Internal resistance to apartheid

Quick Facts: Who was Internal resistance to apartheid?

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Internal resistance to apartheid

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A decades-long struggle involving nonviolent protest, armed struggle, and international pressure against apartheid.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Several independent sectors of South African society opposed apartheid through various means, including nonviolent resistance, civil disobedience, guerrilla warfare, terrorism, and conventional warfare. Mass action against the ruling National Party (NP) government, coupled with South Africa's growing international isolation and economic sanctions, were instrumental in leading to negotiations to end apartheid, which began formally in 1990 and ended with South Africa's first multiracial elections under a universal franchise in 1994. Apartheid was adopted as a formal South African government policy by the NP following their victory in the 1948 general election. From the early 1950s, the African National Congress (ANC) initiated its Defiance Campaign of passive resistance. Subsequent civil disobedience protests targeted curfews, pass laws, and "petty apartheid" segregation in public facilities.

Career & Major Achievements

Some anti-apartheid demonstrations resulted in widespread rioting in Port Elizabeth and East London in 1952, but organised destruction of property was not deliberately employed until 1959. That year, anger over pass laws and environmental regulations perceived as unjust by black farmers resulted in a series of arsons targeting sugarcane plantations. Organisations such as the ANC, the South African Communist Party, and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) remained preoccupied with organising student strikes and work boycotts between 1959 and 1960. Following the Sharpeville massacre, some anti-apartheid movements, including the ANC and PAC, began a shift in tactics from civil disobedience to the formation of military wings. Mass strikes and student demonstrations continued into the 1970s, powered by growing black unemployment, the unpopularity of the South African Border War, and a newly assertive Black Consciousness Movement.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The brutal suppression of the 1976 Soweto uprising radicalised a generation of black activists and greatly bolstered the strength of the ANC's guerrilla force, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK). From 1976 to 1987 MK carried out a series of bomb attacks targeting government facilities, transportation lines, power stations, and other civil infrastructure. South Africa's military often retaliated by raiding ANC safe houses in neighbouring states. The NP made several attempts to reform the apartheid system, beginning with the Constitutional Referendum of 1983. This introduced the Tricameral Parliament, which allowed for some parliamentary representation of Coloureds and Indians, but continued to deny political rights to black South Africans.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1948: 1948 Milestone — Apartheid was adopted as a formal South African government policy by the NP following their victory in the 1948 general election.
2. 1952: 1952 Milestone — Some anti-apartheid demonstrations resulted in widespread rioting in Port Elizabeth and East London in 1952, but organised destruction of property was not deliberately employed until 1959.
3. 1959: 1959 Milestone — Organisations such as the ANC, the South African Communist Party, and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) remained preoccupied with organising student strikes and work boycotts between 1959 and 1960.
4. 1976: 1976 Milestone — The brutal suppression of the 1976 Soweto uprising radicalised a generation of black activists and greatly bolstered the strength of the ANC's guerrilla force, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK).
5. 1983: 1983 Milestone — The NP made several attempts to reform the apartheid system, beginning with the Constitutional Referendum of 1983.
6. 1990: 1990 Milestone — Mass action against the ruling National Party (NP) government, coupled with South Africa's growing international isolation and economic sanctions, were instrumental in leading to negotiations to end apartheid, which began formally in 1990 and ended with South Africa's first multiracial elections under a universal franchise in 1994.

Notable Quotes by Internal resistance to apartheid

“The ANC's ideals state a common commitment to the objectives of the National Democratic Revolution.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Internal resistance to apartheid

True or False: “The initial organized destruction of property by anti-apartheid groups occurred immediately after the Defiance Campaign in 1952.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Organized destruction of property was not deliberately employed until 1959, following arsons targeting sugarcane plantations.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Internal resistance to apartheid