Apartheid: Origin, Contents and Decline  

 

Following South Africa's independence from England in the early 20th century, the remaining minority of Dutch and British had governed the county in a difficult power-sharing up to the 1940's, when the Afrikaner National Party gained a large minority.

Strategists from this party were the ones who first drafted the system of Apartheid (Dutch for apartness), destined to maintain their control over economical and social matters and to generally secure the continuance of white domination in all aspects.

By law, racial discrimination was institutionalized in 1948 reaching every field of social life;

in 1950 the Population Registration Act racially classified all South African citizens as white, black or coloured, the classification depending on appearance, social acceptance and descent. All black South Africans were obliged to carry a pass- book containing fingerprints, photograph and various information (which might be of interest for the political police). |story: "The Noose" |

In order to intensify racial segregation and oppression of natives so- called homelands were established where up to 1981,            9 million black Africans were forced to move into.

The point in the homelands was that, though fully subordinate to the white government, they formed independent states.

Living in these states, Blacks lost their South African citizenship and, consequently, were deprived of any political right, especially of voting rights or any remote involvement with the Parliament.

Later that decade, the government empowered itself to declare rigorous states of emergency facing threats constituted by officially criminal protests or demonstrations.

Within the emergencies, the police were free to detain anyone without hearings for months, the result being thousands of deaths in custody, often due to tortures. Others were        banished or imprisoned for life, as Nelson Mandela was.

One crucial tool of the preservation of the white oligarchy's power was the intensive use of computer technology:

The import of software was not included in the international embargoes against South Africa, thus, for the stately security service, the means of computerized registers and individual records highly facilitated keeping track of and controlling anyone involved in opposition.

Moreover it allowed the complexe labour allocation system to work, which, among other aspects, implied the intention of breaking down native family structures by strictly dividing living and working locations.

 Many influences led the path toward the end of Apartheid:

Firstly, the generation holding the architects of Apartheid eventually died away, making space for a number of young politicians who relaxed racial segregation laws and adopted rather pragmatical policies.

This had become a necessety anyway facing one severe result of external pressures: South Africa's suffering economy.

Due to international sanctions, even if only partly carried out corresponding to official agreements, prices had risen and large disinvestment had been provoked.

Furthermore, domestic race- conditioned education and employment policies had produced a great shortage of skilled labour, so that some employers were forced to employ disregarding lawful discrimination.

Black Africans were finally granted the right on higher wages, strikes and the organization of unions.

Those unions, abreast with students and churches, kept up protests throughout the 70's and 80's; moreover independent  sub- Saharan African countries exerted economical, political and military pressure on South Africa.

Owing to these constant pressures, up to 1990, most of the pettier Apartheid laws were repealed or simply ceased being applied.

The final transition to democracy took place under president     de Klerk, elected in 1990, who abrogated all yet existing Apartheid laws and initiated a new constitution.

In 1993 a multiracial, transitional government was established and the first free, universal elections in four decades were held in the year to come: The African National Congress (ANC) featuring Nelson Mandela as president were given major representation.  

 

Janna

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zuletzt geändert: 31.01.03 18:25:22
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