Short notes on struggle against Apartheid in South Africa

Apartheid constituted one of the peculiar and abhorrent forms of discrimination that was perpetrated against the blacks in South Africa. It was a phase of racial discrimination against the Blacks.

The policy of apartheid (separateness) was introduced by the Prime Minister Malan in between 1948 to 1954. This tightened up the control over blacks.

Apartheid had certain distinguishing features. One, there was complete separation of blacks and whites as far as possible at all levels. In country areas blacks had to live in special reserves in urban areas they had a racial classification and an identity card. There were strict P^ass laws which meant that the black Africans had to stay in their reserves and all traveling was forbidden without permission.

Marriage and sexual relations between whites and non-whites were forbidden, this was to preserve purity of white races. Africans moreover had no political rights and their representation in parliament, which had been by White MPs, was abolished.

The opposition to the apartheid took place inside Africa and outside it. Inside Africa, the opposition to the system was difficult. Anyone who objected was accused of being communist and perished. Africans were forbidden to strike and their political party, the African National Congress was helpless.

In spite of this, protests did take place. Chief Albert Luthuli, the ANC leader organized a protest campaign in which black Africans stopped work on certain days. In 1952, Africans attempted a systematic breach of the laws by entering shops and other places reserved for the whites. Over 8000 blacks were arrested and many were flogged. Luthuli was jailed and the campaign was called off.

In 1955, the ANC formed a coalition with Asian and coloured groups and announced a freedom charter at Kliptower. The police broke the open air meeting. The charter however became the main ANC programme. It declared that South Africa belongs to all who live in it – black and white and went on to demand equality before law, freedom of assembly, movement, speech, religion, right to vote, right to work, free-medical care and free and compulsory education.

Church leaders and missionaries spoke out against apartheid. Later the ANC organized other protests including the 1957 bus boycott. The Africans refused to pay the raised fares and walked to work for three months.

Protests reached a climax in 1960 when a huge demonstration took place at Coupeville near Johannesburg. Police fired on the crowd, killing sixty seven Africans and wounding many more. After this, 15000 Africans were arrested and the ANC was banned. Hundreds of people were beaten by the police.

This was an important turning point in the campaign – the protests which had been non-violent till then, due to brutal police suppression made Africans to realize that violence could only be met by violence. There was a spate of bomb attacks, but the police soon clamped down, arresting most of the black leaders like Nelson Mandela who was sentenced to life imprisonment. Chief Luthuli still persisted with non­violent protests and was ultimately killed in 1967.

Discontent and protests increased again in the 1970s because wages of Africans failed to keep pace with inflation in 1976 when the Transvaal authorities announced that Africans was to be used in black African schools, massive demonstrations took place at Soweto near Johannesburg.

The police opened fire on the crowd killing at least 2000 black Africans, many of them children. This time the protests did not die down and they spread over the whole country. Again, the government responded with brutality killing 500 Africans over the next six months including Steve Priko, a young African leader.

Outside South Africa there was opposition to apartheid from the common wealth, the United Nations, the organization of African Unity, India etc. The new Prime Minister P.W. Botha realized that all was not well with the system. He decided to reform Apartheid, dropping some of the most unpopular aspects in an attempt to preserve white control. This was due to severe economic problems in South Africa.

South Africa was hit by recession in late 1970s and whites began to emigrate in large numbers and black population was increasing. Moreover, African homelands were a failure. They were poverty-stricken, their rulers were corrupt and no foreign government recognized them as genuinely independent states. Further, the Unites States of America which was treating its own black people better during the 1970s began to entire South Africa.

Consequently, Botha relaxed several of important controls. The blacks were allowed to join trade unions and to go to strike. They were allowed to elect their own local township councils, a new constitution was introduced sating up two new homes of parliament, sexual relations and marriage were allowed between people of different races and the hated pass laws for non-whites were abolished.

However, Botha did not consider the main ANC demand of right to note and to play a full part in ruling the country. The blacks were increased that the new constitutions made no provision for them, and were determined to settle for nothing less than full political rights. Violence escalated, the blacks under the ANC used the necklace of tire set on fire, to murder black councilors and police who were regarded as collaborators of apartheid. On the twenty fifth anniversary of Sharpeville, police opened fire on a procession of black mourners going to a funeral near Uitenhage killing over forty people. In July, a state of emergency was declared in the worst affected areas, and was extended to the whole of country in 1986. This gave the police the power to arrest people without warrants, thousands of people were arrested and newspapers, radio and TV were banned from reporting demonstrations and strikes.

By the late 1980s however the international; pressure continued to build with the common wealth agreeing on a strong package of sanctions. The United States Congress voted to stop American loans. Moreover, the black population had become well- educated, and professional. The Dutch Reformed

Church which once supported apartheid now condemned it as incompatible with the Christianity.

Consequently, F.W. de Clark in 1989 started the process of ending apartheid and ushering in transition to black majority rule. Nelson Mandela was released after twenty seven years in jail, the remaining apartheid laws were dropped and talks began in 1991 for adopting a new constitution. In 1993 the talks were successful and there was transition to black majority rule. Thus was ended the worst form of racial discrimination.