South Africa 1600’s colonization by the Dutch. Establishing
the East India Co. in 1652. Dutch farmers settle lands (Boers) Britain takeover the colony in the early 1800’s. By the 1900’s diamonds were discovered in
South Africa, as well as, gold. Prospectors mainly from Britain arrive and
expand settlements pushing out native African tribes (Tswana, Zulu and Swazi)
“Diggers” as the British prospectors were called established shantytowns within these new territories.
The Anglo-Boer WarOf 1899 – 1902
Military conflict between British and Boer forces. Often called “The white man’s war” all of South Africa was
involved in some way or another. British torched Boer villages placed Boer women and children,
along with black African miners in concentration camps. This was not a popular war amongst the British. British pro-
Boers had undermined the moral complacency of the victors. Even though the British were successful in winning the war,
they gave generous peace terms to the Boers, including lands and the ability to govern those lands.
The Union of South Africa 1910 –1960
A white-run state. After the Boer War. The mood within Afrikanerdom after the return of self-government, was one of conciliation: 1st between the Boers and the King (whose
subjects agreed to become subjugated) 2nd between the Boers (republican Afrikaners)
and Cape (British) 3rd between the hensoppers (quitters) and the
Bittereinders (die-hards) in the Boer War.
Louis Botha
Louis Botha—South African soldier and statesman
In 1884 he help found the New Republic in Vryheid district (KwaZulu-Natal)
1897 enters the South African legislature
Botha joined the Boer army, becoming commander in chief in 1900
He help end the conflict with Britain in 1902
Elected premier of the Transvaal in 1907
1909 help establish the Union (now Republic) of South Africa
Headed the South African government from 1910-1919.
At the outbreak of WWI, in 1914, Botha committed South Africa to the Allied cause
This move aroused violent opposition He defeated the ensuing insurrection in
Feb. 1915 Launched the successful takeover of
German South-West Africa (now Namibia)
Daniel Francois Malan
Daniel Francois Malan
Architect of white supremacy
1948 won election: he enacted the doctrines of Apartheid or racial separation
Resigned in 1954
APARTHEID
BANTUSTANS (black homeland or Bantus) Majority black population of the territories in
South Africa Policy of racial segregation. Apartheid means “separateness” in Afrikaans
language.
Introduced in 1948 Becomes the governing political
policy until the early 1990’s. Apartheid laws classified people
into 3 major racial groupsWhiteBantuColored—mixed descent
Later a 4th class: Asians, Indians and Pakistanis.
The laws determined where members of each
group could live, what jobs they could hold, and what type of education they could receive.
Laws prohibited most social contact between
races, authorized segregated public facilities, and denied and representation of nonwhites in the national government.
People who openly opposed apartheid
were considered communists.
VORSTER
Balthazar Johannes Vorster (1915-83)
Prime minister (1966-78) and president
(1978-79) of South Africa Son of an Afrikaner sheep farmer, was
trained as a lawyer Founder of an anti-British extremist group
opposed to participation in WWII (interned 1942-1944)
Made minister of justice in1961 Sharpeville Shooting (1960) Black
dissidents are killed.
Vorster in charge and imposed drastic detention and security measures on black dissidents
He further tightened security and
continued the apartheid policy, but did open dialogue with black African states
1978 as a result of a government scandal and cover-up he retired a year later.
BOTHA
P(ieter) W(illiem) Botha Born Paul Roux.
1966 succeeded Vorster as National Party leader and prime minister in 1978
1970’s and 1980’s was deeply involved in
South Africa’s attempt to hold on to Namibia in defiance of the United Nations and a guerrilla insurgency.
1983 he pushed through a reform bill that extended representation in Parliament to “Coloureds” and Indians but not blacks.
Became President in 1984 1989 suffered a stroke and was forced to
resign as President
De Klerk
F(rederik) W(illiam) De Klerk President from (1989-1994) His reforms lead to the end of Apartheid 1990 ended the ban on the African
National Congress (ANC). A largely black South African nationalist group
Ordered the release of ANC leader Nelson Mandela-who has been in prison since 1962
Repealed the last of the laws that formed
the legal basis of apartheid in 1992 1993 Jointly awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize with Nelson Mandela 1997 stepped down as leader of the
National Party and retired from politics Nelson Mandela succeeded him as
president
African National Congress (ANC) Founded in 1912 as a nonviolent
organization that worked to promote the interest of black Africans
Most members were of middle-class
backgrounds Stressed constitutional change through
the use of delegations, petitions, and peaceful protest
MANDELA FREEMAN
1940 Alfred B. Xuma became ANC president and began to recruit younger, more outspoken men---Nelson Mandela
By the mid-1940 he becomes one of the
ANC leaders 1948 Apartheid is instated: ANC actively
opposes and by 1955 issues its Freedom Charter which states that
“South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white”
South Africans who believed that it
belonged only to black Africans form a rival party, the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) in 1959
The PAC organize a mass demonstration that led to the massacre of black protesters in Sharpsville in March of 1960 (69 blacks were killed)
The governments response is to ban all
black political organizations (ANC) (PAC)
After Sharpsville the ANC abandons its nonviolent ways. Mandela is in charge of the ANC’s military wing
1962 Mandela is sentence to live in
prison
Next 30 years the ANC operate underground
1976 a revolt in Soweto, just outside
Johannesburg, led to a reawakening of black African politics and renewed assault on apartheid
1990 the ban was lifted on the ANC
1990 Mandela is released from prison (27 years)
1993 ANC and the government agree to a
plan that would form a transitional government to rule for five years
April 27-30,1994, millions of South
Africans of all races participated in the country’s first democratic elections
May 2, 1994 Nelson Mandela becomes president of South Africa
He establishes a multiracial government 1997 Mandela steps down—due to age 1999 Thabo Mbeki becomes 2nd black
President and ANC member.
Desmond Tutu
Anglican Archbishop
Opposed Apartheid
Called for a worldwide boycott of South Africa
All nations followed
Reagan broke— Congress overrode Reagan
Won Nobel Peace Prize in 1984
Winnie Mandela
Winnie Mandela Wife of Nelson who advocated militant
resistant to apartheid
1958 married Nelson Mandela Imprisoned for her work in the ANC from
1969-1970
In 1988 was implicated, when members of the Mandela United Football Club (who served as her bodyguards) beat four young black men, one of whom died in the Mandela home
1991 was convicted of kidnapping and assault in relation to the incident and sentenced to six years in prison
1992 new evidence surfaced, regarding these charges, as well as others, she resigned her position as head of the ANC’s National Executive Committee.
1993 successfully appealed the charges, but her kidnapping charges remained—court waived her prison term and ordered her to pay a fine
Despite all of this she was elected to the president of the ANC’s Women’s League
1992 separated from her husband 1994 was appointed by her husband, as
deputy minister of arts, culture, science, and technology
1995 resigned her post due to ongoing conflicts with the administrations
1996 was divorced from Nelson.
BIKO
Bantu Stephen Biko Medical School in 1966—this is where he
decides to be proactive in the liberation of black people
1968 organizes the South African
Students’ Organization (SASO) Also founded or help found:
National Association of Youth Organizations (NAYO)
Black Worker’s Project (BWP)
Left Medical School in1972-was expelled
1973 was restricted to King Williams Town.
1975 set-up the Zimele Trust Fund – assist political prisoners and their families
August 18, 1977 was arrested in a police road
block and detained under the Terrorism Act
He died in detention. Government claims it was a hunger strike that killed him.
at the inquests of a number of detainees who died under suspicious circumstances magistrates declined to examine the interrogation methods used and attributed death to natural causes, suicides or prison accidents. At the inquest into Biko's death no government official was prepared to condemn the treatment meted out to Biko. The circumstances of his death were said to be inconclusive and death was attributed to a prison accident. Yet, evidence led during the 15-day inquest into Biko's death revealed otherwise. During his detention in a Port Elizabeth police cell
He had been chained to a grill at night and left to lie in urine-soaked blankets. He had been stripped naked and kept in leg-irons for 48 hours in his cell. A blow in a scuffle with security police led to him suffering brain damage by the time he was driven naked and manacled in the back of a police van to Pretoria, where, on 12 September 1977, he died. BECOMES A MARTYR