South Africa is blessed with rich natural resources, gold, diamond and platinum mine fields, and fertile lands. It is the mixture of the above factors that led to its colonization by the Portuguese and British in the seventeenth century.
Around that time, other European nations such as France, Belgium, Britain and Italy scrambled for other African countries as well. But South Africa’s history of colonization, cruel apartheid and armed struggle for independence is more famous than any other in Africa.
The start of apartheid
The whites had agreed on a power sharing arrangement with themselves and the Africans in the Orange Free State and Transvaal area. The locals somehow united to form the Afriner National Party in the early 1940’s. The whites were baffled and had to think of a strategy to defeat the impending dominance.
Leaders of the white National Party introduced apartheid as a system to gain control of the economical, political and social situation. In 1948 they set up different institutions, jobs, areas and set of rules for 3 categories – the whites, the Asians and the Africans. This meant that black people would not access areas and institutions set aside for whites. In addition, the law prohibited intermarriages between whites and non whites.
Whenever they moved around, the Africans were mandated to carry pass books for identification at all times. Those who did not comply with the new rules were severely punished. The racial and territorial discrimination ensured the whites had total control over the Asians and Africans.
Establishment of homelands
In 1951, the Bantu Authorities Act introduced 4 independent states where each African would be assigned to belong. Each person would lose their national citizenship and recognition, and be restricted to his homeland. This meant that any person intending to leave their homeland would need to apply for a passport to enter South Africa. Such passports would not come easily.
The Africans were not pleased and started rebellions. On sensing the tension, the national government set up the Criminal Law Amendment Act in 1953. The new law gave the government the power to declare a state of emergency and brought harsher punishments for anyone protesting the administration.
Struggle for independence
In 1960, a big group refused to carry their ID passes prompting the government to declare a state of emergency. 69 people died while 187 other were severely wounded in the crisis that lasted 156 days. In the following years up to 1989, penalties for any kind of protest were very severe and torturous leading to many prisoners dying in jail. Many people would be detained without trial and most were imprisoned for life, including freedom hero Nelson Mandela.
Many people rebelled and started uprising against the cruelty. They included the Soweto youth Uprising of 1976. In June 1976, close to 10000 Africans drawn from the Black Consciousness Movement alongside the South African Students Organization marched peacefully in protest. But on the way to the Orlando Stadium, they were met with brutal police force, teargas and live ammunition. Scores died, thousands were wounded and many imprisoned.
The world condemned those killings and urged the leaders to stop the brutal colonialism. Eventually then President F.W. de Klerk ended apartheid. The imprisoned anti-government detainees including Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko and PW Botha were released. On May 10, 1994, Nelson Mandela was elected the first legitimate president of South Africa.
Source: South Africa independence/ ANC/
Author: Raphael Macharia
Africa Global News Publication
