Forced Segregation In 1910, Britain granted S. Africa self rule Until 1994, a small white minority led the government whites make up 16% of S. Africa’s population, 70% black, 11% mixed, 3% Asian In 1948, Nationalist party came to power, made up of conservative white farmers with strong white supremacist views

They set up strict legal system of apartheid (rigid separation of races) Under apartheid, the gov’t classified all S. Africa as white, black, “COLOURED” (people of mixed race), or Asian It passed laws to keep races separate

Nonwhites could not vote, and were restricted to where they could live and work Black ethnic groups were assigned to live in homelands, which were located in dry, infertile areas 4/5 th ’s of S. Africa’s fertile parts remained in white hands Some black were allowed to live outside the homelands because the gov’t needed workers

Umbulwana, Natal in Umbulwana was called "a black spot" because it is in a "white" area. It was eventually demolished and the inhabitants forced to move to identically numbered houses in "resettlement" villages in their designated "homelands." Millions of black South Africans were forcibly "resettled" in this way. (UN Photo# )

Pass laws required all black S. Africans living in a town or city to carry a passbook –Passbook included a record of where they could travel or work, their tax payments, and a record of any criminal convictions, it had to be carried at all times

Pass laws divided families, husbands and wives could not live together if both did not have passes to the city Black were forbidden to: –Ride on “white” buses –Swim at “white” beaches –Eat at “white” restaurants –Education limited, causing many blacks to be illiterate/ no education

Struggle Against Apartheid Non-violent resistance always present Gov’t banned opposition groups, like African National Congress Black leaders went into hiding— Nelson Mandela caught in 1964 and sentenced to life in prison

Women and students involved in struggle International pressure grew and groups began to boycott S. Africa United Nations place an arms embargo on S. Africa During 1980’s, U.S. and other nations imposed economic sanctions (cut off trade in many items and ended financial dealings with businesses in S. Africa) Children of Soweto, a Black township some ten miles away from Johannesburg, in The Zulu world "Amandla" scrawled on the wall means "Power". This has been adopted as a rallying call in the struggle for Black rights. (UN Photo# )

Steps toward change Protest and economic sanctions had an effect They slowed S. African economy, causing white business leaders to press the gov’t for change Mid-1980’s S. Africa repealed the pass laws and opened some segregated facilities In President F.W. de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC and other opposition groups

1990- Nelson Mandela freed from prison Early 1990’s- de Klerk’s gov’t slowly moved to end white minority rule elections held to create a coalition gov’t (Blacks could vote for the first time) Mandela was swept into office Created gov’t based on “justice for all” White extremists still opposed the new constitution Ethnic and political tensions at times flared into violence Today, S. Africa on verge of a peaceful nation Mandela and de Klerk accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 Mandela casting his ballot in the 1994 elections

Newly-elected President Nelson Mandela addressing the crowd from a balcony of the Town Hall in Pretoria, South Africa on May 10, (UN Photo# by C. Sattleberger)