CIVIL RESISTANCE, 1970S TO 1980S: SOUTH AFRICA

The crisis of apartheid in the 1980s

This topic consists of the following subtopics which should be covered in detail when
studying:
• Government attempts to reform apartheid (the 1982 Urban Bantu Authorities
Act; the tri-cameral system)
• Internal resistance to reforms
• Growing power of the Trade Union Movement from 1973
• Response to Botha's 'reforms' – new methods of mobilisation (labour's 'rolling
mass action', roles of civics, UDF, Mass Democratic Movement and End
Conscription Campaign and Black Sash)

Concept Definition
Internal refers to collective action by trade unions, political parties, civic
Resistance organisations within the country (South Africa) to fight apartheid
regime.
Total onslaught The belief by the Apartheid government that South Africa was
being threatened by communism
Total strategy Botha’s plan to eliminate opponents of apartheid and keep the
country under control of the National Government.
Rolling mass Organised strikes, boycotts and stay- aways to make a country
action ungovernable for the Apartheid government.
Disinvestment Withdrawal by multinational companies of part or all of the funds
they have invested in South Africa
United Non- racial alliance of various organisations striving for a
Democratic democratic South Africa, established in 1983
Front
Conscription Enforced military call-ups for all young men during the Apartheid
Era
Black Sash An organisation of women who protested against the apartheid
government.
Black An ideology that blacks had to liberate themselves
Consciousness psychologically from the effects of racism in South Africa.
NUSAS National Union of South African Students- played a role in
resisting apartheid.
Apartheid A policy that discriminates people according to race, it was
adopted by National party in 1948.
Reform Improvements which modify but do not completely change or
transform the system.
Tricameral Having three chambers. South African parliament consisted of
system Whites, Indians and Coloureds after the 1983 constitution.
Colour Bar Segregation in the workplace; the reservation of certain
categories of work for white workers.
Scab Labour Temporary workers brought in to do the work of workers who
are on strike.
Hunger strike Refusal to eat as a form of protest (usually by prisoners in jail.

1980 Botha implementation of reforms to the Apartheid State

1982 The Black Local Authorities Act introduced – which give Black
Urban Communities the ability to elect their own councillors.
1983 South African Constitution Act – Resulting to the introductionof
the Tricameral parliament.
1983 Formation of the United Democratic Front – Opposing the
Tricameral parliament.
1984 Abolishment of job reservation – job was no more just
reserved for whites.
1985 Formation of The Congress of South African Trade Unions -
played a significant role in the freedom struggle.
1985 Private schools were Desegregated
1985 State of Emergency declared or the first time
 1985 End Conscription Campaign – 800 men conscripted to the
army had failed to report for the January call-up.
1985 Black SASH – Women movement committed to giving
humanitarian and practical help to victims of Apartheid laws.
1986 COSATU May day strike
19 88 The Mass Democratic Movement – a loose coalition of anti-
apartheid organizations which followed the ANC Freedom
Charter
1988 – 1990 Rolling Mass Action – Where a large number of people take action
in a similar way, such as striking, but as individuals andwithout any
co-ordination

Content Summary
In the 1980s the NP believed that there was a Total Onslaught against the NP government. The
NP implemented their Total Strategy policy – they would make minor reform to the apartheid
system and repress (crush) all opposition.

TRICAMERAL PARLIAMENT

•The NP created Tricameral Parliament.

•It made provision for: House of Assembly (Whites); House of Representatives (Coloureds) and
House of Delegates (Indians)

•It gave limited representation to Coloureds and Indians. Blacks were excluded.

•Africans had to exercise their political rights in the 'homelands'. Real political power would
remain concentrated in the House of Assembly, the representatives of the 'White' minority.
Voters on separate ethnic voter's roles would elect the members of each chamber of
parliament:

THE UDF

•The United Democratic Front was a non-racial alliance of about 400 national, regional and
local organisations and based on the Freedom Charter.

•The UDF was supported by the African National Congress (ANC) in exile.

•It launched a massive nationwide campaign to dissuade Coloured and Indian voters from
participating in the elections for the Houses of Representatives and Delegates. Coloured and
Indian voter turnout was extremely low.

•Those who participated in the Tricameral system were called 'sell-outs', collaborators and
'puppets'. In reaction to these political developments, mass action campaigns swept through
the country. These included strikes, mass protests and school, rent and consumer boycotts.

•The government responded by banning the UDF and declaring a State of Emergency that lasted
for much of the 1980s.
THE ROLE OF CIVICS

•Civics tackled 'bread and butter issues' such as rent, municipal services, public transport and
poor recreational and child-care facilities.

•Civics sought to improve the quality of life of township residents, and played a major role in the
resistance of the 1980s.

•There were frequent, violent confrontations with the security forces. Black Councillors and
black police officers were forced to flee the townships, forced to resign, or faced violent deaths.

•Protests against poor services took the form of boycotts, in which residents refused to pay rent
or service fees to the municipality. By 1987, the amount owing to the government due to
boycotts was in the region of Rl77 million.

THE ROLE OF COSAS

•COSAS was formed in 1979 to co- ordinated student activities in different regions, to unite and
to advance the demands of school students.

•They used the slogan ‘liberation before education’. They organized school boycotts, stay-
aways, consumer boycotts and self-defence structures against the apartheid security forces.

•In 1984 there were about 220 000 children absent from school in various parts of the country.
Many young people sacrificed education and employment opportunities in order to participate
in the struggle against apartheid.

•COSAS and AZASO formed the NECC in 1986. The NECC united students, parents and teacher
structures in an effort to build democracy in schools and eliminate the Bantu Education
curriculum. The NECC adopted the slogan 'Education for liberation.'

THE SOUTH AFRICAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

•The SACC fought for social justice, and challenged the apartheid laws.

•Their leaders included Desmond Tutu, Beyers Naude and Frank Chikane.

•In 1985, SACC issued the Kairos Document (Moment of Truth). The Kairos document called for
the church to stand up for the poor and the oppressed, and stand against the injustices of
apartheid. The document said Christians should serve the needs of the struggle for liberation,
and mobilise its members to work and plan for a change in government. It also supported civil
disobedience.

TRADE UNIONS

•They campaigned for the rights of black workers and played a political role as they put pressure
on the government to make changes to its apartheid policies.

•Links between work issues and broader community grievances in the apartheid state became
inseparable.
•The Federation of South African Trade Unions (FOSATU) was formed in 1979 and the Council of
Unions of South Africa (CUSA) was formed in 1980. It was influenced strongly by the ideas of
Black Consciousness and wanted to work to ensure black leadership of unions

•In 1985 the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) was formed, which followed the
non-racial policies of the (banned) ANC. A strike was a powerful weapon used by workers.

•In 1981, 342 strikes took place in South Africa. In 1986, the number of strikes had risen to 780.

•Resistance during the 1980s, which included school boycotts, strikes and guerrilla action of
MK, made South Africa increasingly ungovernable and was one of the forces that led to the
collapse of the apartheid government

MASS DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT

•The UDF was banned in 1988. The Mass democratic Movement was formed to replace the UDF.

•The MDM was a loose coalition of anti-apartheid organisations which adhered to the Freedom
Charter.

•In 1989, the MDM organized a campaign of civil disobedience to defy all oppressive laws.
Protesters entered ‘whites-only’ hospitals and beaches.

•People of all races marched peacefully in several cities to protest against police brutality and
repressive laws. By 1989 it was clear that the civil disobedience was effective and that the
government could not control it.

THE END CONSCRIPTION CAMPAIGN

The SADF was used:

•To enforce the government's racist policies

•To act against the banned liberation movements within South Africa, as its neighbouring
countries

•To repress anti-apartheid activities

•For these reason, all white South African men were conscripted into military service in the
SADF.

•In 1983, the End Conscription Campaign (ECC) was formed.

•Conscientious objectors supported the ECC to oppose the conscription of all white South
African men into military service in the SADF.

•White men who refused to do military service fled the country, faced imprisonment, went
AWOL or failed to turn up for their basic training.

•By 1985, the number of conscripts who failed to report for so-called National Service was
increasing rapidly.
•By 1988, the ECC was undermining the apartheid state to such an extent that the Minister of
Law and Order, Adriaan VIok, banned the organisation.

BLACK SASH

•Was a liberal white organization who wanted to end apartheid.

•They wore black sashes to demonstrate their opposition against apartheid.

•They demonstrated peacefully against the discriminatory laws.