South Africa: NP Lose Control & Botha’s Negotiations 1985-1989

Question 1

What did the NP realise by the mid-1980s and why?

Answer 1

-white supremacy was under threat
-township revolts, homeland problems, international condemnation, economic slowdown were all unsolvable problems that were a threat

Question 2

What did the National Party try to do in the years 1985-1989 ?

Answer 2

To suppress African rebellion whilst also opening negotiations, all in an attempt to protect white interests

Question 3

Give evidence of how there was enormous increases in police killings between 1985 and 1989

Answer 3

In 1984 there were less than 100 killed by security forces
1985: over 500 killed by security forces

Question 4

What was Botha’s attitude to his own new parliament and constitution?

Answer 4

He ignored it more and more

Question 5

What did Botha use instead of his new constitution?

Answer 5

The SSC (state security council)

Question 6

What did the State Security Council do?

Answer 6

-coordinated security operations
-was directly supervised by government ministers-including Botha

Question 7

What was one of the reasons for increased deaths because of security forces?

Answer 7

A SSC directive that called for the ‘physical gunning down of leaders in riot situations’ and the ‘removal of intimidators’
This tended to occur at protest marches and political funerals

Question 8

What did Botha do that meant tens of thousands of people were arrested between 1985-1989?

Answer 8

Declared several states of emergency

Question 9

What does ‘Kitskonstabels’ mean?

Answer 9

The instant police

Question 10

Who made up the ‘Kitskonstabels’?

Answer 10

Usually unemployed African men who were enlisted by the security forces in large numbers as special police

Question 11

What were the ‘Kitskonstabels’ tasked to do?

Answer 11

To destroy the community organisations established by the UDF

Question 12

Other than the ‘Kitskonstabels’, which group set up by the security forces terrorised black communities ?

Answer 12

Vigilante groups such as ‘Witdoeke’

Question 13

What does ‘Witdoeke’ mean?

Answer 13

White scarves

Question 14

What did the National Party argue about violence in 1985-1989?

Answer 14

• it showed Africans couldn’t govern themselves
  -they denied knowledge of crimes by security services and vigilantes

Question 15

what did the high levels of state repression lead to?

Answer 15

International backlash and considerable world attention focused on police brutality in townships- e.g. the ‘Trojan Horse’ incident

Question 16

What was the impact of international backlash on South Africa 1985-1989?

Answer 16

-significant impact on the economy because foreign bankers and investors began to pull out of the country

Question 17

How many US companies left South Africa between 1984 and 1985?

Answer 17

40 exited in 1984 and 50 more left in 1985

Question 18

Which banks refused to loan money to South Africa and when?

Answer 18

Citibank- 1985
Barclays Bank- March 1986

Question 19

What did the USA do in October 1986 that impacted South Africa?

Answer 19

Congress passed legislation that implemented sanctions against South Africa
- air links between America and South Africa were also ended and South African imports were also banned

Question 20

How did American investment in South Africa change between 1984 and 1988?

Answer 20

Investment fell from $5 billion in 1984 to $2.78 billion by 1988

Question 21

What did measures like the ones the USA took do to the South African Economy?

Answer 21

-they crippled it whilst it was already struggling
- SA unable to borrow further so inflation grew rapidly and the economy shrunk
-businessmen became some of Botha’s biggest critics, even Afrikaners were calling for solutions for the economic disaster

Question 22

What did Botha do in the face of international pressure?

Answer 22

Continued in a process of reforms

Question 23

What did Botha announce to parliament in January 1986?

Answer 23

That South Africa had ‘outgrown apartheid’
He stated that pass laws would be repealed and influx control would be ended

Question 24

What was influx control?

Answer 24

Limits to immigration into cities

Question 25

Who did Botha allow to meet Mandela?

Answer 25

An ‘Eminent Persons Group’
Kobie Coetsee

Question 26

Who made up the ‘eminent persons group’ that was allowed to meet with Mandela?

Answer 26

Commonwealth heads of state

Question 27

Who was Kobie Coetsee, when did he meet Mandela?

Answer 27

Botha’s Minister of justice
June 1986
To open discussions about the future of

Question 28

What did Botha hint to in his announcement to parliament in January 1986?

Answer 28

A speech of huge significance later in the year- the ‘Rubicon Speech’

Question 29

What was the Rubicon Speech and what did Botha say in it?

Answer 29

-delivered in August
-was a let down
-no promise to release Mandela
-he berated international community for trying to influence SA
- he did concede that the Homeland policy was unworkable

Question 30

What did Botha do at the same time as the reforms?

Answer 30

Repressed

Question 31

What did Botha do after the ‘Eminent Persons Group’ had left South Africa?

Answer 31

In May 1986 he launched commando raids by the SADF on the ANC/PAC in surrounding countries
The targets where in Zambia,Zimbabwe and Botswana

Question 32

What special unit did the NP also use?

Answer 32

‘Koevoet’ to conduct assassinations and killings
It was free from almost any control/restraint

Question 33

What is ‘Koevoet’ in English?

Answer 33

Crowbar

Question 34

What did Koevoet do?

Answer 34

They captured,killed and tortured anyone suspected of working for the ANC including MK and anti-apartheid activists

Question 35

Whose was one of the deaths Koevoet were responsible for?

Answer 35

Ruth First- a leading anti-apartheid campaigner
They were responsible for the letter bomb that killed her at her desk in Mozambique in 1982

Question 36

What was the base for Koevoet?

Answer 36

A farm near Pretoria called Vlakpaas

Question 37

Other than Koevoet, what was another secret organisation that was set up in 1987?

Answer 37

The CCB
Civilian Co-operation Bureau

Question 38

What was the purpose of the CCB and who set it up?

Answer 38

• they sought to eliminate anyone who was identified as an enemy of state
• not known who set it up because all the records were later destroyed

Question 39

What was the most notorious action of the CCB?

Answer 39

The killing of David Webster, a university lecturer & critic of apartheid outside his home in Johannesburg

Question 40

Give one example of failed external conflicts for South Africa

Answer 40

In the late 1980s the SADF was engaged in Southern Angola
At Cuito Cuanauale, SA troops were surrounded and forced to retreat by Cuban troops fighting for the Angolan force
In August 1988, Botha agreed to remove all SA forces from Angola

Question 41

What did the government realise when the SADF were defeated by Cuban troops in southern Angola?

Answer 41

That they couldn’t continue fighting in foreign countries as well as at home

Question 42

What country was SA involved in negotiations in giving the independence of?
When did this happen?

Answer 42

Namibia
1990

Question 43

What did the defeat in Southern Angola and independence of Namibia show?

Answer 43

The NP had lost the ability to extend its military influence beyond the borders of South Africa

Question 44

What homeland was overtaken by the ANC in December 1987?

Answer 44

Transkei

Question 45

Describe the events of the ANC takeover of the Transkei Homeland

Answer 45

Bantu Holomisa who was the head of the Transkei armed forces seized power
He began to provide refuge and support for ANC supporters

Question 46

What did the NP realise after Transkei was taken over?

Answer 46

That if it could fall, so could other homelands, most of which were governed by individuals sympathetic to the NP

Question 47

What did the NP do in fear of other homelands falling like Transkei had done?

Answer 47

Started providing funding and support for Chief Buthelezi and his new ‘Inkatha’ movement to encourage splits in the anti-apartheid movement

Question 48

Who was a confirmed enemy of the ANC?

Answer 48

Chief Buthelezi

Question 49

Why was the National Party’s attempt to split the anti-apartheid movement by supporting Buthelezi a failure?

Answer 49

He was already a confirmed ANC enemy