Resistance To Apartheid in the 1980s
History Notes
Total Onslaught, Total Strategy:
- President PW Botha adopted a 'total strategy' entailing the coordination of
military, political and developmental policies.
- What apartheid government felt was happening to them.
- Was made to combat the communist forces.
- Implemented “REFORMS”.
- Reforms only made things worse!
- The reforms were meant to divide and conquer.
- The Reforms…
1. The BantuStan system. (1976)
2. Unbanning of the Trade Union. (1982)
3. Appointment of the Black Local Authorities. (1982)
4. The Tricameral parliament. (1983)
5. The Rubicon Speech. (1985)
6. Offer to release Nelson Mandela. (1985)
7. Pass Laws and other petty apartheid laws abolished. (1986)
8. End of Job reservation policy.
9. Shortened National Conscription from 2 to 1 year.
The BantuStan System:
- Gave black people land BUT the land was poor and lacked resources and
therefore money (It restricted where black people could live and work.)
- Purpose, to divide up the Black Nations.
- “Homelands”
1. Transkei
2. Kwazulu
3. Venda
4. Ciskei
- Each ethnic group would have their own state, own political system and economy
and own labour force.
- OUTCOME
= More unrest!
= Bantustans became little more than puppet states.
, Unbanning of Trade Unions:
- Labour relations act.
- A trade union was made to protect workers.
- Legalized black trade unions to try and limit strikes + make it look like they care.
- OUTCOME
= Rapid growth of trade unions.
= CASATU, Congress of South African Trade Unions, make more strikes.
= ANC, PAC, SACP combined with trade unions.
= Demanded end to Apartheid.
= Stay aways and boycotts were started.
= 300 days lost to strikes THEREFORE the National Party lost money. (lots)
Increased Expenditure on Back Education:
- Tried to make it look like the NP (national party) are trying to care.
- Still not near equal.
- Made compulsory education.
- OUTCOME
= More unrest does not work.
= School boycotts stopped. (their was harsh punishments if protests happened)
Passing of the Black Local Authorities Act:
- Black communities have the ability to elect their own councilors.
- They were responsible for collecting rents and service payments.
- Power went NP → Black counselor → public.
- Was made to redirect the black community's anger towards the new councilor.
- Divide and conquer ideas, turn black people against each other.
- Tried to limit the anger at the National Party.
- OUTCOME
= Councilors became very unpopular.
= People set up street committees and civics.
= Set up people's courts to administer justice.
Tricameral Parliament:
- Trying to divide black people from Indian and Coloured people.
- Gave coloured and Indian people representation in parliament.
- No votes for blacks.
- White votes were still the most.
- Tried to make it look like changes were being made.
- Black would vote in their homelands.
= Different states could pick their heads but needs to be agreed by the whites.
History Notes
Total Onslaught, Total Strategy:
- President PW Botha adopted a 'total strategy' entailing the coordination of
military, political and developmental policies.
- What apartheid government felt was happening to them.
- Was made to combat the communist forces.
- Implemented “REFORMS”.
- Reforms only made things worse!
- The reforms were meant to divide and conquer.
- The Reforms…
1. The BantuStan system. (1976)
2. Unbanning of the Trade Union. (1982)
3. Appointment of the Black Local Authorities. (1982)
4. The Tricameral parliament. (1983)
5. The Rubicon Speech. (1985)
6. Offer to release Nelson Mandela. (1985)
7. Pass Laws and other petty apartheid laws abolished. (1986)
8. End of Job reservation policy.
9. Shortened National Conscription from 2 to 1 year.
The BantuStan System:
- Gave black people land BUT the land was poor and lacked resources and
therefore money (It restricted where black people could live and work.)
- Purpose, to divide up the Black Nations.
- “Homelands”
1. Transkei
2. Kwazulu
3. Venda
4. Ciskei
- Each ethnic group would have their own state, own political system and economy
and own labour force.
- OUTCOME
= More unrest!
= Bantustans became little more than puppet states.
, Unbanning of Trade Unions:
- Labour relations act.
- A trade union was made to protect workers.
- Legalized black trade unions to try and limit strikes + make it look like they care.
- OUTCOME
= Rapid growth of trade unions.
= CASATU, Congress of South African Trade Unions, make more strikes.
= ANC, PAC, SACP combined with trade unions.
= Demanded end to Apartheid.
= Stay aways and boycotts were started.
= 300 days lost to strikes THEREFORE the National Party lost money. (lots)
Increased Expenditure on Back Education:
- Tried to make it look like the NP (national party) are trying to care.
- Still not near equal.
- Made compulsory education.
- OUTCOME
= More unrest does not work.
= School boycotts stopped. (their was harsh punishments if protests happened)
Passing of the Black Local Authorities Act:
- Black communities have the ability to elect their own councilors.
- They were responsible for collecting rents and service payments.
- Power went NP → Black counselor → public.
- Was made to redirect the black community's anger towards the new councilor.
- Divide and conquer ideas, turn black people against each other.
- Tried to limit the anger at the National Party.
- OUTCOME
= Councilors became very unpopular.
= People set up street committees and civics.
= Set up people's courts to administer justice.
Tricameral Parliament:
- Trying to divide black people from Indian and Coloured people.
- Gave coloured and Indian people representation in parliament.
- No votes for blacks.
- White votes were still the most.
- Tried to make it look like changes were being made.
- Black would vote in their homelands.
= Different states could pick their heads but needs to be agreed by the whites.
