Shifting Understandings of Skills in South Africa: Overcoming the Historical Apartheid - Report Example

Struggle to end apartheid Africans underwent hard time to cope with the whites, who first came as traders and missionaries then gradually turned to be oppressors. The whites used various governing styles to make the Africans feel inferior. For instance the whites in South Africa employed apartheid as their kind of rule. Apartheid was a set of rules and policies that encouraged complete racial discrimination in South Africa. Apartheid began in 1948 and came to an end when President Nelson Mandela became to power and advocated for democracy, in 1994. The South Africans employed various strategies to end apartheid and such include demonstrations, initiation of human rights movements and physical war with the whites among others. This discourse is about the South Africans overcame apartheid. Apartheid limited South African’s basic rights in several ways. For instance, they toiled in their own land yet it was the whites who enjoyed the fruits. Africa men were expected to stay in the fields while Africa women were house helps in the whites residential. Some Africa women were sexually abused, insulted, physically assaulted and others even killed. Africa children were to attend poor education while their white counterparts had the best. The South Africans had to come up with ways to end their suffering in their own land. Their struggle saw the whites hand over power to their first president Nelson Mandela, who was a great advocate for democracy. The legacy president Mandela left in the country is still a great challenge to top political leaders not only in South Africa, but to the entire continent. Currently, South Africa is most democratic nation in the continent where every human right’s are respected by the citizens themselves as well as the leaders. The South Africa constitution was majorly meant to promote peace and understanding among all races and tribes in the country. The beginning of apartheid In 1948, the Afrikaners (native black South Africans) united to from National party. The party later won election despite the hiked racism in the country. The Afrikaners formed their laws which greatly opposed any form of segregation. Furthermore, the Afrikaners replaced the whites in various governmental positions (Gibson, 2006). Afrikaner nationalism was a political movement which began in 1920 and it divided the Afrikaners with regard to class among other factors. Furthermore, religious movements divided the Afrikaners. Such divisions saw the top political leaders move from the original National Party to join other political parties. Increased division among the Afrikaners gave the whites opportunity to employ ‘divide and rule’ strategy and this saw the ascend to power. They reconstructed governing policies and laws to see the Afrikaners inferior while they remained superior. This marked the second phase of apartheid. Liberation movements The Afrikaners employed various demonstrations to make the whites understand that they too were humans as well. The early demonstrations were majorly against colonization, segregation and land procession among others. Physical resistances were also employed by the Afrikaners but they frightened when the British military completely destroyed the Zulu community. Afrikaners later resort to peaceful demonstrations as they thought this would create them opportunity to express their thoughts as far as the apartheid was concerned. Mohandas Gandhi came up with a non-violence demonstration ‘satyagraha’ to face the colonial class and express the Afrikaners thoughts. Gandhi had great experience and knowledge towards such demonstrations. He had earlier led several civil demonstrations against the whites in India among other colonized nations. As apartheid intensified, African National Congress was joined by other political parties, primary and secondary students from Soweto to march a cross major streets of South Africa demanding for their rights. However, the police fired live bullets into the crowd and this left some students dead while others were seriously injured. Several demonstrators were arrested and tortured to warn any other group that was planning to challenge the apartheid. The incidence slowed the blacks for some time before coming up with new strategies to challenge the ill treatment from the whites. The Afrikaners also organized various demonstrations through various political parties. African National Congress was formed in 1912 and it brought the Afrikaners together as they could unite and express their pain through the party leader among other relevant officials. The party held peaceful and constitutional protests demanding the whites to stop oppressing the blacks and encouraging the blacks to stop being inferior. Various Christian philosophers also raised their voices to encourage the blacks, more so those who were favored by the whites to realize both the whites and the blacks were humans and there was no need of ill treatment. Africa National Congress also fought for equal rights as well as justice as they presented their views to stop the 1913 Land Act. The law denied Afrikaners from owning land and gave the whites all the rights to do the same. However, the South Africa authority declined such petition and the ANC was to seek help from higher offices which happened to be Britain. The youths were the next group to confront the whites as it was thought that any normal would man would never harm a child. In 1970, students from various African schools united to express their feelings as far as apartheid is concerned. However, the British was never kind to any liberation movement, the British violently attacked the kids plus any other group that was associated with the movement, both in and out of South Africa. However, this never stopped the liberation movement, if any thing, they became more radical and international support was enormous. In 1990, Nelson Mandela was set free and fresh talks or negotiations for democracy started. Black consciousness was a liberation movement by educated youths. The group was formed in 1960 but it was seriously heard in 1970s. The group studied liberation in neighboring nations like Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe among others. That gave them wide experience to challenge the white rulers. However, Stephen Biko was later killed by the police in 1977 and this made a martyr. Biko’s followers were later joined by white liberals and black students and the movement became the most powerful liberation movement in the 1970s. Commercial strikes Black workers from various sectors left their work places and took to the streets demanding for their rights. Black workers were being overworked and paid peanuts by the whites. Furthermore, some female complained of sexual and even physical harassments by their white counterparts. The commercial protests took over three weeks and this greatly compromised the national economy. Fire arms were used to disperse them and despite some left dead and injured, the workers never left the streets. History records that this protest made the whites realize the seriousness of the Africans and some employment laws and policies were altered to convince the Africans resume their work places. The fact that Nelson Mandela was out of prison also encourage the blacks to raise their voices and let the whites realize that they too were humans and they required fair treatment (justice). In 1973, several labor unions were started to represent all workers irrespective of race and color of the skin. Skilled workers played great roles in the strike as majority of them could not be replaced. Furthermore, they demanded that their unskilled counterparts be well taken care of before they could resume to work. The whites had no option but obey the African demands. Africans learnt the importance of unity and the whites began to feel threatened. In the same year, domestic African workers also took to the streets demanding their children to be allowed to attend prestigious schools as the whites. White women had to talk their husbands as the African workers demonstrated in unison. However, the whites could not allow their kids interact with the blacks and they killed some domestic workers to warn the rest. The African workers resumed their job places but with much bitterness and hatred in their hearts. This was the last time African house helps ever took to the streets. Peaceful negotiations After the Africans had tried all strategies to end apartheid, it was time for their respected leader Nelson Mandela to take the mantle and other African leaders into peaceful negotiations with the whites. The leader was set free in February 1990 and this was a followed by the ban of the African National Congress among other African liberal movements (Waldmeir, 2004). The outcome of the negotiations took the whole world by surprise as the whites accepted democratic constitution and this led to the first democratic election in the country. However, it is important to note that the negotiation was not spontaneous, as it Mandela a whole 4 years to convince the whites. The whites were convinced and they gave up their power without the blacks engaging any force or struggle. This left other Africans by surprise as majority thought the country would erupt into a serious war zone as the whites gave no signs of giving their powers to Africans and the Africans were not ready to surrender their fights for freedom and democracy. Reconciliation Nelson Mandela thought it was important to reconcile the blacks and their long time oppressors, the whites. Mandela knew that the hatred in the blacks was huge that they could do anything to the whites if they were not well canceled. Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was formed to investigate the injustices the Africans underwent. Mandela wanted to remind the whites of all the oppressions and sufferings they inflicted among the Africans before reconciliation. This was to passage the message that although the Africans decided to remain humble and forgiving, they were never ignorant. It was away of demonstrating that both the blacks and the whites sacrificed their parts for the sake of peace and democracy (Krabill, 2010). President Mandela appointed various TRC commissioners and made Archbishop Desmond Tutu the chairperson. Desmond Tutu spoke of forgiveness and reconciliation as the best ways to burry the past pains and injustices. The violent efforts of various African movements like the African National Congress were reviewed through live media coverage so that the whole world would understand the real meaning of reconciliation. In other words, Desmond’s team wanted to review everything so that every party would forgive one another once and for all. Various ordinary Africans freely gave their testimonies which were both covered live by both national and international media companies. The human rights violation committee also gathered concrete testimonies from political human right violations during the apartheid. Over 20,000 victims gave their testimonies to the TRC. Finally, the Amnesty Committee provided amnesty to offenders who publicly declared their ill doings during the apartheid. Finally, Reparation and Reconciliation Committee advised the government on long term solutions to the victims, which included monetary compensations among others. The TRC later handed a 5-volume report to President Mandela in 1988 (McGrath, 2010). Later in 2003, Reparation and Reconciliation Committee and Amnesty Committee also handed their reports to the president. President Mandela forgave all the whites and instead ensured all South Africans stayed in harmony and justice. New constitution was put in place and democratic elections could be held. South Africa attained its freedom and to date, both the blacks and the whites live in harmony. To conclude, blacks in South Africa or the Afrikaners underwent hardship from apartheid or racial discrimination from the whites. Blacks were forced to toil in the fields for longer hours yet all benefits went to the whites. The blacks were not allowed to set their feet in some destinations and some were even shot dead when they mistakenly found themselves in white zones. White students accessed quality education while the blacks attended poor schools. The blacks tried all their efforts to resolve the issue. They engaged various strategies like political and human rights movements, commercial demonstrations, resistances and physical wars with the whites among others. All above strategies were in vain until Nelson Mandela was released from prison to lead his fellow Africans into negotiations with the whites. The last resort bore fruits and the whites enabled democracy to take place in the country. Nelson Mandela encouraged both the whites and the blacks among other races in the country to forgive each other and live in harmony. The irony in South Africa’s struggle for democracy is that despite being ill treated by the whites, Mandela could still wear a smiling face to the whites and even forgive them. He played a huge role in the country’s democracy and his legacy will remain forever. References Gibson, J. L. (2006). Overcoming Apartheid: Can Truth Reconcile a Divided Nation? New York: Russell Sage Foundation. Krabill, R. (2010). Starring Mandela and Cosby: Media and the End(s) of Apartheid. Chicago: University of Chicago. McGrath, S. A. (2010). Shifting Understandings of Skills in South Africa: Overcoming the Historical Apartheid. New York: HSRC Press. Waldmeir, P. (2004). Anatomy of a Miracle: The End of Apartheid and the Birth of the New South Africa. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. Read More