SOUTH AFRICAN CIVIL

RESISTANCE

SPARE
CHAPTER 3
[Pick the date]
 Chapter back round

In this chapter we will be focusing on the actions that were taken by South Africans both
blacks and whites to combat the impact of apartheid in their lives .Our main focus will be
based on the black consciousness philosophy that was introduced by Steven Bantu Biko in
the early 1960s of the apartheid era .

1. Brief introduction
-Apartheid was a legalized form of racism that took place in the early 90s in South Africa, Its ensured that whites had
power in south Africa more than blacks .This system was introduced by National party led by D.F Malan in 1948 .Its
consisted of segregation /separation in every aspect of society .Oppressed blacks who were denied rights and had
suffered discrimination and humiliation.

Civil resistance was a necessary tool for South Africans to seek for massive transformation of these policies .This was
similar to other countries that resisted racial segregation in the USA and colonialism in Africa .The mass action began
in the 1950S and the government reacted very harsh to everyone who opposed racial apartheid policies. One of the
forms of the civil resistance strategies was the introduction of the philosophy of Black consciousness by a South
African civil activist Steven Bantu Biko during the apartheid era.

2. The challenges of Black Consciousness to the apartheid state

The nature of black consciousness

The effective resistance against apartheid was crushed in the early 1960s, the brutal suppression of all resistance led to
hopeless amongst those oppressed by the forces of apartheid.

Black consciousness inspired renewal of anti-apartheid struggle in the 1970s .It began as a student university movement
led by Steve Biko aimed to conscientise black people with self-worth and confidence .This changed blacks and
empowered them to confront apartheid more and more .

3-So what was the Black Consciousness

-Black consciousness refers to a philosophy that advocated blacks people pride and values, its inspired blacks liberation
from discrimination and oppression .The philosophy of black consciousness was there to change the mind set of black
people towards appreciation of their African cultures, traditions and norms to instill pride and self-esteem and strong
liberation in fighting brutal apartheid forces.

-Black consciousness was therefore a philosophy based on the belief that blacks would only attain freedom if they
themselves remove shackles of inferiority and face the white system that bind them to perpetual and servitude rather
than rely and hope for whites man to help them in shaping their destinies for social and political reforms .
 4. The origins of the black consciousness
-Black consciousness was based on the number of ideas from various African nationalists’ movements that promoted
blacks pride and values .These nationalists included Pan Africanism, The negritude Movement and black power
movement in the USA.

4.1 Pan Africanism

-Pan Africanists movements had its roots in the USA and West Indies and spread by Marcus Garvey and WEB Du Bois
who respectively called for Africans to fight against whites discrimination and colonialism in Africa .They also called for
unity of all Africans and created the solidarity among Africans and contributed to decolonization of Africa .Various
African leaders embraced pan Africanism ,we can count the likes of Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana ,Julius Nyerere by the
policy of UJAMA in Tanzania ,Kenneth Kaunda in Uganda and Patrice Lumumba in Zambia.

Numerous of South African leaders also embraced pan Africanism such as Anton lembethe who was the 1st president of
the ANC YL who championed the idea of black nationalism in South Africa .We can also name Robert Mangaliso
Sobukwe among the few, he saw the struggle for liberation as an African struggle .He and other Africanists broke away
from the ANC to form the PAC in 1959 .The PAC believed that Africans should liberate themselves from apartheid
without any foreign support.
4.2 The negritude movements

-These were the movements that were led by intellectuals who experienced discrimination while studying in Paris. They
rejected colonial attitude and defined black culture in terms of black values and self-expression by brainwashing policy
through the assimilation policy by sticking to their African values and tradition .These ideas were supported by Franz
Fanon who was a writer and Aine Cesaire who was a poet and a play writer .They both inspired blacks to become
nationalized to fight against colonial rules.

4.3 The black power movement

-Black power organization’s like black panthers set up black neibourhoods to provide the poor with education and health
care .Leader include the likes of Elijah Muhammad who was the leader of the nation of Islam’s in the USA.Malcom X
who was the founder of organization for African American Unity,stockely Carmichael ,Bobby Seale and Huey Newton .

5. The ideas and aims of Black Consciousness

-Apartheid mad blacks to feel inferior to white people .Black consciousness main goal was to restore peoples pride of
being black and Africans ,some ways to achieve this included the following :

The term NON WHITES be rejected in favor of word black .Steve Biko wrote that “We are refusing to be
regarded as a non-person and claims the rights to positivity “
Blackness be considered as a positive concept of identity which involved colored’s and Indians
BC to serve the interest of the people who were discriminated against on the basis of their skin color
Its encouraged Africans to take pride of them selves
Aimed at encouraging black solidarity
Make South Africans to believe that cooperation between blacks and whites should begin once Africans had
freedom from feeling inferiority.
Promoted the idea of self-reliance and building sustainable community organizations .BC hoped to end black’s
dependency on whites on whites so that blacks could use their own skills to liberate themselves.
 6. The role of Steve Biko in the BC –Who is Steve Biko.
Bantu Stephen Biko (18 December 1946 – 12 September 1977) was a South African anti-apartheid activist. Ideologically
an African nationalist and African socialist, he was at the forefront of a grassroots anti-apartheid campaign known as the
Black Consciousness Movement during the late 1960s and 1970s.

He became involved in students politics while studying medicine in Durban in the 1960s
.He was a member of the National unity for South African students .NUSAs was a nonracial union ,majority of its
members were whites and middle class people .Biko believed that blacks should have their own organization’s which
could speak for them selves .
-As a results, the university Students Christian movement was formed in 1967 and its gave black students representation
.Biko and other 40 black students discussed the future and the need for national representative of black students
organizations at UCM conference in 1968.

To form the black student organizations, he recruited fellow students from other ethnically separated universities. These
universities transpired as a result of the passing of 1959 extension of university education act which made it illegal for
whites universities to enroll black students without the government approval .This law led to the creation of University
of Ungoye (UNIZULU)for Zulus, University of Durban /Westville (DUT) for Indians ,University of western cape for
colored’s (UWC),University of Turf loop(UL)and University of Free state (UFS)for Sotho’s .

Biko believed it was essential to strip away the language of separate development and see apartheid for what it was –a
racist policy which oppressed black people on the bases of their skin colour.

He mobilized fellow university students to meet in Turf loop Marian Hall in December 1968 and drafted the constitution
for South African Students Organization (SASO).Following the surprise separation of bedrooms and bathrooms for blacks
and whites students in the NUSAs Grahams town conference in 1967, the black students led by Steven Bantu Biko
decided to form their own black organization called SASO. It was decided that SASO will concsintise black communities
and instill them self- confidence and self –pride to resist the whites rule.

SASO spread the ideas of black consciousness across all campuses of the ethnically separated universities .The apartheid
government ensured that no political activity took place on campuses and students involved in the protests were
expelled.
BC used the existing university structures such as SRC to communicate with BC groups in the following ways

•SRC obtained funds from the universities for sports and social gatherings and SASO used these events to cover their
activities.

•SASO had limited access to resources such as telephones and photocopying machines and SRC assisted SASO to get
access to these items as they had access.

There was an opposition to the formation of SASO as many labeled it as a racist organization .Some students believe that
colored’s and Indians should be part of the organization while others remained loyal to NUSAs .
 7. The black consciousness movement
-How did BD grow into a national movement?

The Black Consciousness Movement was a grassroots anti-Apartheid activist movement that emerged in South Africa in
the mid-1960s out of the political vacuum created by the jailing and banning of the African National Congress and Pan
Africanist Congress leadership after the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960.

-The BCM had its roots from the ethnic universities which were mostly situated in Rural areas, from these campuses BC
ideas spread across the country .The impact of BCM was great among educated, urban youth who became part of the
struggle .Its encouraged black solidarity and self- reliance, young people were sent to communities to create and run
clinics and set literacy campaigns.

The BCM believed that investments sustained apartheid and supported disinvestments campaigns .By the 1970s there
were a large number of groups that affiliated to the BCM and its became necessary to have a body to coordinate
activities .

With this in mind, SASO formed Black Peoples Convention (BPC)in 1972 .This was a national black political movement
which served as an umbrella body for the BCM ,while SASO was for students ,BPC was involved with adults in the BCM .

The BPC had the following aims:

Liberate black people from oppression

Introduce form of socialism called black communism (idea rooted in African culture were private land ownership
doesn’t exist and everyone is equal )
The BPC was an umbrella body for a number of organizations and programs, including self-help projects like ZANEMPILO
COMMUNITY CLINIC in King Williams’s town, cultural crafts groups and rural co- operative’s .This clinic were runned by
Ramphahlele Mamphela and other Africans .Its forested a sense of black’s pride.

Artists also embraced black consciousness and included their ideas and work .EG Mhlonti black group theatre was
started in Alexandra in JHB in 1971, it provided a platform for drama that reflected black history and experiences and
promoted fights against apartheid racial policies.

BPC also established organizations to mobilize sensitize and promote the black consciousness ideas in black
communities.
As results there was a renewal in political awareness and sense of hope which were evidenced by the 1970s.This was
expressed as a growing resistance to apartheid.

8. How did BC re awaken labor movements in SA

rd
At their 3 conference SASO decided to form a national trade union council for blacks ,at this time black workers were
denied equal rights and trade unions were illegal .BC ideas revived trade unions and labor movements in south Africa.
As a results black allied workers union(BAWU)was formed by Drake Koka who was the member of the BPC,BAWU
rejected whites involvement in the trade unions .In defiance of the ban of any black membership to any union
,mobilization of blacks to fight better wages and working conditions ,BAWU played a very crucial role .

Strikes took place in the early 1970S, E.G strikes at the Coronation brick and rile plant in DBN where 200o workers went
on strike in 1973 demanding higher wages, the strike action also spread to other factories in DBN and east rand.

2000 workers went on strike in DBN in 1973 ,They were chanting slogans like “Ufile umuntu kodwa umoya uyaphila
“meaning the man is dead but the spirit is leaving .

9. The legacies of black consciousness movement

 1 .The 1976 Soweto uprising
Key concepts: Uprising refers to the act of resistance or rebellion

The uprising began in june 1976 in Soweto, it was associated with leaner unrests /strikes/riots /demonstrations but the
reason for the uprising rooted from the poor living conditions and daily oppression experienced by black people in south
Africa because of the apartheid policies .

•The increase in the price of the oil in 1973-1974 had a negative effect in the south African economy ,economic
recession mainly affected black workers who were retrenched from work .inflation rose rapidly thus resulting to food
prices increasing affected the people of Soweto since they were getting very little wages .

•Townships like Soweto were overcrowded as people moved from rural areas to cities and people had inadequate
services ,poor education ,poor infrastructure and housing .The influx laws of the apartheid gorvement ensure that
African people could not move freely and did not own houses in townships

•African trade unions were not recognized and workers had no rights and worked under very poor working conditions
and strikes were made illegal by the apartheid government.

2. Events leading to the Soweto student protest on June 1976

•In 1975, the minister of education M.C Botha introduced the bantu education act ,this act forced the black students to
do their subjects in Afrikaans ,these laws ensured that Afrikaans was used as a medium instruction in primary and
secondary schools ,the teachers and leaners were not familiar with Afrikaans and they experienced negative impact
which showed poor exam results for end of year 1975 .

•African students were exposed to Black consciousness ideas after the formation of south African students movements
with led to the formation of south African students organizations(SASO)in soweto high schools ,The was a widespread
opposition to the bantu education as its brought the very negative impact to south African students .

•The Soweto Students Representative council was set up to organize demonstrations against the implementation of
Afrikaans language policy
On the morning of June 16 1976, thousands of students from African townships of Soweto, outside Johannesburg Led by
Tsietsi Mashinini ,gathered at their schools to participate in a student organized protest demonstration .

Many of them carried signs that read “down with Afrikaans and bantu education act” and others sang the revolutionary
songs as the unarmed crowd of school children marched towards Orlando soccer stadium.

Approximately 10000 students took part on this march and more than 50 policemen tried to stop and disperse the
students with teargas and warning shots .The students did not resist and the police directly fired towards them, many of
the students responded by running for shelter/cover while others continued and threw stones to the police.

That day, two students Hasting Ndlovu and Hector Peterson died from the police gunfire and more than 100 sustained
injuries.

The shootings in Soweto sparked a massive uprising that soon spread to more than 100 urban and rural townships
throughout South Africa.

The immediate course for the June 16 Soweto uprising was a student opposition to Bantu education act and students
were encouraged by the ideas of the black consciousness which inspired them to take pride of their values and culture.

•The Soweto uprising came after a decade of relative calm in resistance movements.
In 1969 ,black students led by steve biko formed SASO ,stressing black pride and self-reliance and physiological liberation

The black consciousness movement in the 1970s became an influential force in townships like Soweto .

The political effects of the 1976 uprisings also take into account the effects of workers strikes in 1973 .

Thousands of students took part in the Soweto uprising in June 1976

This is the photo of Hector Peterson who was shot and killed by the police during the Soweto uprising in June 1976 in
Soweto.

This picture was taken by Mr. Sam Nzima a very famous South African photographer that became internationally known
for the image of hector Peterson in the Soweto uprising and it took front page of all the newspapers in the whole world.

The world could no longer ignore the horror of apartheid regime, the United States of America condemned the shooting
and the whole world began lobbying for economic sanctions in South Africa with eventually brought the apartheid
government to surrender.

Sam Nzima was harassed by the police and forced to resign with immediate effect and he fled to his home town in JHB .3
months later the police caught him and put him on the house arrest ,he never too a photo again .

Nzima is still alive and meets with young people every year to teach them about the Soweto uprising .He is currently
serving as the Member of Parliament in Cape Town
 3 .The significance of the Soweto uprising
•The Soweto uprising was the largest incident of civil protest and civil disobedience in the history of anti-apartheid
movement .The violence started in Soweto and erupted to nationwide protest against apartheid

•The Soweto uprising was a turning point in the liberation struggle as the protest by the youth encouraged many
organizations & people to become involved in the struggle for apartheid activities

•South African apartheid government faced massive oppositions thus struggling to put down unrest activities

•Multinational companies began to disinvest and argued South African leaders to find solutions to growing resistance
against apartheid

•Its resulted to the revival of trade unions thus resulting to actions taken against poor working conditions and low wages

June 16 is now commemorated as the public holiday in south Africa and several activities takes place for the whole of
June to pay tribute to all those fallen revolutionary youth who played part in reshaping the segregation era to the batter
south Africa being inspired by the ideologies of the black consciousness.
16 JUNE 1976 SOWETO
UPRISING