NEWS

South African anti-apartheid icon and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu passed away

ABOUT APARTHEID

Apartheid

• System of institutionalized racial segregation
• Existed in South Africa from 1948s to early 1990s for Imperial gains
• Characterized by authoritarian political culture based on baasskap ( white supremacy)
• Literal meaning meant “Separateness”
• Lead to total isolation and exclusion of natives from Political, Social and Economical scenario, the effects could be seen in various spheres according to the following ways-
  • Political Suppression
    • Blacks were not allowed to vote or participate in important political processes.
    • Denied all political rights to African blacks.
    • There was no Black representation in the government.
    • South Africa faced arms embargo and sanctions from UN.
  • Social Suppression
    • Deprived of any rights, blacks were confined to small locations.
    • Blacks were alloted to separate lands called “homelands”
    • Separate Schools and Hospitals were opened for Blacks and Whites.
    • Income inequalities
    • Whites were involved in top jobs, whereas Blacks were involved in labor and maid jobs.
  • Culturally
    • Inter-racial marriages were prohibited under Marriage Act.
    • Non whites were not allowed to use specific public places
  • Economically
    • Deprived of any economic resources.
    • Made to work for long hours on low wages.
    • Land from the whites was taken away and redistributed among the blacks.
  • Educationally
    • Meager and basic educational qualifications were provided to the natives
    • Only one tenth of the budget was allocated in comparison to the budget allocated in white schools.
    • Blacks were allowed to take courses only relevant to labor class.
  • Psychological Effect
    • It captured the imagination of population of South Africa.
    • It crushed the confidence of the Blacks.
    • The ‘Superiority of whites” was ingrained in their mental construct.
    • The effects of psychological suppression could be seen even today.

HOW IT ENDED

• In the earlier phase, the movement used violent means and methods. Eg- Bombing and Shooting officials
• Mandela was inspired by M.K.Gandhi and the freedom struggle of India.He, kept the struggle in South Africa Non Violent, used Civil Disobedience and Non Cooperation methods
• Creation of ‘African National Congress’ played to be major institutional vehicles of resistance.
• The African National Congress in 1955 adopted a “Freedom Charter”, which asserted that South Africa, belongs to all those who live in it.
• In 1963, police arrested popular leader, Nelson Mandela and put him in prison where he remained till 1990.
• During 1970s ,the Black students raised their voices at the world stage , resulting which UN General Assembly denounced Apartheid in 1976
• Under International pressure, the national party government in South Africa agreed to take back racial acts & by 1994, a new Constitution free of racial discrimination was enacted and implemented.