Transcript Republic of South Africa

Ohio Learning Standard #21
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The Cold War overlaps into an era of
decolonization and national liberation
Postwar global politics leads to rise of
nationalist movements in Africa
Throughout its history, Southern Africa
has had a great variety of cultures
Multi-Ethnic Society
*Wide variety of cultures, languages, & religions*
• Constitution recognizes 11 official languages
• 2 of these are of European: English & Afrikaans
• English is commonly used in public & business
Rainbow Nation
*Unique multi-cultural character*
• 80% of South Africa is of black African ancestry
divided among variety of ethnic groups (Bantu)
• Integral to its national identity (World Cup)
Conflicts arose as Europeans took an
interest in the valuable ports & resources
When Gold, Diamonds, & Copper,
were found in S Africa in 1800s,
Europeans came in masses
Republic of South Africa
*Located at southern tip of Africa*
Following Boer Wars
• British Parliament passed South Africa Act 1909
granting independence & creating South Africa
• Also passed Natives' Land Act restricting the
ownership of land by blacks to only 7% of nation
Similar to Reservations
* Deprived of citizenship
* Assigned a “homeland”
* Supposed autonomous
- called Bantustans
National Party in control
*Combination of British & Dutch interests*
• Strengthened racial segregation already in place
• Classified all peoples into race groupings and
developed rights & limitations (where could live,
work, travel, etc…) for each grouping
• White minority (10%) maintains control of the
much larger black majority (85%)
To maintain control & get Africans to
work in mines & on farms – whites had
townships for Blacks to live = Apartheid
Apartheid
- legally institutionalized Segregation
• Blatant racial policies that oppressed civil rights
• White (Afrikaners) enjoyed highest standard of
living - compared to most Western nations …
even in Britain or the USA
• Black majority remain disadvantaged including:
income, education, housing, & life expectancy
Townships
• Apartheid = Afrikaans word meaning apartness
• Residential areas segregated on basis of race
- 3.5 mil Black Africans were removed from
homes & forced into segregation
Similar to Segregation in USA
* Education, medical care, markets, restaurants,
and all public services
- divided by Race
* Services for Blacks were
- far inferior to whites
1960s
• Apartheid – like Segregation in USA became
increasingly controversial
- Some Western nations began to boycott
doing business with South Africa
• However … South Africa’s government passes
Suppression of Communism Act
- banning any party linked to Communism
Resistance Movements
• African National Congress (ANC) formed to resist
- leaders proposed that white authority could
only be overthrown thru mass, public campaigns
*Nelson Mandela & Bishop Desmond Tutu
• Program of Action = planned civil disobedience
- series of popular protests, strikes, & uprisings
- Sharpeville …
Banning
• Anyone who opposed government policy risked
being labelled as Communist (threat to Society)
• Met with banning opposition & imprisoning of
anti-apartheid leaders
Militarization
• Protests/Strikes spread & became more effective
• State organizations (Police & National Guard)
respond with repression (smack down) & violence
Black Consciousness
• Anti-Apartheid activist movement emerging in
South Africa after jailings/bannings of ANC and
Pan Africanist Congress leadership (Sharpeville)
• Movement for political consciousness (awareness)
Rooted in Christianity (Anglican Church)
- lead of Bishops Robert Taylor & Desmond Tutu
-
Leadership of Steven Biko
• Empowerment & Mobilization
- Young people & Urban
• Non-violent Civil Disobedience
- mass demonstrations
- Soweto Student
• Slogan: “Black is Beautiful”
Fall of 1989
*same year as Fall of Berlin Wall*
• National Party (Apartheid) leader Botha suffers
stroke & has to step down as President
- Replaced by more conservative F.W. de Klerk
• Debate legalizing opposition political parties –
including ANC and possibility of freeing
prisoners including Mandela
Spring, 1994
• ANC candidate Mandela wins over-whelming (62%)
victory in national elections = new President
despite SA Press campaigning against
• Enacts Reconstruction & Development Program
- build million houses in five years
- introduce universal free education
- extend access to water & electricity
Mandela’s Presidency
• Works to establish a multicultural democracy
- Constitution NOT favoring Majority Rule
• Reconciliation as primary job - “Rainbow Nation”
- Truth & Reconciliation Commission
• Reassure South Africa's white population they’re
protected (economy) & represented (government)
Rainbow Nation
• Broad coalitions in Gov – including former
National Party officials as Cabinet Members
• Land Restitution & Skills Development Acts
• Encouraged black South Africans to join &
support national rugby team (Springboks)
• South Africa hosted 1995 Rugby World Cup