Apartheid in South Africa

By: Amanda

            Apartheid in South Africa was a terrible time for blacks because they had all their rights taken away from them.

"Apartheid is the government-run system of rigid racial segregation that was in place for much of the 20th century: In a nation that was then 70 percent black, a white minority ruled, denying blacks basic rights and essentially treating them as aliens in their own land." (Dugger, Celia W.)

 Blacks could not vote and had no rights. It took a long time for apartheid to end because the government would not give in to protests and kept making more laws against blacks so that they had no legal right to fight with the government, and if they did, they were arrested.

 Apartheid officially started in 1949, but there were segregation laws many years before then.  In 1949, South Africa got a new government, and a law was passed in South Africa that marriage between whites and nonwhites was no longer allowed (“Apartheid”).  Further laws were added, such as the Population Registration Act, which classified South Africans into three categories.  These groups were the Bantu or black- Africans, the colored or mixed race, and white (“Apartheid”).  In 1950, a Group Areas Act was established.  The act created separate towns for the different races. Blacks were also limited in job choices, and were no longer allowed to work in the government.  This act also no longer allowed nonwhites to operate businesses.  Nonwhites were forced to carry around papers stating their race and their authorization to be in the area.  Apartheid obviously benefitted the white Africans and the black Africans suffered greatly.

Many protest groups were formed, and blacks refused to have their rights taken away from them.  The African National Congress (ANC) was formed in 1912 to help try to stop racism (Benson, Mary).  Their goal was to unify all of South Africa regardless of race (“Apartheid”).  Nelson Mandela became one of their leaders in 1944.  He worked to free South Africa from this time of apartheid.  Labor strikes and many campaigns were put together by Mandela.  He was arrested countless times, and spent twenty seven-years in jail.  In 1944, he also helped fund the Congress Youth League.  The group held many "Stay at Home" protests where they did not go to work (“Nelson Mandela”).  By 1945, there were over six hundred laws for apartheid.  Around 1961, Mandela formed yet another group called the Umkonto we Sizwe, Spear the Nation, that directed sabotage against the government (“Nelson Mandela”).  The Umkonto we Sizwe admitted to committing over seventy sabotage acts.  Although jailed, Mandela was still a symbol for the cause.

“He was given many peace awards including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, The Human Rights Prize in 1988, the Anne Frank Medal for Human Rights and Tolerance in 1994, the International Gandhi Peace Prize in 2001, and many more.” (“Nelson Mandela”)

He is an inspiration to all to fight for what is right.  Without him and the countless other protest group leaders, South Africa would still be in the horrible state it was in.

Protests occurred often during apartheid.  Workers went on strike, students were boycotting, and even religious groups organized protests against apartheid.  The Sun City Boycott is one important boycott.  It occurred in 1985 when a city was built over a black village.  To protest, singers from around the world tried to let people know about how big of an issue apartheid was.  Famous singers all over the world recorded an album.    The album was created to help raise awareness of apartheid in South Africa.  They called themselves ‘Artists United Against Apartheid’.  Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen were two of the artists from the United States who participated (Drewett, Michael).  They called the album 'Sun City', and all the songs were about stopping apartheid.  Their songs were an inspiration to people worldwide.

Other countries all over the world helped.  In 1960, students in the United States and other parts of the world began to protest apartheid and tried to convince the government to stop its dealings with South Africa.  Many universities began to take away their stocks which lowered business in South Africa (“Apartheid”).  The United States Congress passed a law that no longer allowed US companies to have any business in South Africa.  This law greatly decreased the amount of computers, steel, and petroleum available in South Africa.  Private companies also said they would stop their business in South Africa.  South Africa became even more separated from the rest of the world during the 1970s and the 1980s.  South African sports teams were no longer allowed to participate in the Olympics (Dugger, Celia W).  In 1990, the anti- apartheid groups were legalized.  These were the steps that began the end of the apartheid.

Apartheid officially ended in 1991 after forty-two long years.  Three years later, black Africans were able to vote for the first time, and South Africa got a new government.  Nelson Mandela was voted President.  Apartheid was a terrible time for blacks in South Africa.  Thanks to the countless protest leaders and outside help from around the world, this horrific time has ended and South Africa is healing its wounds.

Works Cited

"Apartheid." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Student Resources

In Context. Web. 17 Nov. 2010.

Benson, Mary, and Karen Heywood. Nelson Mandela. London: H. Hamilton, 1986. Print.

Drewett, Michael, and Martin Cloonan. Popular Music Censorship in Africa.

Aldershot, England: Ashgate, 2006. Print.

Dugger, Celia W. "Apartheid's Long Shadow." New York Times Upfront (Vol. 142, No. 10).

01 Mar 2010: 10-13. SIRS Researcher. Web. 16 Nov 2010.

"Nelson Mandela." Contemporary Black Biography. Vol. 77. Detroit: Gale, 2010.

Gale Biography In Context. Web. 17 Nov. 2010.