Black Consciousness and Soweto Uprising Flashcards
(31 cards)
Who started the Black consciousness movements
Steve Biko and SASO due to absence of ANC and PAC, they were against the education system.
Why was black consciousness allowed?
Gov allowed black consciousness movement intially due to separate development thy stated their goals were:
- Non-cooperation
- Encouraged Indians and Coloured to identify as black to be subject to white oppression
What was the slogan and Biko’s belief about whites?
- Slogan was ‘Black man, you are on your own’.
- In the 1960s, Biko believed that a white man might support anti-apartheid movements but would always eventually side with other whites.
SASO protests
1972 university protests about inferior facilities, gained support of young students feeling pride
1975 celebrated the independence of Mozambique and Angola
SASO banned and SASM
Banned in 1975 but continued underground
South African Student Movement grew out of the African Student Movement (ASM) with the aim for education.
- More general as it disrupted meeting of the South African Bureau of Racial Affairs and attacked Dutch Reformed members.
Why was black education not compulsory?
If compulsory an additional 970,000 teachers needed and cost of R300 mil
Why was education increased in 1970s?
Due to economic crisis there was a need for African workers
- 40 new schools in Soweto
- secondary schools rose from 178,000 (1974) to 389,000 (1976)
Only 0.53% of GDP spent on black education.
Why was education also cut?
Economic recession 1970s, oil crisis in 1973 and fall in gold prices 1975
- Gov responded by cutting last year of primary education and moving those students to the first year of secondary
- High school enrolment +150% (1970-75)
- Size of classes in Soweto were 70-100 students
Afrikaans Medium Decree
Introduced by MC Botha, minister for bantu education, in 1974, made Afrikaans compulsory from last year of primary school
Andries Treurnicht
- Botha successor
- 1976 he suggested that half of the classes should be in Afrikaans, however it was the language of oppression and not everyone knew it.
Who organised protest in Soweto and those participated?
SASM organised protest in 1976
Activists: Ranwedzi Nengwekhulu
long-term factors
- Overcrowding: 20 people living in a house with 4 rooms, little sanitation
- Black Consciousness: empowered Afrikans to stand up for themselves and feel pride
- Urbanisation: 2/3 black literate, 3/4 read newspapers
- Lack of Leadership: Tambo recognised lack of ANC influence, protesters had no previous knowledge
Population
1 million living in 1976, additional 50,000 homes created in 1950s
Other resentment more short term
Due to economic recession and fall in gold prices there was a significant increase in food prices. However, number of shebeens and drinking dens increases, spending on alcohol rose, one shebeens at each of the 20 railway stations
Start of Protest
16 June 1976 - massive demonstrations against teaching in Afrikaans
- Soweto Student Representative Council coordinated the protest
Thousand of children marched to nearby stadium
Immediate reaction and casualties
Security forces had a violent reaction with warning shots and tear gas.
20 students died, famous one Hector Peterson holding his sister.
followed by 80 protests and 100 areas affected
A total of 1,000 people killed by security forces in demonstrations
Response by gov
Jimmy Kruger Minister for Justice, blamed demonstrators and justifed violence.
- 52,000 arrests, 90 banning order, 18 organisations banned, 18 different forms of torcher, e.g. electric chair
Why was it significant?
Protests continued until the fall of Apartheid, they were local and spontaneous with no clear leader.
Increase in young people going to Angola and Mozambique for MK training.
- 1976, train sabotage at Dikgate and firefight broke out at Bordergate
Total Strategy 1978
A response by P.W. Botha, Minister for Defence, to a Total Onslaught, which was a coordinated communist attack on gov.
Total strategy used all aspects of society against the common enemy.
- restructured security forces and made them work more together. Organised assasination of Ruth First and bombing of ANC London HQ in 1982
ARMSCOR
set up to bypass the arms boycott
- developed own weapons and by 1979 had vehicles and artillery
Despite arms embargo, in 1977 French provided Miagre fighter bombers and Britain offered air surveillance military training.
By 1979 no army in Southern Africa would last more than one afternoon against the SADF
International Response
Resolution 392, 3 days after killings. It condemned gov response
Multinationals in South Africa withdrew, e.g. Polaroid in 1977
International universities pressured withdrawal of investments in SA
What did the banning order of 1973 do to Biko?
- Lived in Kingwilliamstown, Eastern Cape
- not allowed to attend political meetings or be in a room with more than 1 person
- harsh surveillance
Arrested 29 times in 3 years
1976 Steve Biko SASO trial
- A defence witness of a nine SASO activists
- spoke of African grievances and Apartheid’s failures
When did Biko died?
September 1977 after being arrested on 19 August for defying his banning order.
