SA Chapter 4.1: Why Did The Townships Revolt, 1984-87? Flashcards
(8 cards)
POLITICAL CONTEXT OF REVOLT:
What did Botha do for reform?
What were the benefits and drawbacks of more power for blacks in township offices?
Negative aspect economically of township life in 1980s? How did this create conflict?
/Invested in homelands to make them viable as independent states. Tricameral parliament (Indians and Coloureds.)
/Some used their powers for social improvement, and created business opportunities for blacks… however a lot were seen as sellouts: accepting apartheid (doing the govs dirty work) and taking advantage of their positions
/With food/ transport, rent was expensive for urban poor, but council needed to increase rents for improvement and even to break eve. Many had to live in shacks, which created conflict with councils.
UDF + GRASSROOTS ORGANISATIONS:
What did the UDF argue for? When/where was its first rally? Significance of township?
Who took part/ were part of the UDF?
What did they adopt? What did they not? Who did they organise boycotts for? Did they work?
Why was the UDF more of a grass roots movement?
/A fully democratic SA. 1983. huge coloured township near Cape Town (where people had been resettled from District 6)
/ ANC supporters (such as WM), Coloured people, church organisations, black consciousness activists.
/Freedom Charter. Not armed struggle. Boycotts for Botha’s Indian/Coloured parliaments, and townships. Yes.
/Several strands of opposition: trade unions, church groups, student orgs… all opposed to apartheid… different priories and strategies.
PROTEST STRATEGIES: VAAL TRIANGLE
What happened on the _ September, 198_ (same day as tricarmental parliament opening) Organised by who?
What was the aftermath like? After leaders of UDF got detained.
Which org, founded in 19__ led the Free Mandela call? What did they call for in 19__. Slogan of this?
By which year did protests reach crescendo? What happened in townships?
How did ANC armed struggle make a comeback, in what year? How many attacks by MK?
How had black consciousness been left behind?
/3 Sept 1984 uprising in Vaal Triangle, councillors killed in Sharpeville. Organised by association affiliated with UDF.
/New, younger generation of rebels worked incognito with backroad knowledge.
/COSAS, 1979 called for a renewed school boycott in 1984. ‘Liberation before education.’
/1985: Gov/council offices in Townships were targets, being burnt down by youths.
/1985: ANC called for a people’s war, lots of MK activists came: 137 attacks in 1985.
/More radical tactics rather than American thinking and strategy. Wasn’t united or politically based enough.
PROTEST STRATEGIES: ALEXANDRA, JOHANNESBURG.
What year did the revolt break out, what did it become known as? What triggered it?
What day was a night vigil organised? What did people do?
What took place over the next few days? Crowds of how many? How many died?
With a rally of _0,000 at a stadium, what was government response? How many died here?
What was necklacing? How else were the ‘comrades’ violent, not to the government?
What was formed to help grievances? What were these grievances in the Alexandria township?
/1986: the Six Days War. A youth activist was shot by a security guard.
/Valentines day. Encouraged mass mobilisation, petrol bombing the shop where he’d died, and other buildings/houses.
/Policeman was stabbed, funeral with attacks on policemen. Police responded with tear gas/gunfire, killing 4/6000.
/40,000 at a stadium… township had been surrounded by the army. Around 27 killed… order reimposed.
/Black youths lit petrol spilt tires around spies. Violence on ppl who didn’t adhere to boycotts/stayaways.
/The Alexandra Action Committee. Demands: urban services (housing, street repairs, bus fares, education, removal of army.)
PROTEST STRATEGIES: RURAL REBELLION:
What were towns/rural areas recruitment routes for?
What area (site of major protest in 1950s) produced many politicised youths?
uMkhonto weSizwe.
Sekhukhuneland
PROTEST STRATEGIES: RURAL REBELLION: THE GOVERNMENT RESPONSE:
What year was a state of emergency declared? What did this do? How many arrests did it result in in Alexandria?
How many people detained nationally? What did the troops do in Alexandria?
What did Botha do to the black council in Alexandria?
/1985: Botha sent troops into townships. 3000 arrests in Alexandria alone.
/25,000 detained nationally. Searched houses looking for resistance, burnt houses of known activists.
/Dispensed of black council… joint management by army, police and white bureaucrats.
GOVERNMENT SUPPRESSION: STATE SUPPRESSION:
How much did the police force grow by 1981-91?
Tactics of police?
What did special police force aim to do with local leaders?
/Doubled (49,000-93,600) to cope.
/Mass arrest, banning orders… but also kidnappings and torture interrogation.
/Turn them into informants vs ANC and co
GOVERNMENT SUPPRESSION: CONFLICT IN THE HOMELANDS:
Which homeland was opposition to youth protest the strongest? Which movement was entrenched here?
What was the chief there against? What did he do?
/KwaZulu: the Zulu movement.
/Chief was against radical protests… suppressed school boycotts. Made use of homeland police to suppress opposition.
