Life in south Africa c1948 Flashcards
what is an Afrikaner
-descendants of immigrants to south Africa, mainly from the Netherlands and Germany.
Name the historical events that the Afrikaners use to justify their possession of land
Covenant of 1838 (oath made between the Boers and God) at the battle of blood river against Zulus/ Afrikaners thought they had a covenant with God to win
what was the Great Trek
-in the 1830s Afrikaner moved away from British rule. This led to them having the myth that they had moved into empty land and that African people had no right to live in South Africa
How did the whites separate the ethnic groups at the time
-Black Africans (7,830,559) they were disposed of most of their land, not given the right to vote and were subject to discrimination
-‘coloured’ people (928,062) were descendants of mixed marriages, who lived manly in cape province. some could still vote
-Indian people (285,260) had work as administrators and founded a prosperous merchant class of labourers
-White (2,372,044) compromised of Afrikaners and English speakers, with tensions between them.
List the pre apartheid laws that influenced land
1932 native urban areas act (set up segregated areas of towns on the outskirts called townships, were Africans lived)
-1913 land act (sets aside 7% of land reserves for black Africans. They were not allowed property outside of these homelands)
-1932 native economic commission (allowed segregation saying they were suited to rural life with chiefs not urban life.
1936 native trust and land act (extended tribal reserves to 13.6% from original 7 but couldn’t buy land outside of this
list the pre apartheid laws that influenced housing
-native urban areas act 1923 (African people should remain in cities only to administer to the needs of the white inhabitants.
-African people employed in industry or mining were expected to live in townships and leave when contracts ended)
list the pre apartheid laws that influenced jobs
-industrial coalition act of 1924 (banned black membership of trade unions)
-The native labour regulation act 1911 (made it a criminal offence for Africans, but not whites, to break a labour contract)
-urban areas native pass act of 1909 (gave African workers a pass which gave them permission to be in cities for 6 days to find work.)
1911 mines and works act (meant skilled work was reserved for whites) and the miners and workers amendment (excluded africans and Indians from skilled work)
What was the immortality act of 1927
-prohibited sex between whites and blacks
What was the white’s justification for discrimination and segregation
-had racist views on black people due to ignorance and a need to feel reassured that separation was in the Africans best interests
is it true that the foundations of apartheid pre-dated the 1948 national party victory and most white groups were united in supporting white supremacy
true
why was there tension between moving African people to reserves and keeping them for cheap labour
south Africa grew more urban and industrial =mining industry increased
African people would work on temp contracts and had to return to tribal areas once contracts ended
by 1946 what % of african people lived in urban areas compared to the 75% white people
23%
what were townships
-special settlements at edge of urban areas
often overcrowded, insanitary and squalid and were to continue so until the end of Apartheid
why did the Afrikaners hate the British
-they had been defeated in the second Boer war
resented SA supporting Britian in the war
-resented English speakers’ monopoly of economy
