"The ending of White minority rule in South Africa was achieved only because of Nelson Mandela" Do you agree with this statement?

South Africa Coursework

“The ending of White minority rule in South Africa was achieved only because of Nelson Mandela.”

Do you agree with this statement?

Explain your answer in detail (25 marks).

The given question suggests that the “White minority rule” of South Africa, known as apartheid, was ended in 1994 “only” because of the actions of Nelson Mandela. He was certainly an important figure in the struggle against White rule, however a series of other, interlinked and more important factors also need to be considered to fully understand why apartheid ended.

The apartheid was a system of racial segregation in South Africa. The word “apartheid” was originated from the Afrikaner language meaning “separateness” and describes the extreme racial divisions set up by the White minority on the Black people of South Africa. The National Party introduced apartheid as part of its campaign in the 1948 elections. Apartheid became the political policy for South Africa until1994. Many laws held together a system of abuse and discrimination, where Blacks became minorities. White people had large privileges compared to Black Africans and in most cases were left with hardly nothing. Between 1948 and 1994, Blacks, together with some other racial groups struggled to bring an end to apartheid.

In 1918 Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela was born into a tribal clan, in a small village in South Africa's Eastern Cape. A teacher at his primary school later gave him his English name, Nelson. In 1943 Mandela Joined the African National Congress (ANC), initially as an activist, but in 1944 he formed the youth league of the ANC with his close friends Oliver Tambo and Walter Sislu. Just over ten years later in 1955, the Freedom Charter was first adopted at the Congress of the People. This called for equal rights and equal share of wealth with the country's White population. He was then, in 1956 along with 155 other political activists, accused of conspiring to overthrow the South African state by violent means, and was charged with high treason. But the charges are dropped after a lengthy four-year trial. Although things started to go wrong in 1960, the ANC became banned following the Sharpeville massacre and Mandela decided to form an underground military wing. Unfortunately for him, police captured him after more than a year on the run. He was later convicted of sabotage and treason and in June sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island. Then in 1980 his close friend Oliver Tambo, launches an international campaign for his release and finally in 1990 a breakthrough appeared. Due to a series of interlinked factors President FW de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC and Nelson Mandela was released from his life-sentence imprisonment. From this, the ANC and the White National Party soon began talks on forming a multi-racial democracy for South Africa. Deservingly, Mandela and Mr de Klerk were both awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to transform South Africa against a backdrop of bloodshed and in 1994 Mandela was elected president of South Africa, in the first multi-racial democratic elections in South Africa's history. The ANC won 252 of the 400 seats in the national assembly. It is safe to say that Nelson Mandela played a key part in the abolishment of apartheid, although his time imprisoned shows that other important factors also must be considered to understand the full meaning of why apartheid ended.

From the 1950’s onwards the Black peoples of Africa became increasingly aware of who they were and of their culture and history. This is helped in 1960 when the British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, ended a tour of South African Cape Town. There he spoke to the White Parliament. This became known as the “Wind of change” speech. He described his visits to other parts of Africa and explained how strong African Nationalism had become. Macmillan made it clear that Britain and the Commonwealth found South Africa’s apartheid policies unacceptable. It’s very significant that it is the British prime minister ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

As the Commonwealth is all the former countries of the British Empire, and on the view that South Africa becomes isolated, it becomes even more isolated when newly independent countries (formed from the Black African nations) join the Commonwealth. All these new countries also join the UN (United Nations). These new independent countries help to increases the pressure on South Africa and in 1961 Verwœrd is forced to take his country out of the Commonwealth. As a result of this South Africa becomes even more isolated and to add to this, in 1963 the Black African nations came together to form the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). At its first meeting it made the abolition of apartheid in South Africa one of its main aims. They put forward their views and ideas at Lusaka forming the Lusaka manifesto.

In 1966 Verwœrd refused entry to some Maoris of which the New Zealand rugby authorities had selected to tour in South Africa. The South African sporting bans drew the attention of the Western countries. Banning an English team to an event as their team consisted of Black players created even more isolation form Europe for South Africa.

All these factors including the rise in African Nationalism were together a very powerful political force and it is this, which gives energy to the anti-apartheid movement. Although it is clearly the idea of African Nationalism, which is the most important factor and therefore underpins why apartheid ended.

Another important factor to help explain why apartheid ended was the mistakes made by the White government. The rise in African Nationalism put pressure on the White Minority government. A good example of this the Muldergate scandal. In 1973 a serious error of judgement led to Vorster’s downfall that shook Afrikaner confidence at the National Party. Vorster approved of a plan set up by Minister of Information, Dr Connie Mulder, for a secret “propaganda war” to boost the image of apartheid not only in South Africa but world-wide. The plan involved using 64 million Rand (£40 million) on bribes, entertainment projects and dirty tricks. This tax -payers money was spent on shares in international news agencies, newspapers, luxury properties in Miami, Cannes, London, Soweto and South Africa. The money was also used to bribe politicians in USA, Britain, Japan and the Seychelles.

The discovery of how this money had been spent was very the same to another scandal in America called the “Watergate affair” which had forced President Nixon to resign in 1974. The Muldergate scandal forced Vorster to resign as South African Prime Minister to take on a less demanding job of president, despite a landslide election victory in 1977. He was later forced to resign in disgrace in 1978.

The so -called Muldergate scandal greatly undermined the respect that white people had for their government in South Africa. This scandal must be seen as a reaction to the rise in African Nationalism.

Another main factor, which led to the end of apartheid, was economic problems within South Africa and sanctions imposed by other countries. In 1962, the UN announced that no country should trade with South Africa. By this the UN thought that by stopping trade, the South African government would give up apartheid. But this didn’t go to plan, as South Africa was very rich in gold, diamonds and uranium. South Africa’s main traders were Britain, USA and Japan and as the Cold war was developing they couldn’t simply resist the temptation to trade with South Africa. As countries continued to trade with South Africa, the original idea from Britain and USA were never properly introduced. The main reason for this was that Britain and USA didn’t want to loose their jobs and the vital resources they could gain from South Africa.

A fourth factor to consider in why white minority rule ended in South Africa was the importance of other key figure -heads during the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela. A clear example of this is the importance of Steve Biko, who was the leader of Black Africa whilst Mandela was in prison. In 1969 he dismayed the white students at the NUSAS by forming a separate all black South African Students Organisation (SASO). Biko and his supporters helped set up the Black Communities Project to develop black self –help schemes. He helped strengthen black self –awareness and consciousness.

Later in 1971, Biko formed a political organisation called the Black Peoples Convention. His aim was to promote the ideas of “Black consciousness”. By Biko using the term Black, he meant all Non –White South Africans. Writing under the name “Frank Talk”, he voiced his thoughts in a book called “I write what I like”. During his speeches he tried to give hope and strength to the Black people. Then in 1972, Biko was expelled by the University of Natal, for “Inadequate academic performance”. The “ system” as Biko called the Government and police, saw him as trouble and in 1973 banned him to King Williams Town where he worked for the Black Community Programme. This didn’t do any favours for him as many whites thought that his ideas encouraged black racism especially among young Blacks. In 1977 the “system” decided he had to be silenced. A newspaper report by Donald Woods stated that, “ He was handcuffed, put into leg irons, chained to a grille… He was beaten and tortured… Causing him to lapse into a coma and die six days later.”

The police Minister, Kruger, said that Biko had died from a hunger strike. A later inquiry suggested he died from serious brain damage but that none of the Security Police was guilty of a criminal offence.

Another figure -head to consider was Desmond Tutu. The part he played in the ending of apartheid was being the respectable face of Black opposition in the world press. He was an Anglican Priest, which was awarded the Noble Peace Prize in 1984. This gave International publicity to another Non –Violent but outspoken critic of apartheid. Again, this all happened whilst Mandela remained in prison.

Importantly F.W de Klerk also played a key role in the ending of White minority rule. In 1989 when he replaced P.W Botha as president, few thought he would make many change to life in South Africa.

However, on 2 February 1990, de Klerk opened parliament with a 35minute speech, which began to demolish the whole apartheid state. He started by un-banning the ANC, the PAC and the Communist Party and 30 other organisations. He freed political prisoners and suspended the death sentence. Nine days later Nelson Mandela was released without conditions.

In conclusion, Nelson Mandela was clearly not the most important reason why the White minority rule ended in South Africa. A series of other interlinked and more important factors have to be considered. For example, mistakes by the White government, the economic pressures and sanctions on South Africa. These are all important to some extent, but clearly the most important factor is the rise in African Nationalism. “ From the 1950’s onwards the Black peoples of South Africa became more aware of their culture and history…” This underpins all the other factors as the Muldergate scandal and the imposing of sanctions were both reactions to the rise in African Nationalism.