Prescribed Subject 4: Rights & Protest — PS4.2 Apartheid South Africa
Introduction
Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa (1948–1991). Driven by legislation, it divided the population using strict "classification" systems and enforced extreme economic, social, and political inequality.
Key Focus: Apartheid laws, racial classifications, territorial segregation (Bantustans), the resistance movement, and the paths to revolution and reform.
Apartheid Legislation & Classification Systems
- Population Registration Act (1950): Required all South Africans to register as White, Black (African), or Coloured (mixed) or Indian.
- Group Areas Act (1950): Forced physical segregation of races into different areas; millions were removed from their homes.
- Pass Laws: Restricted black South Africans’ movement by requiring passbooks for travel or work in "white" areas.
- Bantu Education Act (1953): Segregated education, prioritizing labor roles for Black South Africans.
These laws institutionalized the "classification" of every person’s race and dictated their opportunities, homes, and even relationships.
Bantustans (Homelands)
The regime designated remote, impoverished regions for different African "tribes" (Bantustans), stripping millions of citizenship and political rights. These areas were under-resourced, fragmented, and intended to legitimize exclusion from national society.
The creation of Bantustans aimed to confine the Black majority to marginal territories, deepening inequality and fragmentation.
Resistance & Key Campaigns
- Defiance Campaign (1952): Mass nonviolent protests led by the ANC and SAIC against apartheid laws. 8,000 arrested, but limited results.
- Sharpeville Massacre (1960): 69 Black demonstrators killed by police during an anti-pass law protest, sparking national and global outrage.
- Rivonia Trial (1963–1964): Key ANC leaders, including Nelson Mandela, tried for sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment.
These campaigns, and the brutal government responses, united diverse anti-apartheid groups and increased global condemnation of the regime.
Nelson Mandela & Key Resistance Groups
| Group/Leader | Role |
|---|---|
| African National Congress (ANC) | Main political resistance organization; advocated both nonviolent and armed resistance |
| PAN (Pan Africanist Congress) | Splinter group from ANC; militant protests, leader of Sharpeville |
| SAIC/SACP | Indian Congress & Communist Party; farmed alliances with Black activists |
| Nelson Mandela | ANC leader, symbol of the struggle, imprisoned 27 years, then key negotiator for end of apartheid |
Conclusion
Apartheid South Africa was defined by extreme laws, forced segregation, racial "classification," and armed state repression. The mass campaigns—Sharpeville, Defiance, Rivonia—and the legacy of Mandela and the ANC highlight both the brutality of the regime and the power of protest and resilience.