power-sharing between the two

• 1904’s – Afrikaner National Party gained majority

• They invented apartheid

1948 Enactment of Apartheid Laws

• Racial discrimination became law– Prohibited marriage between races– Sanctioning of “white-only’’ jobs– Separate beaches, buses, hospitals, schools,

parks, and even park benches– Non-whites stripped of voting rights– Non-whites not allowed to run business in

white-only areas– Non-whites “resettled”

1950Population Registration Act• 3 categories

– White – “obviously white”– Black – pencil test– Colored – of mixed decent

• Based on– Appearance– Social acceptance– descent

• Required to carry pass books – 16 years old

Main purposeof the Population Registry

• To control the movement of black South Africans

• Pass books – Given at age of 16– Identification– History of government opposition– Failure to produce pass book

resulted in arrest and jail

1951Bantu Authorities Act

• Homelands• Bantu Boards

– Branches of minority government

– Ran housing for black workers

– Governed movement of blacks

– Workers prohibited from living with families

– Little difference from organized slavery

1953Public Safety Act &

Criminal Law Amendment Act• States of emergency

– Police permitted to use violence against protesters

• Penalties for protesting– Heavy fines– Imprisonment without trial

• Those who were tried, sentenced to death, banished, or imprisoned for life

– Whippings and beatings

1960Sharpeville

• Refused to carry passes

• Government declared state of emergency

• 69 died

• 187 wounded

• Lasted 156 days

1971Black Homeland Citizenship Act

• Changed status of citizenship – all non-whites were now “citizens” of their “homeland” and NOT South Africa

• Therefore, no longer citizens of South Africa

• Aliens in their own country– Needed “passports” to travel

within South Africa

Soweto UprisingJune 16th, 1976

• Children, as young as 9, refused to go to school because the government was forcing them to be taught in Afrikaner – the language of the whites

• What began as a peaceful march soon turned into a bloody massacre!

• Police tried to stop the march, which by now was more than 10,000 students, but the students just found other routes.

•So, in anger the police released dogs and then shot tear gas into the crowds.

•When the students began throwing rocks, the police responded with bullets! (They were “allowed” to because they had declared a state of emergency.)

•These riots spread to other townships (homelands)

•Several hundred students were killed and many more wounded.

The world responds…International Intervention

• 70’s throughout the 80’s• 1977 - Mandatory arms embargo• 1980 - Cease supply of aircrafts, parts,

and engines• 1985 – US and Great Britain impose

sanctions– Banned imports from South Africa– Prohibited American investments in South

Africa

Key people working to end apartheid• African National Congress (ANC)

– Group of black Africans that opposed apartheid.

• Nelson Mandela– A leader of the ANC – stressed non-violent protests (followed Gandhi’s example)

• Civil disobedience• Passive resistance

– Arrested and imprisoned for 27 years– Later became South Africa’s first black president

• Willem de Klerk– A white South African who opposed apartheid– Elected president 1989 – Freed Nelson Mandela and others wrongfully imprisoned

1989End of

apartheid

• End of apartheid

• Mandela released from prison

• 1994 – 1st multi-race election

• Mandela elected 1st black president Mandela casting his vote in 1st multi-

racial election – April 1994

State of South Africa today

• All adults have the right to vote

• However, still many live in poverty, many without running water and electricity

• However, government working very hard to provide better life for all South Africans

•Gold mines•Leader in gold mining •World’s largest gold deposit

South Africa’s economy

Johannesburg – established as a gold mining town … now referred to as the City of Gold

South Africa leader in gold mining

South Africa is third in production of diamonds

Gold and diamonds together account for 85% of the mineral output in South Africa today.

South Africa’s Government

•Republic•All citizens - whites and non-whites - vote•3-tier system – national, provincial, and local levels

•National•Bicameral parliament – members elected

•National assembly•National council of provinces

Words to know…

• Afrikaners

• Boers

• Apartheid

• Segregation

• Discrimination

• ANC

• Embargo

• Civil disobedience

• Sanction

• Passive resistance

Sanctions

• A penalty imposed on a nation that is violating international law

Embargo

• An order of a government prohibiting movement of merchant ships into and out of ports

Civil disobedience

• The refusal to obey certain laws for the purpose of influencing legislation or government policies – characterized by nonviolent techniques such as boycotting, picketing, or non-payment of taxes

Segregation

• The act of separating or setting apart from others

Discrimination

• To make a distinction in favor of or against a person or people based on the group, class, or category the person/people belong

Passive resistance

• Opposition to a government by means of nonviolent techniques, such as boycotting, picketing, etc.

• Afrikaners – The Dutch that came to South Africa in 1600’s. Also the language of the whites.

• Boers – another name for Afrikaners• Apartheid – The policy of segregation and

discrimination against non-white groups in South Africa. Really means apartness.

• ANC – African National Congress – A group of black South Africans that opposed Apartheid. Nelson Mandela was the head of this. Believed in non-violent protests