History of Apartheid in Africa - Essay Example

Apartheid in Africa Introduction The election of the National Party (NP) into power in 1948 in South Africa marked the origin of the major opposing force that excruciatingly stood in between none whites and their freedom. Later on, both the country’s finest black intellectuals and every other non-white South African citizen would have to contest against it for almost five decades at any cost to reposes their integrity and freedom. The NP immediately upon ascending to power employed white supremacy and racial segregation policies under a system of governance referred to as apartheid. The term apartheid was coined by the Afrikaans to mean separateness. Therefore, apartheid system of governance referred to legal racial segregation which although was used by many colonizers in various colonies in Africa, was majorly dominant in South Africa. This paper examines apartheid system of leadership, its effects and the way in which Africans rose to oppose it with specific attribution to South Africa. History of Apartheid in Africa Substantial amount of empirical studies point it out that racial discrimination and separations existed before the NP became took over power (Beger pp1; Welsh pp 146 & Hemmel pp 4). The system only utilized racial discrimination as tool to oppress Africans and other non whites during those periods. South Africa was colonized both by the Dutch and the English from seventeenth century (Hummel pp. 4). In fact, the racial separation was introduced by the Europeans who by late 15th century were already combing various parts of the world in search of new sources power and wealth. These quests led to enslavement, racial inequalities and oppression of the natives of the lands they conquered. They also ruled by extensively exploiting the natural resources grabbing lands they felt were good for their settlement and forced the original occupants to dwell in certain area. The racial segregation and white dominance employed by NP party mimicked the aforementioned aspects. Foremost, the Dutch descendants also referred to as the Boers or the Afrikaners established colonies in areas of Transvaal and Orange Free States. Later on, the discovery of diamond on these areas around 1900 century caused English invasion. This pointed out their thirsts for economic resources and the extent at which they are willing to go grab them. Secondly, the government at this time, which was a coalition between the two powerful Europeans, passed the Native Land Act of 1913. The legislation saw many Africans being forced to live in reserves and banned from accessing certain public areas or using certain social amenities. Enactment of apartheid law in 1948 resulted in institutionalization of racial discrimination. Subsequently, racial laws affected every aspect of social life was affected (Tshitereke pp 47). The Africans were discriminated against and were banned from intermarrying with the whites, were not allowed to occupy certain jobs and were restricted from accessing urban areas or those areas designated for the whites without a pass book bearing finger prints, a photo information relating to the reason for visiting such areas. In 1950 all South Africans were categorized into three distinct groups under the Population Registration Act. The criteria employed in the classification included physical appearance, descent and social acceptance. As a result the three groups include the blacks, the whites and the colored. Based on physical appearance, the whiten people were social recognized by the regime. However, this excluded those with one parent as black and the other as white. The colored people were neither black nor white and consisted of the Indians and the Asians. African Resistance to Apartheid System The black South Africans opposed the apartheid system in various forms. These phases ranged from peaceful demonstrations to strikes and protest to political actions and finally the use of armed resistance. The political action against hash ruling is synonymous with African National Congress (ANC) (Sonneborn pp 8), and Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC). The non-white South African had protested against segregation for several years. The struggle intensified with the incidents of 1960s. Foremost, the massacre of Sharpeville which resulted in the death of sixty nine African protestors who refused to carry a pass book in public, most of whom were short at the back, elevated the temperature and the quest for elimination of the separation policy. This was succeeded by the decree of state of emergency. The situation caused detention of more than eleven thousand African protestors and banning activities of both PAC and ANC. Around 1976, the Soweto uprising was triggered by the compulsion to oppose the use of Afrikaans in schools which was made compulsory by the government. The subsequent years also saw series of events that intensified the struggle for freedom. These included the death of Steve Biko, the leader of the dynamic and popular Black Consciousness movement, who was killed by policemen. The movement had huge support of the disaffected young Africans who were living in the urban. The death of Mr. Biko caused protest and riots nationally. To no one’s surprise the police reacted with violence and brutality. As a result, more Africans were detained without trials, most were placed in solitary confinements and all were subjected to gruesome torture in the detentions which resulted in more deaths in the custody. These circumstances led to isolation of African countries particularly South Africa in the global scene (Welsh pp 147). Similarly, ANC and United Democratic Front (UDF), founded by Mkhuseli Jack in 1983, underwent some of the most difficult experience during these periods. Most of its leaders were assassinated, banned, sent to exile while others like Nelson Mandela were sentenced to life imprisonment. Mandela was jailed for life because he cofounded and led armed wing of ANC, which was referred to as Umkhonto wa Sizwe (MK), translated as Spear of the Nation. In 1980s both the ANC and NP acknowledged that they had reached a point that no side could win. Both parties had contradicting diversions within their internal structures that reshaped the scope of the struggle. Within ANC for instance some leaders were advocating for consistency in the use of force wile others on the other hand wanted a dialogue with government. Similarly, NP also had dad its own share of fracture within its structure. Within the ruling party some leaders wanted to go on with the fight while others were calling for moderations. In 1985, Minister of Justice paid Nelson Mandela a visit in the mainland where he had been transferred to from Robben Island in 1982. The subsequent years were marred by secret meetings some of which were held in Dakar in Senegal, Lusaka in Zambia and Europe. Some of the meetings were organized by the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), government representatives, sportsmen and sometimes businessmen. The anti-apartheid protestors began testing the fruits of their struggles when the P.W Botha, the presidents who ruled between for eleven year between 1978 and 1989 yielded and abolished influx control and insignificant apartheid separations such as to some public utilities like beaches or shops. During these times, ANC had gained leverage as more Africans were then becoming permanent residents of urban centers thus strengthening the economy. According to Reno (pp 15) this was the beginning of realization of the dreams of South Africans who fighting to reposes their major cities. President Bother was succeeded by F.W de Klerk who spotted the necessity to commence negotiation as soon as possible. In 1990, president Klerk lifted the bans that had been placed on ANC by the former regime and ordered for the release of Mandela from prison (Sonneborn pp 9). Although 1990 was characterized by intense violence than any other year, the subsequent four years were dominated by painful negotiations. Both parties were reluctant to relent on their respective stance. The president wanted Mandela to announce a cease fire but Mandela was not willing to compromise until the ruling party could make political concessions. Some of the major topics of the heated discussion included measure of the rights of a group versus the rights of individuals, determining the position of the minority, which constituted of the white, Indians and the colored, a unitary state versus the federal state, the kind .of economic system to be adopted, the need to grant amnesty to the detained Africans, whether South Africa would emerge as a single-party authoritarian state and the need to establish a reconciliation commission. The two parties reached a consensus in 1994. A general democratic election was held in the same year which Mandela won on ANC ticket to become the first black Southern African President as the country clenched its independence. The non-violent strategies employed by the African to Resist Apartheid systems The black South African similarly used peaceful tactics to win their freedom. For instance, they used formal statements. In this case, the ANC leaders mobilized all Africans from various ethnic backgrounds and races to stop cooperating to all discriminatory legislations. This tactic was launched in 1952 and led to the rise of non defiance movement of non violent demonstrations and economic boycotts against apartheid (E-Collaborative pp 1). The second formal statement included presentation of tens of thousand petition signatures by all Federation of South African Women in the parliament in1956. They were demanding the social justice and civil equality for the non white South Africans. The leaders also communicated with the diverse audience. In this instance, demonstrators chanted ‘purple shall govern’. They were referring the crude arsenal that the police weed using against the protestors. In fact, the chant became a tool for final campaign against apartheid. The movements’ efforts were backed by over five hundred anti-apartheid organizations which were in place, acting as effective instrument to spearhead its communications to many generations, religions and races. These organizations were constituted by the blacks, Indians and whites who further strengthened the movements. In addition, the anti-apartheid activities strategically ensured inclusion of the older generations by appointing them to occupy leadership positions to harness their support. The opposition of the antiapartheid leadership also projected their demand for self-rule through formulation of micro judicial and government institutions in various townships occupied by the blacks. In such institutions they provide both government and social services such as garbage collection, street cleaning, community policing and health care. This initiative helped in cementing the town people together thereby giving them the strength to resist the government in unison as they engulfed their local areas under their own leadership. Nonwhite government workers and manufactures paralyzed the economy of the country by boycotting work. In this effect, Mkhuseli Jack, the founder of UDF strategically organized strikes. He mobilized protestors against government oppressions through apartheid systems. According to E-Collaborative (pp 1), at the end of 1985 the opposition had already organized about three hundred and ninety strikes which paralyzed the economy of the country. This circumstances forced white businessmen to pressurize the government to abandon the apartheid system. The opposition engaged in rent and consumer boycotts and work stay- aways. The international movements objecting the apartheid system also joined the series of boycotts by mobilizing the university students to boy abandon South African Universities. The strikes were also supported by the Confederation of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) which conducted many strikes against apartheid regime (E-Collaborative pp 1). Conclusion Apartheid system of ruling was used by the Europeans in South Africa and other African countries to strengthen and sustain their dominion over social and economic systems. The system was oppressive, unjust and characterized by racial inequality. Excessive discrimination, police brutality and massacres in South Africa compelled the black Africans to stage opposition which comprised of peaceful demonstrations, riots, strikes and boycotts and finally use of arms. This set stage for assassination of key opposition leaders and black African Protestors, banishment, solitary imprisonment, gruesome torture, death sentences or life imprison like in the case of Mandela. Ultimately, the South African won their independence in April 1994 after series of painful events and dialogues. Works Cited Berger, Iris. South Africa in world history. Oxford: Oxford University, Press, 2009. Print. David Welsh. “The Rise and Fall of Apartheid. Johannesburg and Cape Town: Jonathan Ball Publishers”. Journal of International and Global Studies (2009): 146 -148. Print E-Collaborative for civil Education 2014 A struggle From the Ground UP: The Anti-Apatheid Movement in South Africa https://tavaana.org/en/content/struggle-ground-anti-apartheid- movement-south-africa Web, 11th December. 2014. Hummel, Philip. My Life Growing Up White During Apartheid in South Africa, USA Author House, 2011. Print. Reno, William. Warfare in independent Africa. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print. Sonneborn, Liz. The end of apartheid in South Africa. New York: Chelsea House, 2010. Print. Tshitereke, Clerenec. The Experience of Economic Redistribution: The Growth, Employment and Redistribution Strategy in South Africa. New York, Routlege, 2006. Print   Read More