Discrimination against blacks and other nonwhites was and always will be life in South African society, starting from the very first days. Since the British settled in South Africa in 1795 the blacks/nonwhites have been social, economic, and political outsiders. They went from being their own leaders to being ruled by whites. Despite the fact that whites held a mere 10% of the population the nonwhites were still considered outsiders. Past and Present, segregation and supremacy of white Afrikaners has been evident and accepted within South Africa. Separation and Segregation of nonwhite races had existed as a matter of customs and practices of previous history. After 1948 these practices were made into laws and could not easily be changed. As Daniel F. Malan was officially elected in 1948, along with the Afrikaner Nationalist party platform, bringing his party to power for the first time. He soon implemented a policy of segregation and inequality of whites from colored people. These new laws marked the start of apartheid as the country’s official policy as well as the start of the National Party’s reign of power. They also implemented more laws that determined what jobs nonwhites could get, what type of education they could receive, who they could come into contact with, the facilities they could use, what race they could marry, and the positions they could hold in politics none. The main purpose of the apartheid policy was to segregate races. Not just the whites from Blacks, Asians, etc. It was also of certain nonwhite groups from other nonwhite groups. These groups called Bantu’s in South Africa. A Bantu group was a group of people that was closely related through linguistics, spreading from East Africa, through Central Africa, and down to South Africa. Even though the Africans took up 75% of the population, nonwhites were more simply known as a race of color (Malayan, Mixed Black, Asian, and Indian ancestry). Due to this policy, a large group of the nonwhite population were forced out, and had to relocate to non-so-called white areas. The whites had overtaken towns, once known as African townships. The current occupants of these townships were soon forced to city limits. About 1.5 million Africans were forcibly removed from cities to rural reservations.
The National Party, lead by Hendrik Verwoerd. Help to even further alienate the nonwhite citizens by passing a law that made them citizens of their own Bantustans, but not citizens of South Africa. This law was passed based on the fact that it had apparently gave the blacks political power and a stronger say within their Bantustans. Although this did give the blacks more political power, it was not the real motive of the whites. The Afrikaner population had planned to do this, to get out of paying welfare to numerous amounts of non-whites, and also in the process lose their cheap labor force. The entire ethnic population was in total disagreement with the South African government’s attempt to eliminate their rights.
The begging of the apartheid policy may not be one of the most memorable parts in African History. It may be what helped shaped Africa as a nation and created a nation of controversy. A main outcome of the controversy within the apartheid policy created multiple organizations that were against segregation and separation due to race.
As South Africa gains independence, away from Great Britain after The Passage of the Statute of Westminster in 1931. The white minority soon started to control the government, and created special areas for the nonwhite population. These areas were designated spots, which changed their homelands to a certain area. In the winter of 1946, The UN adopts a resolution to alter the treatment of minorities within South Africa. The UN then requested the minorities of South Africa to report back to them, following the charter. After a highly publicized to reduce the discrimination against the minorities in South Africa, marks the most prominent criticism of South Africa 's increasingly argument of racial policies. In the spring of
1948 The Afrikaner-dominated National Party wins parliamentary elections and gains control of the South African government. The party, under new leadership, it begins to take further actions implementing harsher policies of racial separations. As 1950 rolls around, The Group Areas Act is enacted. It aimed to segregate the black population to a small chunk of the nations land. Immediately after, The Population Registrations Act is enacted. It had required all South Africans to register their race with the government. More acts being passed in 1952, Enactment of Pass Laws. The laws require blacks to carry passbooks so that the government can regulate their travel through the country. 1953, the Separate Amenities Act is enacted. It established separate public facilities for colored and white people. In the summer of 1955 a charter called upon by the African National Congress (ANC) to create equal rights for all races. This was the Freedom Charter.
Prior to these events South Africa was considered a Commonwealth (independent area). This event was prompted due to the public condemning of the South African apartheid policy. Nov. 12, 1963 U.N. General Assembly President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria suspends South Africa from participating in the remainder of assembly sessions for that year. June of 1964, Nelson Mandela the leader of the ANC, was convicted of sabotage and trying to overthrow the government. Due to this, he was sentenced to life in prison.
June of 1976, a student protest in the black township of Soweto against mandatory education in Afrikaans. The government, in an effort to suppress the civil unrest, kills 575 people over eight months. October of the same year, a nonwhite homeland was the first of its kind to become independent. This homeland was a settlement of the blacks, called Transkei. 10 nonwhite homelands had made up almost 13% of the African land.
1977, Steven Biko, probably the most influential black leaders in South Africa, had died. He had passed away from a hunger strike while detained by police. 1983, White voters approve a new constitution that creates separate chambers in the legislature for nonwhites, except the black population.
In 1986, a national state of emergency was declared. This took place following widespread strikes and riots. This also ensured security had unlimited power. Soon lead to restrictions of the press. The years of 1987-1990 were filled with violence. Bombings/explosions on nonwhites were extremely common during this time.
The apartheid policy in South Africa ended through multiples of negotiations and steps taken by the government of De Klerk. The parties involved in these negotiations were the governing party at the time, Afrikaner National Party. As well as the African National Congress, who represented the interests of nonwhites. The negotiations led to more and more political organizations being involved before the ending of the feud. These negotiations were brought up, due to many acts of violence in the country. Allegedly, a third party was involved in de-establishing the country. The result of these events had great outcomes. It marked the first biracial election. The African National Congress had won this election. The party that had represented the nonwhite population.
Bibliography
Books:
Fredrickson, George. White Supremacy: A Comparative Study of American and South African History. New York. Oxford University Press, 1981.
John Dugard, Nicholas Haysom and Gilbert Marcus. The Last Years of Apartheid: Civil Liberties in South Africa. Ford Foundation, New York, 1992
Websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1988_in_South_Africa Wikipedia. May 27th, 2013.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2009/06/09/in-south-africa-apartheid-is-dead-but-white-supremacy-lingers-on/ Robert Jensen. June 9, 2009.
http://frontpagemag.com/2013/arnold-ahlert/the-gruesome-reality-of-racist-south-africa/ Arnold Ahlert. March 11, 2013
http://www.spiked-online.com/site/article/12910/ Charles Longford. September
26, 2012.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/south-african-is-jailed-for-life-for-killing-white-supremacist-eugene-terreblanche-8073461.html Emoke Bebiak. August 22, 2012.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/02/afrikaner-white-supremacist-terreblanche David Smith. October 2, 2009
http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.hist.html
Monal Chokshi, Cale Carter, Deepak Gupta, Tove Martin, and Robert Allen. April 11, 1995.
Video:
Torture in South Africa. United Nations Chronicle, March 13, 1993
Bibliography: John Dugard, Nicholas Haysom and Gilbert Marcus. The Last Years of Apartheid: Civil Liberties in South Africa. Ford Foundation, New York, 1992 Websites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1988_in_South_Africa Wikipedia. May 27th, 2013. http://www.counterpunch.org/2009/06/09/in-south-africa-apartheid-is-dead-but-white-supremacy-lingers-on/ Robert Jensen. June 9, 2009. http://frontpagemag.com/2013/arnold-ahlert/the-gruesome-reality-of-racist-south-africa/ Arnold Ahlert. March 11, 2013 http://www.spiked-online.com/site/article/12910/ Charles Longford 26, 2012. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/south-african-is-jailed-for-life-for-killing-white-supremacist-eugene-terreblanche-8073461.html Emoke Bebiak. August 22, 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/02/afrikaner-white-supremacist-terreblanche David Smith. October 2, 2009 http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.hist.html Monal Chokshi, Cale Carter, Deepak Gupta, Tove Martin, and Robert Allen. April 11, 1995. Video: Torture in South Africa. United Nations Chronicle, March 13, 1993
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