South Africa- Theme 4 Flashcards
(47 cards)
Why was the United Democratic Front formed, 1983?
Argued for a fully democratic SA.
Opposition to the new constitution of 1983.
United different protest groups and triggered a nationwide mass protest movement.
It included people of all races, religions, politics, professions, trade unions, women, students and sports groups.
Adopted the Freedom Charter, but didn’t advocate armed struggle.
Used boycotting of the elections to new parliaments and local councils.
The UDF, boycott campaigns, 1984
Well organised with more extensive media campaigns. Used leaflets, posters and door to door visits.
In elections of 1984, only 29% of coloured voted and 19% of Indians.
Protest strategies, 1984-1986 - Protest
Protesters attacked targets that symbolised Both’s system.
Burnt police stations and other government buildings.
Stay at home protests and school boycotts.
Widespread involvement of young, old female and males.
The government gave new black councils the task of putting the rents up- 30% were unemployed due to trade boycotts.
Councils were often corrupt and gave liquor licenses to each other and had links with local taxi firms.
Protest strategies, 1984-1986 - Black police officers
Botha’s reforms got rid of job reservation, so blacks were able to become officers.
They became officers to get money.
A position of power, in the hope that other blacks would follow.
Protest strategies, 1984-1986 - Why violence?
More militant, younger protesters.
Protest to the Tricameral parliament.
In response to rising police brutality.
Uprising started on 3rd September 1984, to coincide with the opening of the tricameral parliament in Cape Town.
The Vaal Triangle Uprising, 1948-85
The Vaal Triangle is the area of black townships to the south of Johannesburg.
Protests started with a school boycott in September 1984.
It was led by youths.
Protesters demands included a ban on unqualified teacher, access to free books and paper, an end to excessive corporal punishment and an end to sexual harassment.
142 died in street battles.
Unions helped the students (COSAS) with stay-at-home strikes.
Police and army never regained full control of the townships.
Sparked by the rent increase.
SADF began to operate in the townships, stopping people to see their passes and arresting them. Policemen’s homes were burnt down- both black and white.
Police called in the army for help.
The ANC called to make SA ungovernable, 1984-1987
People’s power as the slogan. Communities came together.
Protests against rent increases.
Strong democratic movement, of ordinary people.
Tambo made speeches on the radio, usually from Zambia. ‘civilians will be caught in the crossfire’. ANC no longer made an effort to protect innocent civilians.
Black townships increase violence, many were becoming ungovernable.
The ANC stepped up its bombing campaign in major cities.
July 1985, Botha declared a state of emergency.
Defence increased, the army entered townships.
The ANC left SA to train, then returned.
Toyi-toyi, a jogging dance, cemented solidarity in crowds.
ANC flags seen at funerals and protests.
Violence to make SA ungovernable
In 1985, the ANC further called for a ‘people’s war’.
More systematic attempts to send MK cadres into SA.
In 1983, a bomb outside SA airforce in Pretoria- 19 deaths and 200 injured.
In 1984, record number of MK activists in SA. 137 attacks, 31 MK member were killed.
Cell were infiltrated. Joe Mamasela, a black policeman gave booby trapped hand grenades to members of a COSAS group on East Rand. 8 people killed.
Youths furthered the ANC armed struggle as ‘comrades’.
Case Study: Alexandra, Johannesburg - 1986
The revolt broke out in 1986, after a month of tensions and became known as the ‘6 day war’.
It was triggered after a youth activist was shot by a security guard.
A night vigil was organised on 14th Feb, comrades mobilised mas participation by coercing people to attend.
Petrol bombed a shop, set fire to shops and stoned cars. 1 policeman was stabbed.
Police tear gassed and fired on a crowd of 6,000 youths. 4 people were killed.
A rally of 40,000 people was organised at the stadium.
the township was sealed off by the army.
It was a people’s war by the ‘young lions of Alexandra’.
Police killed 27 people and order was regained.
Necklacing used by black youths.
Moses Mayekiso formed a Alexandra Action Committee to ride the wave of protest. Stopped paying rent and increased unity. Demanded urban services, better housing, street repairs, lower bus and taxi fares, better education and removal of the army.
The police fled their homes.
Youths wanted to govern their own townships.
The state of emergency, July 1985 (1st SoE)
On 25th July 1985, Botha declared a state of emergency.
Within the first 6 moths 575 people were killed.
Only 36 of the country’s 260 majisteral districts affected.
Organisations could be banned, there were restrictions on media coverage.
On 7th March 1986, Botha lifted the state of emergency.
Second state of emergency, March 1986
On 12th March 1986 (5 days after the 1st SoE was lifted), Botha declared a country-wide state of emergency.
An estimated 26,000 people were detained between June 1986 and June 1987.
News crews were banned from filming areas of political unrest, curfews imposed and political funerals were restricted.
On 7th June 1990, F W De Klerk lifted the state of emergency, in all provinces except Natal- 4 months later it was lifted.
State suppression
NP had the power to repress black political protest.
Police and army was entirely controlled by whites.
Police increased from 49,000 in 1981, to 93,000 in 1991. By 1994, it reached 140,000.
Police tactics included mass arrests, imprisonment and banning orders. Also, kidnapping, torture, interrogation and deaths.
Conflict in the homelands
In KwaZulu and parts of Natal, the Inkatha Freedom Party was strong. Buthelezi was hostile to radical protest politics. He suppressed schools boycotts in KawZulu, developed an alternative Youth Brigade.
Against the UDF and ANC.
Buthelezi didn’t accept independent status for homelands from Pretoria.
Botha’s reforms and total strategy
Botha’s ‘total strategy’ aimed to use reform to appease criticism and mounting unrest. In 1985, he made a speech to articulate a more cautious stance and to berate those who sought to influence SA from outside.
By 1986, apartheid laws had been relaxed. The government invested into upgrading key townships. Reintroduced private ownership of township plots and houses.
Botha used his generals and the security forces, to restore order and regain the momentum.
Botha increasingly bypassed the Tricameral parliament.
Botha created a state security council, which combined white cabinet minister with the most senior military officers. It established Joint Management centres, bringing together the military, police and officials.
Tens of thousands were killed in both states of emergency.
Botha became intolerant of his own party, as well as the political opposition and tricameral parliament.
Taking total strategy to African countries
By 1986, Botha had partly succeeded in neutralising support for the ANC from neighbouring African countries.
Namibia remained under SA control.
Malawi had reached an accommodation with SA.
Zimbabwe was cautious about confronting SA directly.
Swaziland signed a non-aggression pact in 1983 and Mozambique in 1984.
Lesotho became increasingly independent and supported the ANC.
SA was engaged in civil wars in Angola and Mozambique.
In 1979,a special counter-insurgency unit called Koevoet (crowbar) was established. To assist fighting the border war in Namibia. Led by whites, but mainly black recruits.
When were the armed staged raids on different ANC bases
Mozambique in 1981, 83, 87. Lesotho in 1983, killing 42 people. Botswana in 1985 (killing 12 people), 1986. Zimbabwe in 1986. Zambia in 1986.
Relations with African countries
In September 1987, the South African Defence Force engaged in an extended campaign within Angola to support UNITA. SA forces couldn’t establish military superiority against the Angolan forces and their Cuban allies.
SA failed to control Angola.
A movement called End Conscription, worked to undermine the legitimacy of SA’s wars and opposed the long compulsory national service required of white youths.
In 1988, Gorbachev (Soviet leader), offered to negotiate an end to the Cold War conflicts in SA.
SA agreed Namibia would move to independence in 1988, didn’t happen until 1990. Foreign troops would withdraw from Angola.
A free election was help in Namibia in 1989, where SWAPO won 57% of the vote.
Impact of international pressure
In 1985, American banks refused to renew SA’s loans. The currency then slumped as investors lost faith in Botha.
Reagan and the Conservative government began to support disinvestment.
The Free Nelson Mandela movement was increasing, with support from the AAM and ANC in exile.
In June 1988, a concert was held at Wembley stadium, to celebrate Mandela’s 70th birthday. It was broadcasted live on the BBC. 70,000 people attended
What was the effect of the state of emergency?
By the late 1980s, the government couldn’t control the political developments in homelands.
The UDF or ANC didn’t have the power to threaten white military dominance.
Most conflict was restricted to townships and rural areas. Areas where blacks lived.
Political protest was widely reported in the media, although the government tried to ban/restrict the media.
Afrikaners were split politically.
The government realised the failure of the reforms, so explored the possibility of a negotiated settlement. This was strongly encouraged by the USA, UK and Germany.
Why did the NP decide to begin negotiations in 1985-1989?
They wanted to maintain power, but feared the ANC could take over.
Total strategy and Botha’s reforms failed.
Pressure from international countries, disinvestment, AAM.
To end the violence from black SA’s, that was causing states of emergency.
Voting/election boycotts- tricameral parliament.
Verkrampte realised their days were numbered. They met with the ANC in New York.
What change did F W De Klerk bring? (1989-1994) - From Prime Minister to President.
In 1983 a referendum led to a group of MPs to break away and form a Conservative Party to fight for a return to the system of apartheid.
Introduced the tricamerical parliament.
New President with executive powers.
Constitution of 1983, adapted in 1984.
What change did F W De Klerk bring? (1989-1994)
International allies were slipping away, Reagan and Thatcher began to put pressure on SA to negotiate.
Sisulu and other political prisoners were released in October 1989.
De Klerk reduced military budgets and the influence of the state security council and joint management systems at the end of 1989.
On 2nd Feb 1990, banning orders of the ANC, PAC, SACP etc, (31 organisations) were lifted.
On 11th Feb 1990, Mandela was released from prison, after 27 years.
Freeing Mandela, 1990
He was released on 11th Feb 1990.
After his release, he addressed a series of meetings, Cape Town, Grande Parade, Soweto.
He visited the UK, it had been the base for the ANC in exile and the GAAM.
In April 1990, he visited London for a 2nd televised concert which had an audience of around 500m people.
He met with Thatcher in July 1990.
He was president of the ANC in 1991.
He became President of SA in 1994.
Un-banning political parties
The ANC was unbanned in 1990. Tambo could come out of exile and return to SA. A welcome rally for Tambo of 70,000 people.
In 1991, the ANC Youth League was re-launched. ANC took on youthful comrades- Young Lions.
COSATU & UDF were brought to the front of the ANC.
March 1991, the UDF disbanded.
In 1992, the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) was founded.
The ANC faded into exile, many joining MK.
