TURNING POINTS IN SA HISTORY

1960, 1976 AND 1990.

1. 1960: SHARPEVILLE MASSACRE AND
LANGA MARCH.
1.1 FORMATION OF THE PAC, 1959.

• 1950’s – active resistance.

- no violence.
• Protests were met with repression:
- banning, arrests, stricter laws, police violence.
• Africanists.
• Break away from ANC.
• 1959 – Pan-Africanist Congress formed.
• Robert Sobukwe – first president.
• Organisation focus on the Africans struggle.
• Did not want to work with other organisations.
• Especially the Congress of Democrats (whites).
1.2. CAUSES AND LEADERS OF THE
SHARPEVILLE MASSACRE.

1.3. EVENTS OF THE SHARPEVILLE MASSACRE.

1.4. LANGA MARCH.

1.5. SHORT TERM CONSQUENCES.

1.6. LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES
1.6.1. THE GENERAL LAW AMENDMENT ACT

• 1963 – police detain people for 90 days.

• Without charging them.
• Without allowing them access to a lawyer.
• Police could re-arrest and re-detain for a further 90
days.
• Solitary confinement.
1.6.2. THE ARREST OF MK LEADERS 1963 .

• MK secret headquarters – farm, Lilliesleaf, Rivonia,

Johannesburg.
• Meetings – discuss tactics.
• Police raided farm.
• Arrested leaders.
• Detained.
• Arrested.
1.6.3. THE RIVONIA TRIAL 1963-1964 .

• Mandela had already been arrested – 1962.

• Travelling without a passport.
• Had been in prison for 8 months.
2. SOWETO UPRISING.
2.1. CAUSES.
2.1.1. THE BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
MOVEMENT .
• Inspired by Sobukwe’s ideas.
• Led by Steve Biko.
• From the Eastern Cape.
• Black SAs – recognise their human dignity & self-
worth.
• Black people first gain psychological, physical and
political power.
• Whites could not be part of BC movement.
• Movement included all non-Whites.
• BC was a movement, not an organisation.
• People from different parties supported its ideas.
• 1973 – Biko banned.
• Restrictions.
• Repressed by govt.
• Still inspired students.
• 16 June 1976 –
Soweto uprising.
2.1.2. AFRIKAANS - MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION.
• 16 June 1976 -20 000 school kids protest in Soweto.
• Against using Afrikaans maths and social studies.
2.1.3. BANTU EDUCATION.
• Discontent about poor facilities in black schools.
• facilities
Shortageinofblack schools.
classrooms.
• Shortage of classrooms.
Pupil-teacher ratio high – 70 to one.
• Pupil-teacher
Ten times more ratio high
spent on– white
70 to one.
kids education.
• Ten times more spent on white kids education.
2.1.4. ROLE OF THE ANC AND RADIO FREEDOM.
2.1.4. ROLE OF THE ANC AND RADIO FREEDOM.
•• Broadcast
Broadcast from
from Tanzania
Tanzania –– ANC
ANC spread
spread ideas.
ideas.
2.1.5. INDEPENDENCE OF ANGOLA AND
MOZAMBIQUE.
• White-ruled Portuguese colonies.
• Independent in 1973 + 1974.
• Black majority rule.
• Inspired sense of optimism in SA.
• New govts in Mozambique and Angola supported
freedom struggle in SA.
2.1.6. PAC UNDERGROUND IN SOWETO.
• 1976 - Zeph Mothopeng detained.
• Organised PAC underground activities.
• 1979 – sentenced for trying to overthrow the govt.
2.2. LEADERS
2.2.1. TEBOHO ‘TSIETSI’ MASHININI

• ‘trouble’, ‘problems’.
• Leader - Soweto Students Representative Council.
• Influenced by teacher, Tiro – BC leader.
• Organised campaign
for 16 June.
• Went into exile after
the protest.
• Died in 1990.
2.2.2. EVENTS OF 16 JUNE 1976 .

• Soweto – South-West Townships.

• 20 000 school children – protest march.
• Hastings Ndlovu – first child shot.
• Iconic photo – symbolic.
• Hector Pieterson – photographed
by Sam Nzima.
• Symbolises liberation movement.
• Represents something greater than the image.
• Mbuyisa Makhubo – picked up Hector.
• Went into exile.
2.2.3. SPIRALLING EVENTS
A. INCREASED GOVERNMENT REPRESSION.
• Protests and clashes increased.
• Internal Security Amendment Act:
- more power to Minister Justice.
- declaration of unlawful organisations.
- prohibition of publication.
- prohibition of attendance of gatherings.
- restriction of persons to certain areas.
- detention of persons.
B. DEATH OF STEVE BIKO
• Arrested in 1976 and 1977 again.
• Tortured – died.
• Martyr – symbol of the resistance.

C. LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES.
• Resistance increased.
• So did government’s repression.
• BC – exile or joined MK.
• Azanian People’s Liberation Army (APLA)
- successor to Poqo.
• MK and APLA active in exile.
• MK – more powerful liberation movement.
3. 1990 - EVENTS LEADING TO 1994
ELECTION.
3.1.INTERNAL RESISTANCE & REPRESSION 1980s.
3.1.1. REFORMS BY APARTHEID GOVERNMENT .

• Tried to stop unrest.

1) Bantustans independence – hoped for loyalty.
2) Attempt to create black middle class.
3) Recognised African trade unions.
4) New parliament system – Tricameral.
Whites, Coloureds, Indians – separate chambers.
Whites still held the power.
• Reforms did not offer much real change.
3.1.2. RESISTANCE TO APARTHEID 1980’s.

• Resistance intensified – became more organised.

• Formed United Democratic Front (UDF).
• Non- racial alliance.

3.1.3. GOVERNMENT REPRESSION.

• Resistance leaders detained

– often killed.
• State of Emergency.
• Police given wide powers.
• Army patrolled townships.
• ANC-in-exile – make townships ungovernable.
3.2. EXTERNAL PRESSURE

• Trade sanctions.
• Foreign investment dropped.
• International anti-apartheid
groups.
• Isolate South Africa.
• Exclusion from Olympics
and international sport.
• Consumer boycotts.
• Musicians – not perform
in SA.
3.3. END OF THE COLD WAR 1990
3.3.1.SOVIET UNION-COLLAPSE OF COMMUNISM.
• 1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev – leader of USSR.
• Communist USSR collapsed.
• Cold War came to an end.

3.3.2. CONSEQUENCES.
• NP – anti-communist.
• NP – labelled anyone against the govt as communist
• US and B govt had supplied arms to apartheid govt.
• USSR supported ANC.
• PW Botha replaced by FW de Klerk.
• Political rather than military solution.
• Economy suffering.
4. UNBANNING OF POLITICAL MOVEMENTS.
• 1980s – resistance unable to overthrow govt.
- govt unable to crush resistance.
• 1989 – de Klerk unbanned resistance groups.

4.1. RELEASE OF MANDELA.

• 1990 – been in prison for

27 years.
• Inspired people all over
the world.
4.2. NEGOTIATIONS AND VIOLENCE 1990-1994
• Negotiations – NP ANC and other parties.
• Talks often collapsed.
• Fighting between ANC
and Inkatha.
• Inkatha – Zulu ethnic
movement.
• ‘Black-on-black’ violence.

4.3. THE DEMOCRATIC ELECTION 1994

• 1994 – first democratic election.
• Government of National Unity.
• Nelson Mandela was the first black President.