Africa

Africa

1) Discuss the founding events and myths of Afrikaaner nationalism. How did these affect South Africa through the 1980s? (You may want to look at Apartheid, the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Blood River, as well as the rise of the far-right groups like AWB.)

Introduction

In the aftermath of the Boer War, the Union of South Africa, consisting of the British colonies of Natal and Cape Colony, and the Dutch-speaking republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, united as the Union of South Africa in 1910. The country prospered under the impetus of the gold and mining industries. As a result, the native African population started to abandon their traditional tribal life in the country and, in search of employment, moved toward the prosperous industrial centers, where they huddled in shanty towns. The presence of increasing numbers of blacks nearby triggered a reaction in the white community. Segregation of the races had always been a de facto condition, but in 1948 certain elements moved to ensure this condition by setting up a number of specific laws. In that year, the conservative Afrikaner Nationalists were voted back into power and, shortly after, proclaimed their official policy of apartheid (a word meaning "apartness"), arguing that the progress of the races would be enhanced if they were kept separate. Subsequent legislation established specific residential sections for each race, set up laws requiring nonwhites to carry identity cards, developed different educational standards, limited employment opportunities, and forbade social interaction among races. The effect of these laws was to ensure the complete dominance by whites in a land where they represented 20 percent of the population. Protests against the policy in the 1950s culminated in the Sharpeville massacre (1960), in which police fired on black demonstrators, killing 69 people. In 1976, police again opened fire, this time on a group of black school children in the Johannesburg Township of Soweto protesting inadequate educational facilities. As a consequence, international attention was drawn to the condition of blacks in South Africa, setting off a set of policies involving economic boycotts and sanctions against the government. In 1992, in a national referendum, the white minority voted to abolish apartheid. The following year, the government announced the official end of the practice.

Discussion

Starting with the Dutch, Europeans arrived in South Africa in 1652. Other European settlers included Germans, French, and British. Many of the non-British settlers merged and became the Afrikaner ethnic group. With European settlers came oppression of indigenous groups. The Zulus, a Bantu community, formed one state under Shaka in 1816. As one state, the Zulus became the largest indigenous group, which remains true today. Indians were another ethnic group introduced into South Africa. They came initially as indentured servants to work on British sugar plantations.

The subjugation of black groups increased when gold and diamonds were discovered. Legislation forced blacks to move to metropolitan areas to work in mines. These migrant networks increased fragmentation and shifted traditional social networks. Other acts such as the removal of entire ...