Opposition to Apartheid - 1631 Words

The South African Apartheid, instituted in 1948 by the country’s Afrikaner National Party, was legalized segregation on the basis of race, and is a system comparable to the segregation of African Americans in the United States. Non-whites - including blacks, Indians, and people of color in general- were prohibited from engaging in any activities specific to whites and prohibited from engaging in interracial marriages, receiving higher education, and obtaining certain jobs. The National Party’s classification of â€Å"race† was loosely based on physical appearance and lineage. White individuals were superficially defined as being â€Å"obviously white on the basis of their â€Å"habits, education and speech as well as deportment and demeanor†; an†¦show more content†¦The quest for international support, mass mobilization, armed operations, and underground organization became the basis for the ANC’s â€Å"Four Pillars of Struggle†. On March 21st, 1960, the Pan Africanists Congress, an anti-Apartheid splinter organization formed in 1959, organized a protest to the National Party’s â€Å"pass laws† which required all citizens, as well as native Africans, to carry identification papers on them at all times. Over five thousand individuals came to protest the cause in Sharpeville. Unfortunately, police forces arrived and open fired on the protesters, killing ninety-six in what became known as the Sharpeville massacre. Beginning early in the 1970s and extending into the ‘80s, students, laborers and ordinary citizens became more involved in the struggle against Apartheid. High school students began protesting the segregated system more vigorously, and many ended up dead at the hands of National Party police forces in the June uprising of 1976. The late 70’s and 80’s saw the rise in dissidence amongst ordinary South Africans towards the Apartheid laws. After the student uprising of 1976 , the ranks of MK were augmented considerably, leading to resurgence in anti-Apartheid activities and ushered in the first reforms to the Apartheid since itsShow MoreRelatedThe ANC and PACs Influence on the Fall ofo the Apartheid Regime in South Africa1570 Words   |  6 PagesSince its colonization by England and the Dutch, South Africa’s government struggled under power hungry colonial leaders and most recently under the white dominated Apartheid regime. Before colonization, South Africa was ruled by different tribes each having jurisdiction over their section of land. Eventually, South Africa like so many other Africa countries, fell victim to European colonization. The first European settlers were Dutch, who arrived in 1652 and worked for the Dutch East India CompanyRead MoreEssay on South Africa Under Apartheid: A Totalitarian State1356 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the Apartheid Era, there emerged from South Africa cases of gross human rights abuse, racism, police bruta lity and general mistreatment of the non-white population. Excluding the fact that South Africa was never ruled by a dictator, it can be argued that some of these features were totalitarian and that South Africa was, to a certain extent, a totalitarian state under Apartheid. This discussion will analyse the totalitarian features that were apparent during Apartheid, and will be structuredRead MoreThe Apartheid Of South African Apartheid1422 Words   |  6 PagesThe avowal that the apartheid ‘vision for democracy’ necessitated state terror and repression is evident when examining the South African apartheid system between 1960 -1994. The system of apartheid spiked significant internal resistance, hence, the ideology for apartheid stems from the creation of a white state surrounded by economically interdependent and politically dependent black states, which required state terror and repression to ensure mounting resistance and international condemnation didRead More Sout h African Apartheid Essay1499 Words   |  6 PagesAfrica had to endure racial inferiority during the era of apartheid. The apartheid laws the government of South Africa made led to an unequal lifestyle for the blacks and produced opposition. South Africa really began to suffer when apartheid was written into the law. Apartheid was first introduced in the 1948 election that the Afrikaner National Party won. The plan was to take the already existing segregation and expand it (Wright, 60). Apartheid was a system that segregated South Africa’s populationRead MoreHow Far Has the Importance of Nelson Mandela in the Ending of Apartheid Been Exaggerated?1748 Words   |  7 PagesHow far has the importance of Nelson Mandela in the ending of apartheid been exaggerated? It can be argued that the importance of Nelson Mandela in the ending of apartheid has been greatly exaggerated. Apartheid ended due to a combination of long term and short term events. The ANC represented the main opposition of apartheid while protests and rebellions caught the attention of the world, international sanctions put pressure on the south African government and something had to be done before theirRead MoreSouth Africa and Nelson Mandela ´s Impact as President832 Words   |  4 Pagesmember ever since. On august 5 1963, he was arrested and charged for treason. Mandela was convicted for sabotage and plotting against the government, specifically against the apartheid. He used violence to fight for the right of the people. To many people, he was considered to be a terrorist. The apartheid was facing major opposition and eventually the country was going through major problems and the current president De Klerk couldn’t effectively resolve them. Therefore he wanted to settle with MandelaRead MoreThe Apartheid Of South Africa1174 Words   |  5 PagesSome periods in human history are simply shameful. The period of apartheid policy in South Africa was one of these times. Apartheid featured a rebirth of racist legislature in South Africa from the 1950s to the 1990s. Essentially, these laws treated people who were not white as completely separate from society; the term apartheid literally means â€Å"apartness.† The national legislature in South Africa wanted to suppress blacks and ensure a white supremacy in the government. Basically, politicalRead MoreApartheid. What is it? Who or what were involved? And how did it end in South Africa?1660 Words   |  7 PagesApartheid Imagine living in an actual time and place similar to George Orwells 1984. There was a chillingly similar place for non-whites in South Africa from the 1940s to the 1990s. I believe that enforcing Apartheid is unjust and immoral. Reading this paper you will learn: What is apartheid? Who were involved? And how did apartheid end in South Africa? What is apartheid? The system of apartheid--apartness between races--began in 1948 and in the time span of one generation, it wove itselfRead MoreNelson Mandela s President Of South Africa1309 Words   |  6 PagesNomzamo Zanyiwe Madikizela. He outlived 3 of his 6 children. Until apartheid was abolished in 1994, Mandela vigorously fought against it in order to secure freedom for everybody in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of legislation that forced non-white South Africans to be forced to live in different areas and even use different public facilities than whites. Despite 50 years of constant opposition to apartheid, the system of laws stood fast until 1991. The goal of the Afrikaner NationalRead MoreWhat Did The Choice Of Nation Building And Reconciliation Help South Africa Avoid A Pending Civil War?1502 Words   |  7 Pageswar from 1990-1994’ INTRODUCTION The early 1990s in South Africa marked the start of a process leading to the official end of an oppressive and discriminatory apartheid regime. The period was characterised by sporadic bouts of political intolerance and indecisiveness leading to clear moments of political frustration between the opposition (the minority parties like National Party, AWB, Freedom Front Plus) and the liberation forces (African National Congress (ANC) the Pan African Congress (PAC) and