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Period: to
Journey from Apartheid to Freedom
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African National Congress
The African National Congress is a political party created to fight Apartheid. It was formed in 1912 to unite all of the African people of all races. . It had its first victory in 1994 in the first democratic election. The ANC’s armed branch was called the Umkhonto we Sizwe. The effect of the ANC was to make all of the people of South Africa equal. Nelson Mandela was one one of the greatest leadersof the ANC, and he became the first black president of South Africa. -
The National party
The National Party was formed by a J.B.M. Hertzog in 1914 and stayed in power from 1948 to 1994. A mass af racial legislations was designed to establish white supremacy in South Africa. They established Apartheid, and the African National Congress was a major opposition to the National Party. In 1994 the National Party was overthrown in the first Democratic election in South Africa, and Mandela was elected the first black president in the first democratic election in South Africa. -
Nelson Mandela Early Life
Nelson Mandela was born in Umtata, South Africa. When he was nine, his father passed away, and Jongintaba, a wise friend, raised him. In 1938 he attended Fort Hare but was kicked out for being involved in a political protest. He also attended Witerwatersrand University, and in 1944 joined the ANC in its fight against apartheid. -
Jacob Zuma
Jacob Zuma was born in poverty and had no formal education in his early years. He went on to attend university, and In 1959, he joined the African Communist Party. That same year, he was arrested with a group of 45 people. He overcame his background and became president of South Africa on December, 2007.He is still trying to repair all that the apartheid goverment did that harmed South Africa. -
Apartheid
Apartheid was a policy of legalized racism in South Africa begun by Hendik Verwoerd in 1948. This is a policy where whites wanted to make racism legal in South Africa. The citizens were separated into 4 groups- white, black, colored, and Indian/Asian. The ANC (African National Congress), led by Oliver Tambo, helped fight the South African government by supporting non whites. After over 40 years of hardship and struggle, Apatheid ended in 1990 when F.W. de Klerk became president and stopped it. -
Nelson Mandela's Anti-apartheid Involvement and Imprisonment
In 1948 the Afrikaaner National Party created a set of racist policies, more commonly known as apartheid. Nelson Mandela dedicated his life to fighting aparthed and was sentenced for life in prison in the Rivonia Trial for trying to violently sabotage the apartheid government. In 1990 President F.W. de Klerk repealed the apartheid laws and released many political prisoners including Mandela. -
Population Registation act of 1950
The Population Registration Act of 1950 was a policy in which non-whites were classified by their racial appearance and background. Non-whites were not allowed into the "white zones" where all the white people would live. If you were a non-white you had to carry around a passbook to show your racial dentity. -
Bantu Authorities Act of 1951
The Bantu Authroities Act disciminated against people with any skin color but white. They could no longer be citizens of South Africa. These second class citizens were sent to places of South Africa that were not appropriate for raising cattle or crops. The whites lived in the better, more agricultural places of South Africa. Non-whites also could not vote. Non-whites had lost every right to take part in politics and South African government. -
Defiance Campaign
The Defiance Campaign was a rebellion against Apartheid. Over 2500 people were arrested, and many people were injured or killed. They did not successfully overturn Apartheid, but they gathered international support. The Campaign started as non-violent, but by the end became quite militant. -
Bantu Education Act of South Africa in1953
The Bantu Education Act was a devastating act passed in 1953 to attack South African non-white education. The act damaged the non-white education . Schools lacked the supplies and environment to teach children. The teachers were improperly trained and taught subjects in Afrikaan, a language most of the students could not understand. The government wanted to keep the power in white hands. They wanted to limit non-whites to menial jobs of labor and service to whites. -
Freedom Charter
The Freedom Charter was a document signed as a declaration by the "rebels" against Apartheid, defining what South-Africa should be like politically. It had ten clauses, or sections, the first one being "The people shall govern!" The rebels used these clauses as their guidelines, to define the beliefs of human equality, which is what they are fighting for. -
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu became committed to Christianity when he faced death at 14. Tutu has accomplished many life achievements beginning with becoming the first black archbishop of the Anglican Church in South Africa, and becoming a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his work against apartheid. Recently in 2009, President Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Tutu has inspired the lives of many people throughout the world and benefited us all. -
Hendrik Verwoerd; Father of Apartheid
On September 8, 1901, Hendrik Verwoerd was born in Holland and later moved to South Africa. He was elected prime minister of South Africa in September 1958. Once he was in office, he created the racist policy of apartheid. On April 9, 1960, a deranged white farmer shot Verwoerd in an assassination attempt that failed. Six years later he was stabbed to death. Hendrik Verwoerd will always be remembered as the father of apartheid. -
The Rivonia Trial
On November 26, 1963 the Rivonia Trial began. During this period in South Africa, great conflict existed between the whites and non-whites. The minority white National Party wanted to end the opposition of the ANC. In order to do this, they arrested many of their leaders, and ssentenced them to life in prison. -
Soweto Uprising of 1976
The Soweto Uprising was a revolt against the Bantu Education Act which reduced the education of non-whites in South Africa. The Soweto students started with a peaceful demonstration of protesting, but the police over-reacted and opened fire and ended up killing many people. By the end of the uprising, at least 160 communities had joined the uprising. Over the next 16 months, about 700 people were killed as a result of the rebellion, and half of the deaths took place in Soweto. -
President F.W de Klerk
F.W de Klerk was a very famous president in South Africa. Some of the most memorable acts he accomplished were his repeal of the apartheid policy and the release of Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners. When de Klerk became the president in South Africa on September 20, 1989, he repealed the Apartheid Act. All in all, de Klerk had one of the most significant political careers in South African history. -
President Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa on April 26, 1994 in their first Democratic election. After that, he went on to create many organizations such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which investigated human rights violations under Apartheid, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and even Mandela Day. He ended his one term as president on June 14, 1999, but is still respected worldwide.
