South Africa: Apartheid and the Articulation of Gender, Race and Class

1. South Africa: Apartheid and the Articulation of Gender, Race and Class International Perspectives on Gender Lecture 4

2. Apartheid = institutionalised racism = ‘separate development’ = 1948-1994 1994: first democratic elections won by ANC led by Nelson Mandela Long legacy of apartheid Life chances and experiences closely related to gender, race and class status

3. Map of Africa

4. Short History of South Africa Cape not ‘empty’ - populated by San and Hottentot Other African groups gradually migrating South White settlers decimated indigenous population Whites stuck first to Cape Town area Gold and diamonds discovered at Kimberley and on Witwatersrand Struggle for land between whites and black Struggle for land between whites of British and Dutch origin

5. Anglo-Boer War, 1899 -1902

6. Union of South Africa declared in 1910 Blacks (Africans, Indians, Coloured) denied vote White Minority Rule 1913 and 1936 Land Acts gave blacks just 13% 1948 - Afrikaaner Nationalist Party into power and remained so until 1994, nearly 50 years

7. 1913 Land Act. The ‘Reserves’ (black areas) formed less than 10% of land in South Africa, for 87% of the population. Increased to 13% of land By 1936 Land Act.

8. A successful black sugar farmer in Groutville, Natal, selling food to the growing towns. The 1913 Land Act effectively ended black Commercial farming.

9. D.F. Malan 1948-1954 J.H.Strijdom 1954-1958 H.F.Vervoerd 1958-1966 B.J.Vorster 1966-1978 Prime Ministers of South Africa, 1948-1999 P.W.Botha 1978-1989 F.W.de Klerk 1989-1994 Nelson Mandela 1994-1999

10. The Migrant Labour System Secured plentiful black labour at v. low cost Recruited in Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Zaire Working conditions and pay appalling Families divided Africans resisted

11. Migrant miners wait for their salaries Underground

12. Apartheid Legislation in SA 1948-1994 1950 – Population Registration Act. AllSouth African citizens must be racially classified at birth as either black, white or coloured. Repealed 1991. 1950 Extension of the Mixed Marriages Act (1927) which prohibited marriages between those classified as of different race. Section 16 of the Immorality Act prohibited inter-racial sex outside marriage. Both repealed 1985

13. Separate Amenities Act – 1953 Allowed separate but unequal amenities to be provided for Whites, Blacks, Indians and Coloureds. Repealed 1990. Petty Apartheid Enforced segregation of black and white people at all levels – separate public toilets, park benches, bus and train compartments, shop entrances.

14. Area For Non Whites Pretoria Suburban Station for Non-Whites One staircase for whites, One for non-whites

15. Bantu Education Act – 1953. Segregated supervision of all education for African children – away from missions to state. Guaranteeing inferior education: Verwoerd - ‘What is the point of teaching the Bantu child Mathematics when it [sic] cannot use it in practice?’ Job Reservation Bill – 1954. Reserved skilled jobs for whites only. (In mining industry since 1911). Abolished 1979. Group Areas Act. 1954. Gave powers to determine right of ownership and occupation of land and property on racial lines. Heavily biased in favour of white population. Repealed 1990.

16. This bathing area is reserved for the sole use of members of the white race group. Europeans Blankes

17. 1956 Pass Laws intensified and applied to women. Black people not allowed to be in so-called white areas for more than 72 hours unless had special permission indicated on the pass-book they had to carry at all times. Repealed 1986. 1959 Bantu Self-Government Act Advent of Bantustans: sinister and sophisticated strategy for keeping South Africa ‘white’. Homelands allocated to black people ‘reinvented’ as separate countries. All reincorporated into South Africa in 1994.

18. A Pass Book from the apartheid era

19. Map showing ‘homelands’ during Apartheid

20. Forced Removals in Cape Town (District 6) 1974

21. Townships: Africans with the right to reside in 'white areas' had to live at a distance in black townships with inadequate and insufficient housing. Black female domestic servants typically had living quarters provided for them at the place of their employment, often a room at the back of the garage, so segregation still maintained Testimonies from female African domestic workers in Maids and Madams show that they were well aware of their exploitation.

22. Passive Resistance ANC founded in 1912. Aim: to bring all Africans together as one people to defend their rights and freedoms 1952 – Nelson Mandela joined executive of African National Congress (ANC). 1950s - Mandela repeatedly banned, arrested and imprisoned Pass Law demo in Pretoria, 1956- mobilisation of 20,000 black women

23. South African Flag (from 1994) Logo of African National Congress

24. Anti-pass demonstrations, 1955-6

25. 1956 Women’s March on the Union buildings, Pretoria

26. 1959 – Pan African Congress (PAC) established,led by Robert Subukwe Robert Sobukwe, founder of the Pan African Congress (PAC)

27. Passive resistance to passes at Sharpeville on 21 March 1960 – police shot 67 dead and wounded nearly 200 in 40 seconds

28. Sharpsville massacre was catalyst in launch of armed struggle Trafalgar Square Demonstration After Sharpeville

29. Armed Struggle and Renewed Repression Republic of South Africa declared ANC and PAC banned ANC response to found Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) to initiate armed struggle against apartheid regime. Over the next 18 months over 200 acts of sabotage were carried out. Mandela went underground, evading arrest as ‘The Black Pimpernel’ Mandela left South Africa for military training

30. Umkhonto We Sizwe (Spear of the Nation)

31. 1962 Sabotage Act. Gave arbitary power to police to place people ‘guilty’ of sabotage under house arrest. 1963 Ninety Day Detention Law. Gave senior police officials power to imprison anybody incommunicado without trial for up to 90 days. 1963 The whole leadership of MK seized in a Police raid. October to June = Rivonia Trial. Mandela, Mbeki, Sisulu, Goldberg, Kathrada, Mhlaba, Mlangeni and Motsoaledi sentenced to life imprisonment.

32. Demonstrations in support of those on trial Nelson Mandela arriving at the Rivonia trial

33. During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die (Nelson Mandela, Rivonia Trial, Pretoria Supreme Court, 20 April 1964).

34. 1967 – Terrorism Act. Section 6 gave power to impose indefinite detention on any person and to hold her or him in solitary confinement for purposes of interrogation. 1970s onwards - Boycottingof South African goods and sports gets underway in earnest. Mid-1970s – rise of Black Consciousness movement, led by Steve Biko - sabotageof installations and infrastructure by MK continues.

35. The most potent weapon In the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed – Steve Biko Steve Biko

36. Soweto - June 16 1976. Over 1000 schoolchildren shot dead by the police during peaceful protest against imposition of Afrikaans as official teaching language for blacks.  12 September 1977 – murder of Steve Biko while in police custody. Journalist Donald Woods writes book that becomes Cry Freedom film 1983 – United Democratic Front (UDF) founded

37. March of Soweto School-children, 16 June 1976

38. The body of Hector Peterson, killed by police in Soweto, 1976

39. 1983 – United Democratic Front (UDF) founded

40. The Long Road to Freedom 1979 - Black trade unions recognized 1986 – Pass Laws and Influx Control repealed 1990 – Release of Mandela - after 27 years in prison 1992 – Unbanning of ANC

41. 11 February 1990