South Afircan History: Apartheid and Resistance - Essay Example

Apartheid Introduction Apartheid is a system of governance that was employed in the nation of South Africa bythe Dutch colonial masters. On that note, it can be defined comprehensively as a system that was characterised by racial segregation as the major ideology that was in fact documented in the laws and vehemently carried out by the national party which was the ruling party at the time. Apparently, this era was characterised by the undermining of the voice and right of the majority of the people who were black in skin complexion and the upholding of the minority rule of the colonial masters (Madikizela, 98). On a similar theme, the origin of this form of governance was traced back to the aftermath of the Second World War. Evidently, research shows that discrimination on the basis of race in the state of South Africa began way back before the incorporation of the apartheid system of government. On that note, evidence suggests the previous colonial masters of South Africa; British and the Dutch employed the idea of racial segregation in their leadership strategies. Notably, the system of apartheid was officially incorporated in to the South African state in the year 1948 following a general election that was held in the same year. This was followed by the adoption of the new laws that was mandated to classify the inhabitants into the races. For instance, they were classified in terms of four major groups. On the same point, in terms of skin colour; black, white, coloured and Indian. Furthermore, the coloured were diversely classified into other categories (Madikizela, 82). In addition to that, the apartheid system also postulated that this segregation would extend further into residential areas and other aspects of the social structure of a society for instance educational institutions and hospitals. On the same note, the system advocate for strict measures as a result of failure to adhere to the regulations. For instance, forceful evictions were employed in the case of settlement in areas that are segregated for a particular group. Moreover, prison sentences and hefty fines were also a method of ensuring that the apartheid rules of segregation are followed to the letter (Cooper& William, 209). Apartheid system of governance in South Africa was characterised by the removal of non-white representation in the government. On that note, the rulers ensured this through the abolition of the legislation that advocates for that action in the year of 1970 to be precise. As a result of this action, the inhabitants of the nation of black descent lost their citizenship and were forced be citizens of the self-governing homelands; the Bantustans which consequently, become independent states in the subsequent years that followed. However, this segregation ideology was able favour the people of the white descent and undermines individuals of the black race. On that note, the government was able to provide services for instance medical health care that was inferior and less effective as compared to their counterparts of the white race (Coetzee, 156). Consequently, this was able to fuel internal resistance that purposed to address the inequality of distribution and delivery of services on the basis of race. Notably, it is recorded in history, that since the year 1950, a number uprisings have emerged in a bid to oppose the apartheid system of segregation and also to address the grievances of the black people. However, the rulers were able to stop these uprisings through imprisoning of the leaders that headed the resistance and in the legislation front, the passed laws that prohibited the formation opposition parties citing them as a forum that could create a forum for their overthrowing. However, despite, these drastic actions reforms in the apartheid system of governance in the 1980’s failed to stop the political revolution that was building up and consequently, this led to the attaining of independence of the South Africa. This meant that the end of apartheid era following the victory of the African national congress headed by Nelson Mandela. Apparently, this new era was marked by the repeal of the apartheid system and as a result the adoption of new political leadership policies that ensure equality of all people regardless of their race (Naidoo & Eric, 14). Apparently, the white rulers employed the apartheid system of governance due to a number of factors. First and foremost, the attributed the population of the south African state as being diverse; made up of a number of people of different races such as the Europeans, the black people who were the initial inhabitants of the nation before the arrival of the settlers. They viewed that through the separation of this population in terms of this differences, it was easier to rule without the need to conquer by battle. Furthermore, the viewed the strategy of segregation as means of averting a war since the individuals groups could rule and manage their own affairs thus reducing the risk of sparking interracial conflicts. Moreover, apartheid system of governance was viewed as cost effective in relation to capital. On that note, it is a cheaper way of administration since in reduces the number of administrative officials needed to enforce the leadership. Apparently, apartheid system championed the separation of population on the basis of race, thus this groups were led by their local administrative authorities. Therefore, the apartheid rulers used the existing systems of governance to enforce their laws thus cost effective as compared to the direct rule system of governance (Gordimer, 4). In a bid to ensure the success of the apartheid system of administration in the South African state, the rulers incorporated a number of new laws to facilitate this form of government. First and foremost, the population regulation act was one of the major pillars of the apartheid system. In addition to that, this law entailed the creation of classes on the basis of race. On that note, this act led to the introduction of identification cards that were acquired by individuals who attained the age of eighteen. Furthermore, the identification card contained the basic information of the individual and also it incorporated the race the individual belonged to. Moreover, in the case that the race of an individual of an individual was undefined, this act advocated for the formation of boards that were mandated with the task of determining this race. Consequently, this led to the separation of families especially for coloured people since different members were classified into different races (Cooper& William, 216). Secondly, the group areas act formulated in the year 1950 was a crucial legislature in the success of the apartheid system of governance. On that note, this law was mandated with the task of reorganisation of the people in to areas on the basis of racial affiliation. It is worth noting that before the apartheid era individuals of diverse races lived in harmony together. Therefore, this law was meant to correct this through the allocation of areas that are to be settled by a particular race. Evidently, in the subsequent years this law would be used to forcefully evict people on the basis that they are not settling in their required place with reference to their race as documented in the law. Furthermore, in a bid to assert this law the government introduced another law; prevention of illegal squatting act in 1951 which gave power to the government to destroy black slums and build settlement for the black people who work in the cities on the expense white employers. On that note, locations in the cities were initially set aside for the white settlers but this with exception of the black people who work in the white settlers farms (Madikizela, 82). In addition to that, another law that characterised the apartheid system of administration in South Africa was the prohibition of the mixed marriage act. This law was formulated to inhibit inter racial marriages and classified it as a criminal offence. Furthermore, the reservation of separate amenities act was also another important legislation in the apartheid era. Apparently, this law served highlight some of the areas reserved for the various races that existed in the southern African state. On that note, it advocated that beaches, buses, hospitals among other social facilities were designated to each race. In addition to that, notices were put in place to imply which public area was allocated for which race. For instance, white only sign boards implied that the particular public facility was designated for the white race individuals only (Naidoo & Eric, 11). However, with regard to the quality of the social amenities, the services the government provided for the black race, it evident that it was inferior as compared to the other races for instance the coloured race and the white race which was compared as superior and therefore, the quality of their services was higher. In addition to that, some of the laws were formulated with the aim of the halting internal resistance; violent. For instance, the suppression of communism act which the government viewed as a threat that meant to interfere with the racial harmony of the South African people. On that note, this law banned interracial gatherings terming them as being disorderly and advocating for communistic ideology which undermine the apartheid system of administration. On a similar theme, in a bid to enforce and ensure the adherence of the laws, harsh fines and long terms of imprisonment were employed in order to discourage the stipulated activities (Mokone & Steve, 29). In the field of education, apartheid also introduced a number of laws that champion the apartheid ideology. For instance, the apartheid era was marked with the introduction of Bantu Education act incorporated in the year 1953. This law was mandated with the task of separating the educational system and syllabus with respect to the race an individual is categorised in. Apparently, this law advocate for a different system of education for the black race since they were required to provide human labour for the white settler farms. On that note, in a bid to achieve this goal, the government championed for an inferior system of education and at times discouraged the admission of the individuals of black race to the universities. However, in 1959, the government was able to achieve the segregation of the educational system through the establishment of the separate institutions of higher learning on the basis of race, for instance, the creation of Indian universities (Madikizela, 82). Furthermore, another critical law that facilitated the success of the apartheid system was the Bantu authority act formulated in 1951. Apparently, this particular legislation was mandated to give an insight and also establish a leadership structure with their settlement areas; Bantustans. Furthermore, this law also gave the power to the various races to rule themselves without the interference; direct of the government. In addition to that, this law also banned the representation of the black race by either white or b lack people into the government. Moreover, the Bantu investment act was mandated to create and manage the allocation of capital from the government to the homelands in a bid to create employment in the area (Gordimer, 5). Finally, core legislation in the apartheid system of administration was the black homeland citizenship act. This legislation was mandated with the task of managing the allocation of citizenship in South Africa. Apparently, it advocated that the citizenship of the people of the black race be revoked and in turn suggested that the people of black descent are citizens acquire the citizenship of one of the autonomous territories. This was purposed to ensure that the white Settlers maintain the majority in terms of population number (Cooper& William, 215). On the contrary, the success of the apartheid system of administration was attributed to a number of factors. On the same note, disenfranchisement of the coloured voter was one of the factors that contributed to the success. Furthermore, since the population of the white settlers was minimal as compared to the coloured and black people, the white rulers passed laws that prohibited the voting of the coloured and black people. This was a strategy to ensure that the white settlers maintained the majority in terms of the voice in the administration of the state. Moreover, in a bid to ensure and maintain the majority, the white settlers embarked in the deregistration of citizens of the black race in a bid to strip their voting rights and consequently, facilitating the white settler rule and promoting apartheid (Coetzee, 155). Unity of the white settlers in the South African also played a major role in the promotion of white rule and as a result promotion of the apartheid in South Africa. Furthermore, the Afrikaners and the English speakers were fewer in number as compared to the black people thus this facilitated the unity of both groups in a bid to ensure their safety in the state. Moreover, the system of apartheid was viewed as favouring the white people for instance in the allocation of funds by the government and the provision of the services enabled them to stay united thus facilitating the apartheid system of administration. In addition to that, the discouraging of immigration of people of the black race also played a vital role in the success of the apartheid system. On the same note, through the introduction of laws that govern the movement of people in and out of the state, the white settlers were able to promote influx of white people as opposed to the people of the black race. This was meant to ensure that the white settlers remain the majority and hence promote the monopoly of administration in the state (Thompson, 5). The apartheid era had a number of significance in relation to gender; women. Apparently, this form of administration undermined the women of black descent. On the same note, women have suffered both gender and racial discrimination for instance; the law enforcers would rape women in black settlements and escape prosecution for their heinous actions. Furthermore, women were subjected to forced labour which was occasionally hard. In addition to that, the era of apartheid rule was characterised by poorly educated women and the undermining of women’s rights for instance in the line of property ownership. In addition to that, majority of women of the black race embarked on participation in agriculture which entailed low pay, and harsh working conditions (Naidoo & Eric, 10). Moreover, women have suffered the effects of separation of families. For instance, their husbands are forced to move to cities where they work in white settler farms. On that note, the movement of black people was limited and thus in most cases, the black male people are forced to vacate to their areas of work. Moreover, as a result of poverty, women have been able to suffer from ailments attributed to poor nutrition. Consequently, this has led to the rise in the mortality rate of the children since they also suffer from some ailments. In addition to that, as a result of separation of families, the organisation of the family has changed. On a similar theme, with the absence of the male figure in the family set up, has caused women to step into some of the role of the father for instance the provision of the livelihood and the protection of the children from harm. This has consequently, made the family set up exposed and vulnerable to harm. In addition to that, with the increase in poverty levels within the black settlement, children have been forced to work in a bid to raise funds as opposed to being in school studying. As a result, the children rights have been undermined greatly (Mokone & Steve, 25). Evidently, the apartheid system of administration had numerous in the sports industry in the South Africa. On that note, it is worth noting that football was also separated on the basis of race. For instance the people of the black race organised and managed their own tournaments. However, the funding of the football associations vested majorly on the government. Notably, the allocation of funds was not equal and therefore, the white based leagues were well funded and thus they thrived more as compared to the other leagues (Cooper& William, 210). On a similar theme, the football leagues affiliated with the black race were poorly funded as compared to all the other races and as a result, the growth of football during the apartheid regime was inhibited. In addition to that, since the football largely influenced by racial discrimination in South Africa, this led to the banning of the nation in the participation in global football events for instance the world cup and the African cup of nations. Consequently, football was used as a forum mandated with the task of opposing the apartheid rule. Notably, it can be said that sporting activities have played a major role in the abolition of the racial segregation championed by the apartheid rule as eventually the demise of the oppressive form of administration (Madikizela, 78). Furthermore, the apartheid rule also affected a minority of the race; Asians. Evidently, the Asians were viewed as having with any of the three major groups recognised by the segregation process of the apartheid system of government. However, this particular race was moderately treated in terms of service delivery and the allocation of resources. On that note, the Japanese people who are Asians worked at the mining grounds; gold and at times they were classified as coloured people. Notably, they had mixed reactions towards the apartheid system but it is evident that there had no voting rights and as a result majority of them were opposed to the system as a whole. In addition to that, the inequality of the Asian and the Europeans was a major factor that contributed to the opposition of the segregation policy advocated by apartheid rule (Gordimer, 2). Despite the limitations of the apartheid systems, it also advocated for social conservatism. On a similar theme, sexual education was banned in the state. In addition to that, the apartheid era was marked by very conservative ideologies for instance abortion was illegal with the exception of rape cases and the situation that the mother’s life is in danger. Furthermore, homosexuality was banned in South Africa during the regime. On that note, in order to achieve this, the government introduced regulation on the issues and offered strict penalties on the case of failure to adhere to them (Cooper& William, 210). Evidently, the government also prohibited of use of television sets in the nation. On the same note, since the television sets use English as the main language, the government viewed this as a threat to the Afrikaner speakers in the nation. Furthermore, it went on to say that the use of English also undermined the Afrikaner language. Moreover, the white rulers banned the selling of alcoholic beverages on Sunday since the day was viewed as religious day to the Christian religion affiliates who were the majority in the nation (Coetzee, 152). In conclusion, the apartheid regime was marked by racial discrimination and harsh and oppressive legislature mandated to enforce this heinous activities. However, South Africa was able grow in terms of infrastructure as compared to the other African states. To this end, abolition of this system of governance has done more good than harm since South Africa has been able to attain independence and consequently, correct the mistakes of the previous regime. References ? Coetzee, J. M.. Boyhood: scenes from provincial life. New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, 1998. Print. ? Cooper, William, and William Cooper. Scenes from provincial life; and, Scenes from metropolitan life. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1983. Print. ? Gordimer, Nadine. July's people. New York: Viking Press, 1981. Print. ? Madikizela, Pumla. A human being died that night: a South African story of forgiveness. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003. Print. ? Mokone, M.. "Book Reviews: Steve Biko: I Write What I Like: A Selection Of His Writings. Edited With A Personal Memoir By A. STUBBS C.R. (London, Bowerdean Press, 1978). 216pp.  4.95." Race & Class 21.2 (1979): 203-205. Print. ? Naidoo, Beverley, and Eric Velasquez. Journey to Jo'burg: a South African story. New York: J.B. Lippincott, 1985. Print. ? Thompson, Leonard Monteath. A history of South Africa. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1990. Print. Read More