South Africa and the Apartheid

System (1948 – 1994)

 Learning Intentions
By the end of this PowerPoint you will be
able to:
1. Outline the origins of Apartheid.
2. Describe life under Apartheid.
3. Explain the significance of two key
events.
4. Summarise the international response
to Apartheid.
 Glossary
Afrikaner – White South African of Dutch descent.
Afrikaans – The language spoken by the
Afrikaner people.
Boer – Afrikaans word for ‘farmer’. Also a term
used to describe the Dutch descendents.
Apartheid – Policy of racial segregation.
Sanction – Refusing to trade with a country
Bantu – Terms used for blacks during the
Apartheid era
 Europeans arrive in South Africa
• In 1652 the Dutch arrived in South
Africa.
• South Africa provided them a useful
place to resupply their ships as they
travelled to the Dutch East Indies
(modern day Indonesia).
• The islands around Indonesia provided
spices like pepper. The Dutch made up
to a 400% profit on the sale of spices.
During the 1600s the spice trade made
Holland one of Europe’s wealthiest
nations.
• Holland's major rivals were Britain and
France.
The Dutch world
 Painting showing
Jan van Riebeeck
arriving in 1652. He
was the first
European to settle in
South Africa.
 1652: A Dutch Port established at Cape Town
• Jan van Riebeeck established a
port to ‘refresh’ ships that
travelled to the East Indies.
• The Dutch settlers believed in
the racial superiority of
Europeans and practiced
slavery.
• The tribes around Cape Town
were too difficult to enslave so
slaves were imported from
Indonesia and India.
 Who was there first?
• South Africa was already
occupied by two major tribes:
– The Xhosa
– The Zulu
• Both spoke a language called
‘Bantu’.
• Although they were advanced
tribes (they used iron and
practiced agriculture) their
weapons were no match for
those used by the Dutch.
 1806: The British Arrive
• In 1806, Great Britain captured
the colony from the Dutch.
• The British abolished torture and
slavery.
• The Dutch (now calling
themselves Boers – meaning
‘farmers’) fled inland to escape
the British.
• This occurred during the 1830s
and 1840s.
• This migration was called the
Great Trek
 The Great Trek and the Battle of Blood
River
• The Great Trek became part of
Boer mythology.
• 12,000 Boers set out to settle on
new lands where they could live
outside of British control.
• They established new provinces
called Natal, the Transvaal and
the Orange Free State.
• In 1836 a few hundred Boers
defeated an army of 10,000 Zulu
at the Battle of Blood River.
• The Zulu had spears – the Boer
had modern rifles.
 Boer/Afrikaner attitudes to race
Attitudes about race during the Apartheid era can be traced
back to these influences:
1. A sense of persecution: After the British arrived in Cape
Town the Boers saw themselves as refugees in their
own country. They had the right to defend their values.
2. A sense of entitlement: After defeating the Zulu tribes at
the 1836 “Battle of Blood River” the Boers felt they had
‘won’ South Africa.
3. A sense of ‘civilisation’: Boers felt that Africans ‘wasted’
the land and that only through farms, towns and cities
was the country becoming civilised.
4. A sense of religious duty: Boers felt that Blacks had
been cursed in the Bible and were ‘meant’ to be
servants and slaves.
 Colonial South Africa Divided
The arrival of the British and
The Great Trek created two
South Africas.
• The British controlled the
valuable Cape Colony.
• The Boers lived in the
states of Transvaal and
the Orange Free State.
• There was an uneasy
peace from the 1840s
until the 1890s.
 Diamonds and Conflict
The British left the Boers alone
until diamonds and gold were
discovered in the land the
Boers had settled.

This led to the Boer War

(1899-1902).

New Zealand troops fought

alongside British and
Australian soldiers.

Britain won the war and took

control of South Africa.
 Racism in Power
Tensions remained
between Boer and
British after the
Boer war. However,
they agreed on one
thing – the need to
have laws to
protect their
dominant position
over the much
larger black
population.
1948: Apartheid is introduced.
• South Africa had fought on the side of the British
during World War Two.
• After World War Two former European colonies like
Vietnam and India sought their own independence.
• Black South Africans looked at their own country
and started to protest against racism more
assertively.
• Thousands of black miners went on strike in 1946
for better pay and conditions.
• In 1948 the racist Nationalist Party was elected to
power after raising fears of the swart gevaar (the
Black Danger).
• The National Party promised to introduce a system
which would completely separate the white and
black populations – APARTHEID.
 The People groups of South
Africa Today
• Blacks = descendants of indigenous tribes who
originally inhabited the land
• Afrikaners = descendants of the Dutch who speak
their own language called Afrikans
• Whites = descendants of the English
• Coloureds = people of mixed black and white
descent
• Asians = descendants of the Indians and
Malaysians brought by the English
Afrikaner
White South African
Black
Asian
Coloured
 Forced Removals
• To make sure the white and black
populations were kept apart
blacks were forced to leave their
homes in ‘white’ areas.
• Between 1951 and 1986 at least
four million people were moved
from white areas to ‘Bantustans’
or black townships.
 The Homelands

Black men had to leave the Homelands to find work in

mines. They needed a pass to travel around the country.
Denying a black a travel pass made life very difficult for
their family.
 The Townships
Blacks provided cheap labour for
the white towns and cities.
They worked as gardeners,
cleaners, nannies, cooks and
labourers.
Most commuted from nearby
townships to work.
 Significant Events
• The 1960 Sharpeville
Massacre
• The 1976 Soweto Uprising
• The 1977 Death of Steve
Biko
 The 1960 Sharpeville Massacre
On 21 March, 1960 5000 young people gathered
outside the wire fence surrounding the Sharpeville
Police Station.

They were there to peacefully protest South

Africa's Pass Laws.

An argument broke out at the front of the protest

and part of the fence was trampled. A policeman
was knocked over.

The police opened fire, killing 69 people – many

were shot in the back. Over 180 people were
wounded.
 The SOWETO Township
One of the most famous
townships was Soweto.

Soweto was the SOuth WEst

TOwnship near Johannesburg.

There was no electricity or

running water inside the homes.

On June 16, 1976 an uprising in

Soweto made headlines around
the world – including New
Zealand!
 1976 – The SOWETO Uprising
The South African education system
was designed to prepare blacks for
low-skilled jobs.

Dishwashing and weeding were

subjects taught.

In 1976 the Education Minister

announced that half of all subjects
needed to be taught in Afrikaans – the
language of Afrikaaners.

On June 16, 1976 Soweto school

students protested against this. Why?
 1976 – The SOWETO Uprising
The students of Soweto staged a mass
demonstration. 10,000 people were
involved.

The South African Police opened fire on

the demonstration.

12 year old Hector Pieterson was the

first casuality. Another casualty was the
white activist Dr Melville Edelstein.
Edelstein was there to show support for
the people of Soweto but was stoned
to death by an angry mob.
 From local to national to global
• Boycotts, school burnings
and attacks on the police
and government buildings
spread to other townships.
• By the end of 1976
576 people had been killed
and 2389 wounded.
• The United Nations called
an emergency meeting in
June to condemn the
‘massive violence’ against
black protestors.
 The Death of Steve Biko
• Steve Biko was a medical student who
encouraged Black South Africans to
take pride in their own culture.
• He rejected the assistance of white
liberals because it encouraged
‘dependence’.
• In September 1977 he died in police
custody.
• The Police Minister claimed he had
starved to death during a hunger
strike.
• Photographs smuggled out of South
Africa showed that he had been badly
beaten.
 Timeline of International Condemnation
1961: South Africa resigns from the Commonwealth
following criticism from African and Asian members.
1962: The United Nations condemns the policy of Apartheid.
1964: South Africa is banned from the Olympic Games in
Tokyo.
1964: The United Nations calls for voluntary arms sanctions
and establishes a Special Committee Against Apartheid to
coordinate action against South Africa.
1974: A motion to eject South Africa from the United Nations
was opposed by France, Britain and the United States (three
major trading partners of South Africa).]
1977: Following the Soweto Uprising the United Nations
bans arms sales to South Africa.