1948-1960
In 1948, with the election of D.F. Malan and the National Party to power Apartheid recieved a name and an official recognition of the policy of seperation. The defeated United Party and out-going Prime Minister Jan Smuts was reluctant to formalize Apartheid and enshrine it into law, that is not to say he was better than Malan just slightly less overtly racist, and while it had been the governing force in South Africa for most of the post-independence era it was never again to see any great political power. D.F. Malan immediately followed through on his electoral promises and his vision of a South Africa that compromised different nations based on racial groups and tribal heritage. Over this period all rights of black South Africans were effectively stripped from them.
-Nicholas Polansky
-Nicholas Polansky
1960-1973
During the 1960s Aparthied really took hold of South Africa. Despite growing oppisition in the world to Apartheid, the South African government continued their initiative to separate all non-whites from their white counterparts. Africans, Coloureds, and Asians were all moved out of white areas to areas designated for them. Some of these areas were called black homelands and they were readied by the South African government even though the idea of sovereignty for these areas was absolutely ridiculous. Most of these places had no physical coordination and made it impossible to make the indendence for them possible or believable, so other countries didn't recognize these places as countries. The ANC and PAC, whom were banned from working within South Africa attempted to fight for African justice by targeting police stations, power plants, and chiefs who sided with he government. But, Hendrik Verwoerd(assassinated in 1966), the prime minister of South Africa, held down the resistance in the mid and late 1960s. His government and police force tracked down leaders of the ANC and PAC and charged them with treason, one of them being Nelson Mandela. While Apartheid seemed to be successful international oppostion was growing as the UN called the apartheid a crime against humanity in 1973 and in 1977 created a mandatory embargo on arms trade with South Africa. This was the beginning of the end.
-Andrew Stephens
1974-1994
Trouble really started for South Africa in the late 1970s when Mozambique and Angola demanded independence from Portugal and in 1980 Zimbabwe achcieved independence. All three territories were opposed to Apartheid and were willing to give refuge and help to Africans suffering in South Africa. uprisings in high schools and violent protests also plagued South Africa throught the 70s causing economic instability. So, in 1979 the government decided to allow blacks to have labor unions because the only way for work to get done was if employers negotiated with their workers not arreset them. This undermined the apartheid. In 1980 P.W. Botha attempted to use a limited for of apartheid. He tried to allow Asians and coloureds representation, but not blacks, and by doing so gain enough support from the Asians and Coloureds to hold off the apartheid opposition. This was a huge mistake because it actually only increased the anger within South Africa and outside of South Africa. Demonstrations and protests were larger and more violent than ever before. Things were looking bleak for the Apartheid Regime and from 1990-94 president F.W. de Klerk repealed most of the laws put in place from then back to 1948 and released Nelson Mandela from a 27 yr. imprisonment. The only way to incorporate blacks into South Africa was to give them full citizenship, and that is how Apartheid had to end for the success of South Africa when Nelson Mandela became president in 1994.
-Andrew Stephens
-Andrew Stephens