CIVIL RESISTANCE ESSAY: SOUTH AFRICA: THE CRISIS OF APARTHEID IN THE 1980s
Apartheid was widely criticised globally. International pressure on SA’s Apartheid government increased
significantly in the 1980s. International anti-apartheid movements embarked on various forms of resistance
including boycotts, sanctions, disinvestment and the ‘release of Mandela’ campaign to isolate South Africa
internationally. As a result, internal resistance rose and the combination ultimately contributed to the eventual
demise of the apartheid regime in the 1980s and led to political transformation in South Africa.
After the Soweto Uprising (1976), SA’s State President, PW Botha attempted to reform apartheid and introduced
the Tricameral parliament (1983) which was met by mass action and violent protests.The apartheid government
responded, declaring a State of Emergency (July 1985) and resorted to savage repression. To the disappointment
of the world, Botha announced in his Rubicon speech (August1985), that he was unwilling to change his position
regarding apartheid and that Nelson Mandela would not be released from prison. In response to this, the Anti-
Apartheid Movement (AAM) and the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement (IAAM), led by Kader Asmal placed intense
pressure on the apartheid regime.
The AAM and the IAAM embarked on various forms of boycotts, sanctions and disinvestments to totally isolate SA
internationally. Thousands of British protestors and South African exiles supported these movements and were
joined by anti-apartheid movements throughout the world. The International Defence and Aid Fund (IDAF) was an
anti-apartheid organisation consisting of a network of donors, who raised R200 million in the 80s and smuggled it
into SA to fund political prisoners and their families. In addition, they provided legal assistance to thousands of
cases (16 551), including detentions.The anti-apartheid movements hoped that by boycotting areas of life which
were important to white South Africans and supporting the resistance struggle the government would be forced to
end apartheid. As a result of international anti-apartheid movements SA became increasingly isolated.
The Anti-Apartheid Movement imposed a “sports boycott” which prevented South Africa teams from participating in
international sport. Various sports bodies intensified SA’s isolation in sport. For example, SANROC ensured SA
was expelled from the Olympic Games (1970) and SACOS campaigned using their slogan 'No normal sport in an
abnormal society’. South Africa’s isolation was intensified after Commonwealth countries adopted the Gleneagles
Agreement (1977), cutting all sporting ties with South Africa. The pinnacle of protesting occurred at the 1981
Springbok rugby tour in New Zealand, where thousands of demonstrators ended the tour. By the late 1980s SA
was banned from 90% of world sport. ‘Sports boycotts’ were a key factor in making white South Africans feel their
isolation from the rest of the world and put pressure on the government to dismantle apartheid so that they would
be allowed back into the international sporting arena.
The ‘cultural boycott’ was another way of isolating white South Africans during the 80s. International artists refused
to perform in SA, unless it was for a non-segregated audience. Artists joined protest groups, for example, in Britain,
‘Artists against Apartheid’ was formed by Dali Tambo.They held the Freedom Festival in London (1986), attended
by 250 000 anti-apartheid supporters, where musicians expressed their solidarity with people in South Africa and
speakers from the ANC, SWAPO and AAM addressed the crowd. In the USA, 'Artists United against
Apartheid’(1985) raised money for the liberation movements. ‘Equity’, the British Actors’ Union, forbid the use of
British television programmes in SA.These boycotts did not have the same negative effect on the South African
economy, however, they disrupted everyday life so that white South Africans would put pressure on the
government to abolish the apartheid system.
The ‘academic boycott’ isolated South African academics from the broader academic world.
South Africans were not allowed to attend overseas universities and South African degrees were not recognised
abroad. South African academics were barred from attending international academic conferences. International
scholars refused to travel to South Africa and overseas publishers denied academics access to information and
rejected printing material produced by South African scholars. Although perhaps not as far-reaching as some of the
other boycotts, the academic boycott had the overall effect of continuing to isolate SA and encouraged white South
Africans to put pressure on the government to dismantle apartheid.
The anti-apartheid movement encouraged the public to ‘boycott South African products’. For example, Irish
workers refused to handle fruits from SA and persuaded their government to ban the import of fruits from SA.
Consumers refused to buy SA wine, Outspan oranges and granny smith apples. Raw materials such as coal, iron,
steel imported from South Africa, were banned. SA experienced a recession in 1980s and the consumer boycott
was a huge blow to South African farmers and the iron and steel industry whose livelihood depended on the export
1
Apartheid was widely criticised globally. International pressure on SA’s Apartheid government increased
significantly in the 1980s. International anti-apartheid movements embarked on various forms of resistance
including boycotts, sanctions, disinvestment and the ‘release of Mandela’ campaign to isolate South Africa
internationally. As a result, internal resistance rose and the combination ultimately contributed to the eventual
demise of the apartheid regime in the 1980s and led to political transformation in South Africa.
After the Soweto Uprising (1976), SA’s State President, PW Botha attempted to reform apartheid and introduced
the Tricameral parliament (1983) which was met by mass action and violent protests.The apartheid government
responded, declaring a State of Emergency (July 1985) and resorted to savage repression. To the disappointment
of the world, Botha announced in his Rubicon speech (August1985), that he was unwilling to change his position
regarding apartheid and that Nelson Mandela would not be released from prison. In response to this, the Anti-
Apartheid Movement (AAM) and the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement (IAAM), led by Kader Asmal placed intense
pressure on the apartheid regime.
The AAM and the IAAM embarked on various forms of boycotts, sanctions and disinvestments to totally isolate SA
internationally. Thousands of British protestors and South African exiles supported these movements and were
joined by anti-apartheid movements throughout the world. The International Defence and Aid Fund (IDAF) was an
anti-apartheid organisation consisting of a network of donors, who raised R200 million in the 80s and smuggled it
into SA to fund political prisoners and their families. In addition, they provided legal assistance to thousands of
cases (16 551), including detentions.The anti-apartheid movements hoped that by boycotting areas of life which
were important to white South Africans and supporting the resistance struggle the government would be forced to
end apartheid. As a result of international anti-apartheid movements SA became increasingly isolated.
The Anti-Apartheid Movement imposed a “sports boycott” which prevented South Africa teams from participating in
international sport. Various sports bodies intensified SA’s isolation in sport. For example, SANROC ensured SA
was expelled from the Olympic Games (1970) and SACOS campaigned using their slogan 'No normal sport in an
abnormal society’. South Africa’s isolation was intensified after Commonwealth countries adopted the Gleneagles
Agreement (1977), cutting all sporting ties with South Africa. The pinnacle of protesting occurred at the 1981
Springbok rugby tour in New Zealand, where thousands of demonstrators ended the tour. By the late 1980s SA
was banned from 90% of world sport. ‘Sports boycotts’ were a key factor in making white South Africans feel their
isolation from the rest of the world and put pressure on the government to dismantle apartheid so that they would
be allowed back into the international sporting arena.
The ‘cultural boycott’ was another way of isolating white South Africans during the 80s. International artists refused
to perform in SA, unless it was for a non-segregated audience. Artists joined protest groups, for example, in Britain,
‘Artists against Apartheid’ was formed by Dali Tambo.They held the Freedom Festival in London (1986), attended
by 250 000 anti-apartheid supporters, where musicians expressed their solidarity with people in South Africa and
speakers from the ANC, SWAPO and AAM addressed the crowd. In the USA, 'Artists United against
Apartheid’(1985) raised money for the liberation movements. ‘Equity’, the British Actors’ Union, forbid the use of
British television programmes in SA.These boycotts did not have the same negative effect on the South African
economy, however, they disrupted everyday life so that white South Africans would put pressure on the
government to abolish the apartheid system.
The ‘academic boycott’ isolated South African academics from the broader academic world.
South Africans were not allowed to attend overseas universities and South African degrees were not recognised
abroad. South African academics were barred from attending international academic conferences. International
scholars refused to travel to South Africa and overseas publishers denied academics access to information and
rejected printing material produced by South African scholars. Although perhaps not as far-reaching as some of the
other boycotts, the academic boycott had the overall effect of continuing to isolate SA and encouraged white South
Africans to put pressure on the government to dismantle apartheid.
The anti-apartheid movement encouraged the public to ‘boycott South African products’. For example, Irish
workers refused to handle fruits from SA and persuaded their government to ban the import of fruits from SA.
Consumers refused to buy SA wine, Outspan oranges and granny smith apples. Raw materials such as coal, iron,
steel imported from South Africa, were banned. SA experienced a recession in 1980s and the consumer boycott
was a huge blow to South African farmers and the iron and steel industry whose livelihood depended on the export
1
