End Of Year Revision – HISTORY SA
South Africa
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
❖ 1970s saw a rise of Black Consciousness – growth of worker and
student movements.
o RESULTED IN SOWETO UPRISINGS.
❖ Why there was LITTLE civil protest in the 1960s:
o Mainly due to state repression (control by government)
after the Sharpeville massacre.
o PAC and ANC were banned.
o Increased state control over the media.
o Gave police more power – detain people with no trial.
o STATE BECOMES MILITARIZED – huge sums spent on army and
conscription.
o ANC and PAC establish a Guerrilla War to overthrow the
government but
▪ The leaders of Umkhonto we Sizwe (ANC) were
arrested and imprisoned. (RIVONIA TRIAL)
▪ the leaders of Poqo (PAC) were also arrested and
imprisoned.
SO EVEN THOUGH THE ANC AND PAC SURVIVED IN EXILE THEY DID NOT
HAVE MUCH INFLUENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA DURING THE 1960S AND
1970S.
❖ What was Black Consciousness:
o Late 1960s saw black students begin to organize
RESISTANCE against white domination.
o Adopted a set of ideas = Black Consciousness.
▪ ATTITUDE rather than a political movement.
▪ The use of term ‘black’ was a direct challenge to
the apartheid term ‘non-white’.
▪ Promoted a new unified identity.
▪ DRIVING FORCE = SASO established by Steve Biko in
1968.
o AIMS:
▪ Raise self-respect and confidence of black people
to liberate themselves.
▪ Promote pride in black identity, culture and
history.
▪ Stop working with liberals, but to encourage them
to educate other white people to change their
attitudes.
Page 1 of 19
, End Of Year Revision – HISTORY SA
▪ To promote unity amongst black people by mobilizing
them to fight against apartheid, esp. Homeland
system.
Challenge
white people
who were
against
Apartheid to
influence
other white
people
To To
promote promote
black
black national
culture unity
Main
ideas
of BC
To To define
envourage black people
black as all those
people to who were
stand on oppressed by
their apartheid.
own. To
mobilize
black
people to
protest
more
strongly.
❖ Black Communities Projects:
o BC influential in early 1970s.
o In 1972 SASO established BCP (Black People’s Convention)
as an umbrella body for organisations.
▪ Eg. SASM – Soweto 1971.
• Encouraged students to form Students’
Representative Councils (SRC).
o Growth of Trade Union movement in early 1970s led to –
BPC-aligned Black Allied Workers Union in 1973.
o BLACK COMMUNITIES PROJECTS = self help schemes
established by BPC.
❖ Black Consciousness organizations had little contact with the
PAC and ANC (exile).
❖ The ANC’s confirmation of a non-racial approach contradicted
BC.
o But there were secret links to be set up in 1970s.
Page 2 of 19
, End Of Year Revision – HISTORY SA
❖ GOVERNMENT:
o First response = positive, felt that a concept of Black
separateness and distinct Black culture fitted in well
with separate development.
o Found out that the movement was strongly anti-government
& opposed the homelands policy – EXPELLED students that
were members of SASO and harassed SASO and BPC leaders.
Soweto Uprisings
❖ CHANGES HAPPENING IN SA IN THE EARLY 1970s:
o Black Consciousness grew.
o In the 1960s = economic boom.
▪ This resulted in increased urbanization as people
moved to city to fill jobs in industry.
▪ Lack of housing in cities.
▪ Lack of township services = source of increasing
dissatisfaction and frustration.
o Early 1970s = boom begins to fade.
▪ KEY CAUSE = 1973 World Oil Crisis.
• Oil producing countries of Middle East raised
price of oil – CAUSED UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE
WORLD ECONOMY.
▪ SA economy also affected by lack of skilled labour
– result of Bantu Education policies.
o 1973 – General dissatisfaction = STRIKES involving over
60 000 workers.
▪ MAIN CAUSE = low wages and bad management.
▪ Not organised by Trade unions – BANNED.
• Surprise for government and employers.
▪ STRIKES MANAGED TO WIN BETTER WAGES AND CREATE THE
FIRST INDEPENDENT BLACK TRADE UNIONS. (Concentrated
on workplace issues.)
o 1975 – Portugal granted independence to its African
colonies after long and costly wars against liberation
groups.
▪ Samora Machel’s Frelimo Party (Mozambique
Liberation Front) came to power in Mozambique.
▪ MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of
Angola) gained control in Angola, despite SA army’s
invasion to prevent this.
▪ Liberation movements had won victories on SA’s
border – ANC and PAC could establish bases closer
to SA.
▪ GAVE SOUTH AFRICANS HOPE THAT THINGS COULD CHANGE.
Page 3 of 19
South Africa
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
❖ 1970s saw a rise of Black Consciousness – growth of worker and
student movements.
o RESULTED IN SOWETO UPRISINGS.
❖ Why there was LITTLE civil protest in the 1960s:
o Mainly due to state repression (control by government)
after the Sharpeville massacre.
o PAC and ANC were banned.
o Increased state control over the media.
o Gave police more power – detain people with no trial.
o STATE BECOMES MILITARIZED – huge sums spent on army and
conscription.
o ANC and PAC establish a Guerrilla War to overthrow the
government but
▪ The leaders of Umkhonto we Sizwe (ANC) were
arrested and imprisoned. (RIVONIA TRIAL)
▪ the leaders of Poqo (PAC) were also arrested and
imprisoned.
SO EVEN THOUGH THE ANC AND PAC SURVIVED IN EXILE THEY DID NOT
HAVE MUCH INFLUENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA DURING THE 1960S AND
1970S.
❖ What was Black Consciousness:
o Late 1960s saw black students begin to organize
RESISTANCE against white domination.
o Adopted a set of ideas = Black Consciousness.
▪ ATTITUDE rather than a political movement.
▪ The use of term ‘black’ was a direct challenge to
the apartheid term ‘non-white’.
▪ Promoted a new unified identity.
▪ DRIVING FORCE = SASO established by Steve Biko in
1968.
o AIMS:
▪ Raise self-respect and confidence of black people
to liberate themselves.
▪ Promote pride in black identity, culture and
history.
▪ Stop working with liberals, but to encourage them
to educate other white people to change their
attitudes.
Page 1 of 19
, End Of Year Revision – HISTORY SA
▪ To promote unity amongst black people by mobilizing
them to fight against apartheid, esp. Homeland
system.
Challenge
white people
who were
against
Apartheid to
influence
other white
people
To To
promote promote
black
black national
culture unity
Main
ideas
of BC
To To define
envourage black people
black as all those
people to who were
stand on oppressed by
their apartheid.
own. To
mobilize
black
people to
protest
more
strongly.
❖ Black Communities Projects:
o BC influential in early 1970s.
o In 1972 SASO established BCP (Black People’s Convention)
as an umbrella body for organisations.
▪ Eg. SASM – Soweto 1971.
• Encouraged students to form Students’
Representative Councils (SRC).
o Growth of Trade Union movement in early 1970s led to –
BPC-aligned Black Allied Workers Union in 1973.
o BLACK COMMUNITIES PROJECTS = self help schemes
established by BPC.
❖ Black Consciousness organizations had little contact with the
PAC and ANC (exile).
❖ The ANC’s confirmation of a non-racial approach contradicted
BC.
o But there were secret links to be set up in 1970s.
Page 2 of 19
, End Of Year Revision – HISTORY SA
❖ GOVERNMENT:
o First response = positive, felt that a concept of Black
separateness and distinct Black culture fitted in well
with separate development.
o Found out that the movement was strongly anti-government
& opposed the homelands policy – EXPELLED students that
were members of SASO and harassed SASO and BPC leaders.
Soweto Uprisings
❖ CHANGES HAPPENING IN SA IN THE EARLY 1970s:
o Black Consciousness grew.
o In the 1960s = economic boom.
▪ This resulted in increased urbanization as people
moved to city to fill jobs in industry.
▪ Lack of housing in cities.
▪ Lack of township services = source of increasing
dissatisfaction and frustration.
o Early 1970s = boom begins to fade.
▪ KEY CAUSE = 1973 World Oil Crisis.
• Oil producing countries of Middle East raised
price of oil – CAUSED UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE
WORLD ECONOMY.
▪ SA economy also affected by lack of skilled labour
– result of Bantu Education policies.
o 1973 – General dissatisfaction = STRIKES involving over
60 000 workers.
▪ MAIN CAUSE = low wages and bad management.
▪ Not organised by Trade unions – BANNED.
• Surprise for government and employers.
▪ STRIKES MANAGED TO WIN BETTER WAGES AND CREATE THE
FIRST INDEPENDENT BLACK TRADE UNIONS. (Concentrated
on workplace issues.)
o 1975 – Portugal granted independence to its African
colonies after long and costly wars against liberation
groups.
▪ Samora Machel’s Frelimo Party (Mozambique
Liberation Front) came to power in Mozambique.
▪ MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of
Angola) gained control in Angola, despite SA army’s
invasion to prevent this.
▪ Liberation movements had won victories on SA’s
border – ANC and PAC could establish bases closer
to SA.
▪ GAVE SOUTH AFRICANS HOPE THAT THINGS COULD CHANGE.
Page 3 of 19
