By the mid-1930's the ANC as a political party in South Africa was basically in ruins. The reason for the extreme decline in ANC support can be linked to the governement legislation of the Natives Land Act of 1913 which divided South African territory into black and white sections - the largest section bein reserved for the white's 13. 44. The bill was held by the white government until 1936 when Hertzog's Native Trust and Land Act was passed and implemented 13. 44-45. Thus, the white government had established a clear set of boundries that limited the areas where black natives could settle or farm. Only 13 percent of the land in South Africa was given to the natives13, 44. Hence, by forcing a large number of natives into the same territorial location, the white elities could limit the number of seats availible to black politicians - thereby securing a white majority government. White's also benefitied from the incease in industry gained from the Land Act since they now controlled vast amounts of farm land and mineral mines that were once availible to the native Africans but were now off-limits. South African natives however would not sit quiet for long. At the end of 1935, the ANC participated in the All African Convention (AAC) which for the first time brought Coloureds, Black Nationalists, Communists and Trotskyists together 8 10-11. Even though the ACC did not have a severe impact on the situation in South Africa, the comming together of these various parties - the Communist and National Congress party in particular, would prove to be the catalyst for the increased development of the ANC in the years to come.
The friendship between the South African Communist Party (CPSA) and the ANC -being deep rooted from the All African Convention; led to the creation of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL). By the end of 1949, the ANCYL became the main body of the NAC yet consequently, around the same time, another new party that would compete against the ANC in South Africa was formed8. 13-14. This new party under the Nationalist Party title, was ruled by Afrikaners, while it also promoted a similar nationalist view of Africa to that of the ANC and as a result, both organizations fed off of each other's promotion of nationalism. In 1948, the National Party introduced apartheid as part of their campaign strategy of the upcoming elections. Under the Christian principles of Justice and reasonableness as stated in the National Party colour policy of March 1948,13.. the National Party gained a majority victory in the South African government. Thus, Apartheid became the governing political policy for the whole of South Africa. In 1959, the United African Congress was banned from operation thus creating a dictatorship type state within South Africa. The banning was used as a means of controlling the black population against aparthied and it served as an effective means until the early 1990's.
Apartheid laws classified people according to three major racial groups-white; Bantu, or black Africans; and Coloured, or people of mixed descentEncarta. Later Asians, or Indians and Pakistanis, were added as a fourth category. These laws drafted under apartheid rule, determined where members of each racial group could live, what jobs they could hold, and what type of education they could receive. Likewise, Black politcians were forced to obey white laws which restrained their ability to change any policy presented by the white government. An example of the constraints that black politicians faced are the issues they were not allowed to vote on. They are as follows:
(1) Votes on confidence in the Government.
(2) A declaration of war, and
(3) A change in the political rights of non-Europeans 13.
Furthermore, laws prohibited most social contact between races and authorized segregated public facilities. People who openly opposed apartheid were considered communists and the government passed strict security legislation which in effect turned South Africa into a police state. Encarta Although there is no longer a legal basis for apartheid in South Africa, the social, economic, and political inequalities between white and black South Africans definetely damaged the South African State a great deal. Thus, as one can see, white influence in South Africa clearly damaged the entire infrastructure of the once tribal african society. The laws and regulations enforced by the governing white minority since the establishment of the Cape Colony in 1908 have clearly hindered the development and evolution of the black population in South Africa.
The coming to power of the Nationalist Party made it clear that Africans could effect change only through unity among themsleves. To achieve this sense of unity amongst africans was going to be a very hard task. The Youth League decided to draft a mission statement that would be common to all Africans so that all members of each diffrent party could be unified towards a common goal. The statement was a paper based on the Youth League's conception of African Nationalism and called for a democratic government.. An editorial writer named Kanyisa described this Nationalism in Inkundla ya Bantu as a reaction to white extremism15.p182
At every stage when we streched out our hand of friendship, we were metaphorically spat upon; we were humiliated and insulted; our mind and sould were bruised painfully. Still we were patient, and the more we were patient, the tighter the noose of oppression around our necks... All these things have a meaning. Our people are speaking a new language; the language of dtermination and liberty. 15. 183
This type of ideolgy was indeed widspread among the Youth league members. The Youth League called upon the ANC to reject all forms or racial dominace, segregation, apartheid, trusteeship or partnership15.184. The youths hoped to chieve this by calling for a general strike, boycott, civil disobediance, and total non-cooperation with white peoples15.185. The older members of the ANC, beleived the Youth League's motivations were correct but their suggested method of fighting white supremcay through the means mentioned above was wrong. By 1949 the ANC had split into four main bodies two of them being the Old Gaurd and the Youth Lea gue15. 186. For black African Nationaalists, the time to fight against the white oppressor would have to wait. An wait they did, unitl 1952 when the ANC embarked on a National Defience campaign which was designed to repeal many of the governemts acts passed since it conception in 1948. 8.18. The defiance campaign embodied numerous amounts of black nationalists whom defied the small laws of the apartheid government thereby creating a massive surge in the court system in place at the time. By gaining public recognition from the defiance campaign, the ANC hoped that the governemnt would eventually give up and listen to their complaints. Consequently the defiance campaign failed due to the overall fear of the apartheid state8 18-19. The filure of the defiance capaign caused ANC leaders to draft another mothod to combat the apartheid rulers. To achieve this, the ANC drafted its famous Freedom Charter8.20-21 The Charter set out a list of demands which was to be presented to the Nationalist Party. The demands were grouped under the following headings:
1. The people shall govern;
2. All National groups shall have equal rights;
3. The people shall share in the country's wealth;
4. The land shall be shared by those who work it;
5. All Shall be equal before the law;
6. All shall enjot equal human rights;
7. There shall be work and security;
8. The doors of learning and culture shall be opened;
9. There shall be houses, comfort and security;
10. There shall be peace and friendship 8.20-21.
Consequently, as one could expect, the demands of the Charter were not well recieved by the apartheid governemnt. The apartheid began arresting labour leaders under the Native Labour Act of 1953, they also enforced stricted pass laws, and under the Group Areas Act of 1950, they arrested almost all opposing party leaders8.23. This strict enforcement of rules led to the Treason Trail in which over 100 leaders of the Congress Allaince, - incuding Nelson Mendella, were put on trial for treason against the state8.23. The trail lasted for the remained of the 1950's during which time, the ANC continued to host non-violent protests against the apartheid regime. up to the 1960's the peaceful protests of the ANC fell of deaf ears and the situtaion in South Africa worsened as American coorporations began to invade South Africa's industry backed by full support of the apartheid regime.
If the ANC was going to bring reform and justice to South Africa, then they would have to find an alternative means to do so. In the early years of 1960, a new tactic to combat the apartrheid rule was developed. Known as Guerilla warfare, this new approach to fight the apartheid was described in the ANC's major strategic document as "the special and in our case the only form in which the armed struggle for liberation can be launched16. 666 ." The new tactic however, was not implemented as Neslon Madella noted "that it could hope to achieve nothing more than the loss of life and bitterness16.666." As a result, the ANC in partnership with the South African Communist Party formed Umkhondo we Sizwe (the spear of the nation) in an attempt to overthrow the white oppressors16. 667. Once again the attempts to rid South Africa of its unjust rulers failed. Similarily, attempts against the apartheid regime between the years of 1963 and 1984 would come in the form of unorganized popular revolts that would inevitably fail16.667.
The popular unrest that developed in South Africa in 1984 began with spontaneous boycots and disturbances at black schools and would eventually lead to violence throughout much of South Africa16.668. The violence in South Africa became so intense that between the summer of 1984 and and the winter of 1987, more than 2,600 people had been killed in popular unrest movements16.667-668. Violence was generally directed at local government structures and officials. Total damages between 1984 and 1987 are estimated at $69 million; while the unrest caused 240 black officials to resign in just over a year16. 669. Indeed the decade of the 1980's was marked by large violent protests throughout South Africa. Furthermore, black militant union were formed, the most important being the United Democratic Front. Although the UDF is not directly associated with the ANC, its main goals are similiar to that of the ANC's in that, it is formally committed to the abolishment of white rule; while it also promotes a non-racial democratic South Africa16, 669. The UDF has a memebrship number of 2.5 million people, all of whom were willing to go to war against the apartheid regime. For the first time since the white race set foot on South African soil, the possibility of black rule seemed plausible. This can be seen in the ANC's document Planning for the People's War in which the ANC states "...In the 1980's we have seen our struggle take a leap forward, and the situation today has within it the seeds and concrete possibility for insurection...16. 671. After this statement was issued the ANC radio broadcast to its members to train themselves in guerilla warfare so that a total insurecction could be possible. As resistance mounted, the apartheid regime became more vicious. A state of emergency was declared over many parts of the country in July 1985ANC.org. It lasted for six months, and then in June 1986 a national emergency was declared, that lasted until 1990. The states of emergency were used to detain over 300,000 people, among them children, and to ban the UDF and its affiliates from all activity.
In spite of detentions and bannings, the mass movement took to the city streets defiantly with the ANC flags and banners. The people proclaimed the ANC unbanned and in February 1990, the regime was forced to unban the ANC and other organisationsANC.org. Through unbanning the ANC, the regime indicated for the first time, that it might be prepared to try and solve South Africa's problems peacefully, through negotiations. After its unbanning, the ANC began to establish branch and regional structures of its members. At its national conference inside the country since 1959, the ANC restated its aim to unite South Africa and bring the country to free and democratic elections. At the 1991 National Conference of the ANC Nelson Mandela was elected PresidentANC.org. The negotiations initiated by the ANC resulted in the holding of the historic first elections in which of course was based on a one person one vote rule. In April 1994, some eighty years after the white takeover of South Africa, the ANC won the elections with a vast majority. 62,6% of the more than 22 million votes cast were in favour of the ANCANC.org. On the 10th of May 1994 Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the President of South Africa. The African National Congress currently holds the majority government in South Africa. In sum, the 1980's in South AFrica can be linked to massive military action and social unrest. The overall number of black africans in combination with international pressure against apartheid rule no doubtly forced the apartheid regime into a long awaited remission. The ANC pushed so much that finally South African's in the 1990's were allowed to choose by who and how their country was to be ruled.
