What was the most dangerous Apartheid law?
➔ Bantu education act of 1953 was dangerous. This act's purpose was to consolidate black
south african education and ensure that the discriminatory educational practices could
be uniformly implemented across south Africa.
- Led to separate and inherently unequal educational development.
- Only ⅓ of teachers teaching black pupils were actually qualified to teach.
- Following on from this law was the 1959 extension of university education act,
making it a criminal offence for a black student to enrol at a white university
- Was “aimed to mould Black south Africans into compliant citizens and productive
workers”
- Meant that the vast majority of black south africans were unqualified and unable
to take high positions, also that they werent as able to combat the unjust
apartheid laws.
➔ Suppression of communism act of 1950 was also incredibly dangerous. It formally
banned the communist party of SA and proscribed any group subscribing to their loose
definition of communism. This made it far easier for the National party to criminalise
anyone who opposed them by branding them a communist. In this act communism was
defined as “any scheme aimed at bringing about any social or political change within the
union by promotion of disturbance and disorder”. Also discouraged people from joining
the ANC as they didnt want to be seen as suspected communists.
- Also led to the treason trial of 1956 where 156 black south africans were arrested
for “attempting to overthrow the government.
- However it did fail as they were unable to find a link between the freedom charter
and communism.
➔ Unlawful organisations act 1960, defined the ANC as a terrorist organisation. Allows the
National party to further state oppression and violence against protesters as it could be
claimed that they were attacking the government. This completely legitimated the
violence of the state and of the police towards black people as they were seen as
terrorists and public enemies.
Could apartheid have been fought against without armed struggle?
➔ Armed struggle has precedent of working previously in many cases and revolutions, e.g.
China and the introduction of Maoism, the USSR and the russian revolution and in 1957
with the Ghanaian independence. Protesting by peaceful means against oppressive
states and governments does not tend to work therefore, Mandela felt he had no choice
but to resort to some form of militancy
➔ To an extent, the militant tactics which were used by MK were not as radical as they
could be, they bombed buildings as opposed to cold blooded murder.
➔ Bantu education act of 1953 was dangerous. This act's purpose was to consolidate black
south african education and ensure that the discriminatory educational practices could
be uniformly implemented across south Africa.
- Led to separate and inherently unequal educational development.
- Only ⅓ of teachers teaching black pupils were actually qualified to teach.
- Following on from this law was the 1959 extension of university education act,
making it a criminal offence for a black student to enrol at a white university
- Was “aimed to mould Black south Africans into compliant citizens and productive
workers”
- Meant that the vast majority of black south africans were unqualified and unable
to take high positions, also that they werent as able to combat the unjust
apartheid laws.
➔ Suppression of communism act of 1950 was also incredibly dangerous. It formally
banned the communist party of SA and proscribed any group subscribing to their loose
definition of communism. This made it far easier for the National party to criminalise
anyone who opposed them by branding them a communist. In this act communism was
defined as “any scheme aimed at bringing about any social or political change within the
union by promotion of disturbance and disorder”. Also discouraged people from joining
the ANC as they didnt want to be seen as suspected communists.
- Also led to the treason trial of 1956 where 156 black south africans were arrested
for “attempting to overthrow the government.
- However it did fail as they were unable to find a link between the freedom charter
and communism.
➔ Unlawful organisations act 1960, defined the ANC as a terrorist organisation. Allows the
National party to further state oppression and violence against protesters as it could be
claimed that they were attacking the government. This completely legitimated the
violence of the state and of the police towards black people as they were seen as
terrorists and public enemies.
Could apartheid have been fought against without armed struggle?
➔ Armed struggle has precedent of working previously in many cases and revolutions, e.g.
China and the introduction of Maoism, the USSR and the russian revolution and in 1957
with the Ghanaian independence. Protesting by peaceful means against oppressive
states and governments does not tend to work therefore, Mandela felt he had no choice
but to resort to some form of militancy
➔ To an extent, the militant tactics which were used by MK were not as radical as they
could be, they bombed buildings as opposed to cold blooded murder.
