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Definition
| Political party in South Africa, formed in 1914 to appeal to Afrikaners (africans of white european descent); Elected into office in 1948, and instituted Apartheid under DF Malan and HF Verweord. |
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Term
| African National Congress (ANC) |
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Definition
| African counter-apartheid political party, formed in 1912. Adopts Programme of Action in 1949. Led by Alfred Bitini Xuma from 1940 to 1949; Led by JS Moroka from 1949 to 1952. |
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Definition
| Direct protest campaign against apartheid; strikes, boycotts, civil disobedience. Driven strongly by ANC Youth League, adopted by ANC in December of 1949. |
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| Youth wing of ANC (ages 14-35); founded in 1944 by Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, and Walter Sisulu. |
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Term
| Population Registration Act |
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Definition
| Apartheid Policy adopted in 1950, and was not dismantled until 1991; required every citizen to be classified as White, Colored (mixed), or Native (black african), and carry identification cards stating such after the age of 16. (Asians were added in 1959); Classification was enacted during Census, starting in 1951, and was based on superficial and humiliating "tests", such as skin tone, hair thickness and lifestyle assessments. These classifications were superficial and subjective, and often resulted in the separation of families and communities during enforcement of daughtering policies. Appeals for classification were accepted but difficult, and people would often be reclassified down a level in the racial hierarchy. |
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Definition
| Passed in 1950, after Population Registration Act; Legalized division and allocation of land based on race classification, which would occur as the legislation was amended and built upon frequently, "established residential and business sections in urban areas for each race, and members of other races were barred from living, operating businesses, or owning land in them." Frequent separation of families and communities, as classification and division was decided by superficial Population Registration Act "testing". |
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| South African Communist Party (SACP) |
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Definition
| Multi-racial communist political party - Founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), led by Moses Kotane until being tactically dissolved in 1950 following the Suppression of Communism Act. Rebuilt underground as the South African Communist Party (SACP) in 1953 by Joe Slavo and Ruth First. Partnered with ANC against Apartheid, and related to the Congress Alliance. Helped form Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) after banning of ANC. |
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Term
| Suppression of Communism Act |
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Definition
| June 1950 Apartheid Policy following the May Day Strike - outlawing the South African Communist Party, and providing the government grounds to suppress individuals, organizations, or publications "furthering communism" - this was a very vaguely defined legislation that allowed the suppression of anything anti-apartheid. Caused the dissolvement of Communist Party of South Africa in 1950, which then rebuilt itself underground in 1953 as South African Communist Party. |
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Term
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Definition
| May 1950 protest led by Communist Party of South Africa, ANC, and South African Indian Congress against the pass laws and other apartheid. "The strike was held in Orlando West. The police attacked protesters and opened gunfire on them, killing 18 and seriously injuring 30 people." (South African History Online) |
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Term
| Natives (Abolition of Passes and Coordination of Documents) Act, or Passes Law Act |
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Definition
| 1952 act, repealing many the regional pass laws denoting specifically urban regions and replacing them with a single nationwide passbook, required to be carried by black citizens over 16 in all designated white areas. These passbooks had every piece of documentation a citizen could have - racial group classification, identification number, employment information, photograph, fingerprints, and more. |
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Term
| The Defiance Campaign (Against Unjust Laws) |
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Definition
June 1952 - April 1953; non-violent protest campaign by ANC, specifically acts of defiance and civil disobedience (burning of pass books, entrance into white-only areas, bus boycotts). Arrested protesters would not defend themselves in court, and those offered fines chose prison, in hopes of overwhelming the government with mass imprisonment.
This was reacted to with high violence from police, and various "shoot on sight" orders were issued from the Minister of Justice, Charles Swart; Resulted in creation of Public Safety Act; Did not achieve pre-established goals, but were major in demonstrating and inspiring efforts against apartheid. |
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Term
| Albert Luthuli elected President of ANC |
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Definition
| 1952 - Albert Luthuli is removed from his role as a Tribal Chief for treason because of his anti-apartheid efforts; following this, he is elected as president of the ANC. |
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Term
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Definition
| January 1954 - Required black children to attend specific poorly funded government schools, where curriculum was specifically designed to teach skills related to manual labour and tasks that would be expected of Black workers, and internalize the subservience of Black citizens to White citizens. |
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Term
| Reservation of Separate Amenities Act |
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Definition
| 1953 - Legalization of racial segregation in public areas, vehicles, and services; facilities were not required to be equal to one another; public premises, vehicles, and services were legally permitted to deny full access on basis of race, not just segregate. |
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Term
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Definition
| March 1953 - Adopted after the Defiance Campaigns; legislation allowing government to declare "State of Emergency", which essentially just means the government can do whatever it wants, make any new law effective as of four days before, and give increased penalties for defiance. |
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Term
| Criminal Law Amendment Act |
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Definition
| March 1953 - Imposition of severe penalties for protesting legislation by violating a law or civil disobedience - up to 3 years in prison, fines, and whipping. |
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Term
| Native Labor (Settlement of Disputes) Act |
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Definition
| May 1953 - Criminalisation of non-segregated unions and black worker strikes. |
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Term
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Definition
| 1955 - Document created by the Congress Alliance outlining the principles for a non-segregated democratic South Africa |
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Term
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Definition
| 1954 - Anti-apartheid coalition comprising of ANC, and SAIC, as well as various other coalitions (South African Colored People's Congress, South African Congress of Democrats, and South African Congress of Trade Unions.) |
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Term
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Definition
| 1955-1964; Forced removal and destruction of Sophiatown, a multiracial suburb in Johannesburg, to become a white-only suburb - this was a major enforcement of the Group Areas Act. Residents were forcefully relocated into townships with corresponding racial classifications, like Meadowlands. |
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Term
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Definition
| 1956-1961; 156 anti-apartheid activists, including Mandela, are arrested and accused of treason and conspiracy to overthrow the state. All defendants were acquitted in 1961, as the campaigns could not be proved violent. During these trials, Oliver Tambo fled the country and began raising awareness about the ANC's cause in other European and African countries. |
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Term
| Hendrick Verwoerd is elected Prime Minister |
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Definition
| 1958 - 1966; promotion of Bantu self-Government act ( 1959) sharpeville massacre (1960s) |
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Term
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Definition
| 1958; movement based upon the unity of black people; collective self - reliance, grassroots, all African alliance |
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Term
| Bantu self government act |
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Definition
| 1959; permarat partition of south africa into "homelands" black population divided into 8 "nations" with " commission generals"- essentially- you can be independent and make your own laws! You just have to stay in this little box :) |
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Term
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Definition
| 1954; legalized the displacement of "natives" in and around Johannesburg into new "homelands" - foundational law for destruction of Sophiatown |
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Term
| Oliver Tambo flees South Africa |
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Definition
| 1960; amid the banning of the ANC after the sharpeville Massacre, Oliver tambo tactically flees south Africa to garner support and spread the movement of the ANC outside of South Africa |
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Term
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Definition
| March 1960; ~ 5,000 people gather for a peaceful protest, specifically requesting to be arrested not having passes; after being told a government official was coming out to speak, 1,344 rounds of bullets were fired by police at the crowd. |
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Term
| Unlawful organizations act |
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Definition
| 1960; gave Governor General power to declare any organizations as unlawful: banning ANC and PAC, after sharpeville massacre. |
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Term
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Definition
| 1961; paramilitary wing of ANC, founded by Nelson Mandela after sharpeville Massacre; violence /high force methods ( intended to target power pylons and avoid injury/death, but “insufficient training of guerilla fighters” resulted in higher outcomes, including civilian bombings). Subject of Rivonia trial |
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Term
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Definition
| 1960 - military wing of PAC; well known for being VERY violent; intentions to overthrow government and replace it with socialist African state; very anti-white, very triggerhappy against whoever could be considered an informant - suppression of rebels and repressive forces strengthened with the apartheid governments fear, including the General Amendment Act, or the sabatoge act & 90 day law. With higher government forces and denial of whites, Poqo did not have the necessary support and fell apart |
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Term
| General Law Amendment Act |
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Definition
| 1962; also called the 90 day detention law, or sabatoge act - legislation allowing 90 day detainment without warrant or trial.after those 90 days, the person was released and then immediately detained again. People already detained for political crimes could be held for longer, and the definition of Sabotage was broadened. |
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Definition
| 1963; police raid Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia, where ANC and MK met as secret headquarters. Resulted in capture of multiple ANC leaders, as well as documented plans for guerrilla warfare. Led to Rivonia trial. |
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Term
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Definition
| 1963; trial of 10 leading activists, after Liliesleaf Raid. Site of Mandela’s Rivonia speech, where the activists used the trial as a platform to criticize the judicial system. 8 of the leaders were incarcerated, one was found not guilty, rearrested, and released on bail before fleeing house arrest, and one was discharged. Sisulu and 5 other leaders would be released in 1989 with PM F W de Klerk’s release of political prisoners, and Mandela followed a few months later. |
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Term
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| 1960s-1991; in layman’s terms, the global coverage of ask the anti apartheid movements combined with South Africa’s failing economy under Apartheid leads the National Party to lose a majority of its support. PM Botha resigns, and his successor FW de Klerk suddenly announces in his 1990 Parliament address that the ANC and black liberation bans are to be lifted, media coverage and freedom of press was to be reinstated, and political prisoners would be released. |
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