Resisitance To Aparthied.

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RESISITANCE TO APARTHIED

THE ANC 1912-1949

1912-1930: the ANC was out of touch with the needs of the people

The ANC was essentially out of touch with the mood and needs of the general African population and therefore did little to improve the lives of ordinary African people.

1930s: internal disorganisation and police harassment

During the 1930s the ANC became even less active as a result of internal disorganisation as well as police harassment.

1937: time of change

1937 marked the beginning of a transitional period in African politics. At this point, the ANC recognised the need to adopt a more assertive role in African politics.

1940: Dr Xuma takes over

In 1940, Dr Xuma became the new leader of the ANC. He restructured the organisation and tried to make it more efficient. But he did not try to broaden the membership of the ANC by drawing in the ordinary people. It remained an organisation that represented the interests of the elite.

1943: The formation of the Women's League

1944: The formation of the Youth League

It was only with the formation of the ANC Youth League in 1944 that a more aggresive and mass-based approach was used. The Youth Leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, were young intellectuals who generally felt that the ANC had not adopted to nor taken up the challenge of changing circumstances in the 1940s.

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1949: ANC adopts the Youth League's programme of action

The Youth League's 'programme of action' was adopted by the ANC only in 1949 when the Youth Leaders began to play a prominent role in leadership, and the movement dedicated itself to mass action.

NON-VIOLENT CONFRONTATION IN THE 1950’S

In the 1950s, resistance largely took the form of non-violent confrontation with the government. Forms of resistance included:

  • the defiance campaign, when people challenged the petty apartheid laws by breaking them and encouraging mass arrests
  • the Freedom Charter, which demanded ...

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