Question

Answer the following question.
Give an account of the Anti-Apartheid Movement in South Africa and its transition to black majority rule.

Answer 1

In the Union of South Africa, white people dominated the political and economic life of the country. The Natives or the black people were discriminated against and not allowed to vote. They had to live in a reserved area and could not hold skilled jobs or hold a strike. Their movements were controlled by a system of Pass Laws by the government.

Apartheid was introduced by Dr. Malan as the whites were against racial equality. The whites considered themselves the master race and the non-whites primitive and inferior.

Apartheid means complete separation both socially and politically. There were separate buses, coaches, trains, cafes, toilets, parks, benches, hospitals, beaches, churches, etc. Black children had to attend separate schools and were given much inferior education.

The blacks had no representation in the parliament, had to carry documents all the time so that their movement could be checked, and marriage between whites and non-whites was forbidden.

Nelson Mandela was a South African who was imprisoned for 25 years for revolting against-apartheid movement.

The African National Congress (ANC) had a difficult time fighting against discrimination. Anyone who voiced against this policy was labeled a communist and punished. Albert Luthuli, an ANC leader started protest movements and there began a systematic breach of laws. The Africans stopped working on certain days, entered shops and other places reserved for whites. Luthuli was jailed and 8000 blacks were arrested.

ANC formed a coalition with Asian and Coloured Groups in 1955 and formed the Freedom Charter at Kliptown near Johannesburg. This charter became the main ANC program.

All the programs and protests like boycott was met with strict punishments and police firing. Thousands of innocent blacks were killed.

Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) continued outside the country too. It scored its major victory when South Africa was forced to leave Commonwealth in 1961. The UN and OAU condemned apartheid. The UN in 1962 passed a resolution for all members to have a trade boycott against South Africa. However, most nations did not follow the same in reality and it was not successful.

South Africa was suspended from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics for racism. AAM was instrumental in introducing the academic boycott of South Africa. It was signed by 496 university professors and lecturers.

Some changes were introduced in Apartheid when P.W. Botha became the Prime Minister in 1979. Though he was not willing to consider ANC’s major demands, he allowed the blacks to join trade unions, go on strikes, marriages between whites and non-whites could be allowed. The non-whites elect their own local township councils, form a new constitution with one house for Coloured and one for Asians in the Parliament; and Pass Law was abolished.

In 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 25 long years and became the leader of the ANC. Discussions began in 1991 between the government and ANC to work out a new constitution for full political rights to the blacks.

With these discussions, a transition began to pass on the rule to the black majority. A general election was held and Nelson Mandela became the first Black President and F.W. De Klerk, the Deputy President of South Africa. Africa was able to transform the Apartheid rule to a black majority rule without a civil war because of the two wonderful personalities.