Topic 4.2 - Civil Resistance in South Africa (1970s and 1980s)Topic 4.

2 - Civil Resistance in South Africa (1970s and

1980s)
Olwethu Marlowe
History Study Notes

1. National party’s attempt to deal with the increased opposition in SA from late 1970s?
a. Total onslaught
 The idea that the apartheid government were facing issues both internally and externally.
 People believed that the communist were planning to take control of South Africa.

b. Total Strategy
 The strategy so that they could hold onto power.
 Reforms needed to be put into place while still being able to increase repression.
 To overcome this onslaught, they needed to detain people and ban organisations.
 They also put in reforms to win over the black middle class so that apartheid looked less racist.

c. Repression
1. Banning of people and organisations
 They lost freedom to travel and meet with other people.
 House arrest where visitors needed special permission.
 People could not raise funds for banned organisations.

2. Detaining people without trial

 Internal security act allowed police to arrest people and keep them without the aid of a lawyer.
 People were treated brutally and were tortured, and no one knew about this treatment.

3. Banning of outdoor public meetings

 Only sports were not banned.
 school or university boycott meetings were illegal.

4. Media Censorship
 Press was free but content published was controlled.
 No reports on banned people or illegal acts
 Certain songs and movies were banned.

5. State of emergency
 Gave power to the citizens to arrest people; stop meetings and conduct searches.
 Army was sent into the townships
 Unsuccessful use of force to crush resistance

d. Reform
1. 1982 Black Local authorities act.
 More power was given as councillors could now be elected by residents.
 Councillors had to collect rent and service payments as councils became self-financed, and rent
was needed to run the township effectively.
 Councillors were extremely unpopular among the residents. It did not satisfy the political rights
wanted by black people.

OLWETHU MARLOWE 1
Topic 4.2 - Civil Resistance in South Africa (1970s and 1980s)Topic 4.2 - Civil Resistance in South Africa (1970s and
1980s)
Olwethu Marlowe
History Study Notes

2. A black middle class

 99-year leaseholds were given, lifted trade restrictions and legalised mini-buses.
 PW Botha wanted their loyalty in return for privileges and access to wealth. This gave them too
much to lose, so they could not fight with the masses.

3. Tricameral Parliament
 A three-chambered parliament was set up as an attempt to win support from coloured and
Indian people, but still maintain white control.
 No political representation for black people because they had political rights in the homelands
and in community councils. Black people felt insulted, and a large majority of the coloured and
Indian voters did not support this parliament.
 This was a failure, mainly because of the formation of the UDF (united democratic front)

House of Assembly House of Representatives House of Delegates

White Coloured Indian
178 members 85 members 45 members

4. Recognition of black trade unions

5. Relaxation of job reservation
6. Increased spending on black education

2. Resistance of the Tricameral Parliament

a. Township revolts
 Started in townships in the Vaal area, by way of a school and rent boycotts and stay-aways.
 Homes of councillors and police were attacked.

3. Contradictions of Apartheid Emerge

a. Economic system of apartheid began to collapse.
 More labour was needed as economy began to grow so government was pressured to reform.
 homeland system was small and dependent on government causing it to be unsustainable.

b. Pass system breaks down.

 Urbanisation made it difficult for government to enforce pass laws because of the Increase in labour
and women joining their husbands.

c. Labour movements
 Workers demanded recognised unions.
 Unions became militant and engaged in strikes which some petty apartheid laws were revoked.
 Many saw this as performative to quieten the international criticism for apartheid.

4. Internal pressures to apartheid

a. Trade Unions
 Played a key role in resistance as they launched massive campaigns of stay-aways and boycotts to end
apartheid; unban political parties and release political prisoners.
 Persuaded people to boycott tricameral parliament elections.

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Topic 4.2 - Civil Resistance in South Africa (1970s and 1980s)Topic 4.2 - Civil Resistance in South Africa (1970s and
1980s)
Olwethu Marlowe
History Study Notes

b. Civics
 Started off focusing on the issue of rent but ended up playing a major role in resistance as they
mobilised people to act and persuaded authorities to make changes to facilities.
 Targeted black councillors and policemen because of their ties to the government.
 Barricaded the streets with stones and burning tyres to keep the police out.

c. United Democratic Front

 This ANC affiliated; racially inclusive party formed as a response to the tricameral parliament.
 They promoted the boycott of the tricameral elections and played an important role in intensifying
the struggle against apartheid on a national scale.

d. End Conscription Campaign

 A UDF affiliated project that opposed the compulsory military service.
 The main campaign was to get the troops out of the townships “troops out of the township”
 Some dodged the draft, others fled the country and some bore the consequences of their decisions
 conscription was shortened from two years to one and eventually conscription would end in 1994.

e. Black sash
 Formed by six middle class South African white women.
 Woman to march against the removal of the coloured vote.
 They stood in silence wearing black sashes to symbolise their grief of apartheid injustices.
 Gave free legal advice and practical help to victims of apartheid laws.

f. Churches (South African Council of Churches)

 SACC co-ordinated the opposition of churches and religious organizations.
 They called on Christians to participate in the struggle by performing civil disobedience.
 Muslims and Jews supported the struggle fully.
 The Dutch reformed church openly opposed apartheid.
 Desmond tutu and Beyers Naude were important leaders.

g. MDM
 The UDF was banned but came together with COSATU.
 they launched freedom marches in major cities and government did not stop these protests.
 Campaign was successful because segregation ended as a result.

5. External pressures to apartheid

a. British anti-apartheid movement
 Albert Luthuli asked that exiles form a movement to encourage British people to stop buying goods
and that they support the end of apartheid.
 The labour party declared 1960, Africa year, and the movement gained support from the public.
 Margret thatcher did not support sanctions and the movement because she believed in constructive
engagement and so she sent delegates to discuss and negotiate for change.

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Topic 4.2 - Civil Resistance in South Africa (1970s and 1980s)Topic 4.2 - Civil Resistance in South Africa (1970s and
1980s)
Olwethu Marlowe
History Study Notes
 It was successful because it put a lot of pressure on the Apartheid government and contributed to the
unbanning of the ANC and PAC as well as Britain stopped selling arms to SA in 1963

b. Irish anti-apartheid movement

 Exiles living in Ireland had support from trade unions, churches, and students.
 Played an important role in getting SA banned in sports as they protested the all-white springbok
rugby team that was playing in Ireland.
 Irish government announced boycott of coal and food from SA.

c. Sports boycotts
 Gleneagles agreement of 1977 isolated teams and ceased sporting links in 1980s.
 SA did not compete in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and international cricket until the 1992 world cup.

d. Cultural boycotts
 White South Africans were isolated from the arts.
 British Actors union would not allow the screening of its work in SA.
 Companies banned their shows from being sent to SA.
 Foreign artists were paid a lot to perform in Sun City.

e. Academic boycotts
 Professors were not allowed to be admitted to international conferences.
 Pressure to encourage academics to fight harder against apartheid.

f. Consumer boycotts
 Threatened the profits of companies.
 Government lost money.

g. Disinvestment and Sanctions

 Unsuccessful because countries had economic interest in the country and would lose lots of money.
 There were companies that disinvested.
 All new investments and loans to SA were banned from 1986 to 1988.
 SA planes and imports were not allowed to land at US airports
 Companies doing business in south Africa were taxed double.
 Successful in that they showed support to those resisting apartheid and negatively affected the South
African economy.

h. Release Mandela Campaign

 Common request among movements was the release of political prisoners.
 Release Nelson Mandela Committee was formed in London and Mandela became the international
symbol for the apartheid struggle.
 PW Botha offered Mandela a release in 1985. On condition that he stop violence and resistance which
he rejected to and eventually FW de Klerk’s reforms saw the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990

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Topic 4.2 - Civil Resistance in South Africa (1970s and 1980s)Topic 4.2 - Civil Resistance in South Africa (1970s and
1980s)
Olwethu Marlowe
History Study Notes
i. Support for Anti-apartheid struggle in Africa
 Frontline states were Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
 opposed apartheid but were dependant on SA, however they helped by allowing bases to be set up
 Government targeted activists living in exile in the frontline state and SADF were tasked with
destroying and sabotaging these bases.

Slides that are very very important: 3; 5; 6 (include subheadings); 7-11; 15;17;21;23;24;27;30;31;37;38;53;56;58; 60;
62;63;65;

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