1
Civil Resistance in South Africa
1970s and 1980s
Index
Page 2- 9
Introduction
Black Consciousness
Steve Biko
Page 9- 14
Events of the Soweto Uprising
Reasons for the protest
Page 14 – 20
PW Botha
Total Onslaught – Total Strategy
Reform and Repression
Page 20 – 27
Internal Resistance to Apartheid
Page 27 – 30
External Resistance to Apartheid
,2
Introduction
Rise of the National Party
By the end of the 1960s, the NP were in a strong position
o They had established firm political control over the
country and had succeeded in crushing resistance
o The SA economy was booming
o White South Africans were becoming increasingly
wealthy and the majority supported the NP
The “Silent Sixties”
The 1960s were known as the “Silent Sixties” because of the absence
of resistance
The country was moved into a “state of emergency” after the
Sharpville Massacre of 1960 and the ANC and PAC were banned
o They increased state control over the media
o They gave police the power to detain people without trial
o They placed critics under restriction orders or house
arrest
o They became increasingly militarised with the
introduction of conscription and higher military budgets
The ANC’s military wing (Umkhonto we Sizwe or MK) and the
PAC’s military wing (Poqo) decided to move underground
o MK’s and Poqo’s leaders were imprisoned on Robben
Island or exiled
Oliver Tambo led the ANC from Zambia and the PAC
had bases in Lesotho and Tanzania however the
ANC and PAC struggled to have a large influence in
South Africa
It was difficult to infiltrate South Africa because the
SADF was strong
Poqo disintergrated after the massive amount of
arrests
They attempted to counter the demand for political rights by
introducing a policy of ‘separate development’ under the guise
that this would be the best way to preserve culture
o All Africans became citizens of one of the homelands
instead of having South African citizenship – foreigners in
their own native land
,3
o These attempted to divide up cultures and races as much
as possible
Reasons for Wave of Resistance in the 1970s
The economy declined due to the 1973 world oil crisis
The economy was negatively affected by the Bantu Education
system due to the lack of skilled labour
Other African nations such an Angola and Mozambique fought
to gain their indepedenve
o Inspired resistance
o Gave the ANC and PAC to establish bases
The Challenge of Black Consciousness to the Apartheid State
What was Black Consciousness?
Introduction
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a new generation of black
students began to organise resistance within South Africa.
o Many of them were students at the ‘bush colleges’
established for black students under the system of Bantu
Education, such as the University of Zululand and the
University of the North.
o BC was an attitude of mind, rather than a political
movement.
The main aims and beliefs of Black Consciousness were:
To raise the self-respect and confidence of black people to
liberate themselves – redefine blackness as something that is
not inferior
o To promote pride in black identity, culture and history
and show its importance
o To reject the notion of white being a default and black
being a distorted form of whiteness
o To ensure people are not ashamed of their race and do
not wish to be white
To promote unity amongst black people by mobilising them to
fight against apartheid, in particular against the divisions
caused by separate development.
, 4
o The movement defined black people as all those who
were oppressed by apartheid, including Indian and
Coloured people.
o Aimed to unite groups like Xhosa and Zulu tribes who the
state pitted against eachother
BC stressed that co-operation between black and white South
Africans could only begin once Africans had achieved
psychological and physical freedom from feelings of inferiority.
o BC promoted the idea that black South Africans should
liberate themselves and not rely on help from liberal
whites.
o Aimed stop working with white liberals in multi-racial
organisations, but to encourage them to educate other
white people to change their attitudes
White liberals were often guilty of whitesplaining
and shutting down black voices – directly and
indirectly
The use of the term ‘black’ was a direct challenge to the
apartheid term ‘non-white’.
What were the origins of the movement?
Pan-Africanism
The Pan-Africanist movement had its roots in the USA and the West
Indies.
Pan- Africanists like Marcus Garvey and Web Du Bois called for
the unity of all Africans and those of African descent.
o Pan-Africanism created solidarity and unity among
Africans and contributed towards the decolonisation of
Africa.
o The followers of Black Consciousness were also
influenced by the ideas of new leaders in independent
Africa
o There were numerous South Africans who embraced
Pan-Africanism. The Pan- Africanist Congress in South
Africa believed that South Africa belonged to black
people alone.
Prominent South Africans who subscribed to this view were:
o Anton Lembede, the first president of the ANCYL, who
pioneered the idea of black nationalism in South Africa.
Civil Resistance in South Africa
1970s and 1980s
Index
Page 2- 9
Introduction
Black Consciousness
Steve Biko
Page 9- 14
Events of the Soweto Uprising
Reasons for the protest
Page 14 – 20
PW Botha
Total Onslaught – Total Strategy
Reform and Repression
Page 20 – 27
Internal Resistance to Apartheid
Page 27 – 30
External Resistance to Apartheid
,2
Introduction
Rise of the National Party
By the end of the 1960s, the NP were in a strong position
o They had established firm political control over the
country and had succeeded in crushing resistance
o The SA economy was booming
o White South Africans were becoming increasingly
wealthy and the majority supported the NP
The “Silent Sixties”
The 1960s were known as the “Silent Sixties” because of the absence
of resistance
The country was moved into a “state of emergency” after the
Sharpville Massacre of 1960 and the ANC and PAC were banned
o They increased state control over the media
o They gave police the power to detain people without trial
o They placed critics under restriction orders or house
arrest
o They became increasingly militarised with the
introduction of conscription and higher military budgets
The ANC’s military wing (Umkhonto we Sizwe or MK) and the
PAC’s military wing (Poqo) decided to move underground
o MK’s and Poqo’s leaders were imprisoned on Robben
Island or exiled
Oliver Tambo led the ANC from Zambia and the PAC
had bases in Lesotho and Tanzania however the
ANC and PAC struggled to have a large influence in
South Africa
It was difficult to infiltrate South Africa because the
SADF was strong
Poqo disintergrated after the massive amount of
arrests
They attempted to counter the demand for political rights by
introducing a policy of ‘separate development’ under the guise
that this would be the best way to preserve culture
o All Africans became citizens of one of the homelands
instead of having South African citizenship – foreigners in
their own native land
,3
o These attempted to divide up cultures and races as much
as possible
Reasons for Wave of Resistance in the 1970s
The economy declined due to the 1973 world oil crisis
The economy was negatively affected by the Bantu Education
system due to the lack of skilled labour
Other African nations such an Angola and Mozambique fought
to gain their indepedenve
o Inspired resistance
o Gave the ANC and PAC to establish bases
The Challenge of Black Consciousness to the Apartheid State
What was Black Consciousness?
Introduction
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a new generation of black
students began to organise resistance within South Africa.
o Many of them were students at the ‘bush colleges’
established for black students under the system of Bantu
Education, such as the University of Zululand and the
University of the North.
o BC was an attitude of mind, rather than a political
movement.
The main aims and beliefs of Black Consciousness were:
To raise the self-respect and confidence of black people to
liberate themselves – redefine blackness as something that is
not inferior
o To promote pride in black identity, culture and history
and show its importance
o To reject the notion of white being a default and black
being a distorted form of whiteness
o To ensure people are not ashamed of their race and do
not wish to be white
To promote unity amongst black people by mobilising them to
fight against apartheid, in particular against the divisions
caused by separate development.
, 4
o The movement defined black people as all those who
were oppressed by apartheid, including Indian and
Coloured people.
o Aimed to unite groups like Xhosa and Zulu tribes who the
state pitted against eachother
BC stressed that co-operation between black and white South
Africans could only begin once Africans had achieved
psychological and physical freedom from feelings of inferiority.
o BC promoted the idea that black South Africans should
liberate themselves and not rely on help from liberal
whites.
o Aimed stop working with white liberals in multi-racial
organisations, but to encourage them to educate other
white people to change their attitudes
White liberals were often guilty of whitesplaining
and shutting down black voices – directly and
indirectly
The use of the term ‘black’ was a direct challenge to the
apartheid term ‘non-white’.
What were the origins of the movement?
Pan-Africanism
The Pan-Africanist movement had its roots in the USA and the West
Indies.
Pan- Africanists like Marcus Garvey and Web Du Bois called for
the unity of all Africans and those of African descent.
o Pan-Africanism created solidarity and unity among
Africans and contributed towards the decolonisation of
Africa.
o The followers of Black Consciousness were also
influenced by the ideas of new leaders in independent
Africa
o There were numerous South Africans who embraced
Pan-Africanism. The Pan- Africanist Congress in South
Africa believed that South Africa belonged to black
people alone.
Prominent South Africans who subscribed to this view were:
o Anton Lembede, the first president of the ANCYL, who
pioneered the idea of black nationalism in South Africa.
