History of South Africa

Original in habitants The San (sahn) –Lived in small communities, hunting and gathering The Khoikhoi (koy koy) –Nomadic herders large flocks of cheep and cattle Bantu speaking people –Skilled in iron making –Farmers –Migrated from central to southern Africa They lived peacefully Democratic rule of a king

The Europeans 1652 the Dutch East India Company established a supply base at Cape of Good Hope Established a thriving settlement known as Cape Colony French and German setted as well Collectively called themselves Afrikaners or Boers Traded with the Africans Began to demand more land Khoikhoi rebelled Dutch easily win –Forced many into slavery

Dutch lost control to the British British moved into the area Quickly take over the Cape of Good Hope Afrikaners farmers (Boers) resented British rule –wanted to preserve their culture –wanted to continue slave labor

The Great Trek To rid themselves of British rule and to preserve their Afrikaner culture Headed northeast Meet with great resistance Xhosa (koh-suh) and the Zulus fought them fiercely Boers were able to establish two republics ( ) –Transvaal –Orange Free State

Diamonds, Gold and War 1879 diamonds were discovered in Transvaal 1886 gold was discovered in same area British colonists rushed into area to claim land Black Africans moved to the area for work in the mines Result: Anglo-Boer War British won the war Union of South Africa is born –under the British Empire –combined the two Afrikaner Republics and their two colonies

Beginning of Apartheid Afrikaners believed in the superiority of the white race and their culture Laws were passed to support this idea African National Congress works to unite all people –Slogan “We are one people” Still law continue to pass that separate the races 1948 Afrikaner Nationalist Party won control of the gov Apartheid (separateness) becomes the official government policy –Population is divided into four racial groups Africans, Whites, Colored, Asians

Policy and Practices under Apartheid Harshest on blacks Series of Pass laws –Could not vote –Could not travel freely –Had to carry a passbook –Restricted where blacks would work and live Native Land Act: confined to reserves Groups Area Act was passed –Divided 13% of the land into 10 homelands (bantustans) for blacks to live Blacks living in cities were removed to townships –Later then would be moved to homelands

South African Homelands Set up according to ethnic line

Resistance Sharpeville –Demonstrated against the passlaws in the early 1960s –69 were killed, 180 injured –Lead to harsher laws –Convinced many blacks that nonviolence wasn’t the answer –Umkhonto We Sizwe “Spear of the Nation” was formed Leader lawyer named Nelson Mandela –ANC and Pan-African Congress were banned –Nelson Mandela was imprisoned

Forced Underground The ANC and PAC were forced underground Used guerrilla warfare and sabotage to protest In 1961 South Africa declared itself a republic –Left the British Common Wealth –Due to internal protest pressure on Britain to do something New Constitution was written that basically put all political power in white hands

Resistance continues Soweto –Students peaceful protest a new law Made Afrikaans the language to be used in schools –Unarmed students were fired upon –Led to more protests –Led to hundreds dead

Global outrage Death of Steve Biko (1977) Archbishop Desmond Tutu called for international pressure United States responded by banning South African imports, making loans and allowing investments 1984 Olympic Zola Budd

“Apartheid must go” South Africa ended the pass laws (’80s) People could not be removed to the homelands by force Frederik W. de Klerk became president in 1989 –Lifted ban on ANC, released Mandela from prison, repealed segregation laws –1991 apartheid racial separation laws ended

1994 First universal suffrage election held in South Africa Nelson Mandela becomes president