Apartheid (document en anglais)

I. The history of apartheid

a) The Apartheid

South Africa was colonized by the English and Dutch in the seventeenth century, in 1910. Starting in 1948, the Nationalist Government led by Protestant Daniel Francois Malan in South Africa, enacted laws to define and enforce segregation. He set up a segregationist system based on racial politics : the Apartheid. The population considered as non-European was shelved and was dominated by a minority of white. The population was divided into 4 groups: whites (representing 21% of the population), blacks (67%), Coloured (9%) and Indians (> 3%). This meant that there was separation between all African communities including the whites and non-whites, and also Africans and other non-whites. Areas reserved for blacks called « bantustans » and their lifes were very difficults. They only cover 13% of the territory and are overcrowded.

Gradually, the segregation policy extends to all areas: geographic, economic, social…

b) Against the Apartheid

Many demonstrations take place to protest against the Apartheid. The African National Congress (ANC) was one of the groups protesting apartheid. In 1972, Steven Biko conducted the South African Students Organisation (SASO) to create the « Black People’s Convention », to start the Black Consciousness movement. After a revolt by students in Soweto against an offensive educational system (1976), Biko was arrested and killed. In 1977, organizations associated with the Black Consciousness Movement were forbidden and a lot of members of this movement were put into jail or forced into exile.

After 1980, the economy of South Africa was very damaged. Poor people began to ignore laws to search a work and food.

Nelson Mandela, who was involved with the ANC since the Second World War, had been sentenced for life in prison for sabotage. After 27 years as a political prisoner, he was released. In the early 1990’s, Mandela led the multi-party negotiations that finally brought and end to apartheid. He also became the first democratically elected president of South Africa.

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