Before Apartheid (1948)

• Khoisan are the earliest inhabitants of South Africa, divided into the San (lived by hunting and gathering) and the Khoikhoi (lived by herding cattle). By 1600AD there were around 12000 Khoisan living mainly in the South and West of the country.
• Bantu-speaking farmers arrived in 400AD; divided into different tribes which spoke different Bantu languages. Includes the Zulu and Xhosa. Mainly settled in the north and east. They outnumbered the Khoisan.
• The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive, in 1488, opening up new trade routes to Asia. They did not settle.
• The Dutch founded the first colony on the Cape for the Dutch East India Company. This became Cape Town in 1652. By 1659 it was recognised as a part of the Dutch Empire.
• Conflict caused as they were seen as taking land from the Khoikhoi. Many were enslaved by the Dutch. European diseases spread and Dutch firearms beat the Khoikhoi's spears. Over time the white population grew.
• The European settlers originally spoke Dutch but this developed into Afrikaans. The settlers became known as Boers (Afrikaans for farmers).
• The British took over control of the Cape Colony in 1795 to secure their trade. Under British control it expanded rapidly.
• Indian workers were imported as slaves in the 1700s by the Dutch.
• Many Boers were unhappy with British changes as they abolished slavery in 1833. They moved North in 1835, known as the 'Great Trek' and the travellers were known as 'Voortrekkers'
• The Battle of Blood River in 1838 was used to show that Afrikaners were chosen by God to rule South Africa as they won (500 Boers against 10000 Zulus).
• The result of the Great Trek: Two new colonies were established in the Transvaal and the Orange Free State.
• The British became worried about Boers taking control over the port of Durban in the east, so created another colony, Natal.
• • First Boer War (1880-1881): resulted in Boer victory. They retained their independence.
  • Second Boer War (1899-1902): British victory. All colonies united under the Union of South Africa in 1910, becoming a dominion of the British Empire.
• Who could vote in the Union of South Africa?

  • Cape: most white men and some coloured or Africans
  • Transvaal & Orange Free State: only white males
  • Natal: all white males
• Who were the 4 racial groups?

  Black African/Bantu, Coloured people, Indians, white/Europeans
• 1911 Mines and Works Act


  Africans were excluded from most skilled categories of work in the mines.
• 1911 Natives Labour Regulation Act:


  Africans were fingerprinted and issued with a pass allowing them to enter the cities and if they broke their employment contract they were arrested and forced to do hard labour for up to two months.
• 1913 Native Land Act:


  Allocated 7.3% of land to the blacks and later 13% in 1936. These became known as reserves. Most land was poor quality and could not meet the needs for growing an African population.
• 1923 Native Urban Areas Act


  Dealt with the issue of urban Africans. Led to the establishment of shack settlements outside of cities known as townships. Africans had little rights and healthcare and sanitation was poor.
• 1925 Poll Tax (Hut tax):


  Forced every black male between 18-65 to pay a poll tax; in order to be able to pay this, black South Africans were forced to work for whites.
• 1926 Colour Bar Act:


  Amended the Mines and Works Act (1911) to stop Asians as well as blacks from doing skilled jobs in mines.
• 1927 Immorality Act:


  Banned intercourse between blacks and whites.
• 1936 Representation of the Natives Act:


  Africans now segregated in the political as well as economic and social areas of South African society.
• Who was in government in 1910?

  South African Party (SAP) won the election. Louis Botha became PM with Jan Smuts as his deputy.
• General James Barry Hertzog was very nationalist and against unity with Britain. He left the SAP and created the National Party (NP) in 1914.
• Hertzog's NP won the election in 1924 and created a coalition government with the Labour Party. Afrikaans was made the national language.
• The Great Depression undermined Hertzog and in 1934 he (NP) and Smuts (SAP) joined together, forming the United Party. This was known as the Pact Government, with Hertzog as PM and Smuts as deputy. The coalition received strong opposition as the Afrikaner community viewed Smuts as an opponent of Afrikaner nationalism and pro-British.
• As a result of the opposition the the United Party, D.F. Malan led the Purified National Party.
• WW2 caused conflict within the United Party as Hertzog wanted to remain neutral but Smuts didn't. When parliament voted against Hertzog he resigned. Smuts then formed a new government and on the 6th September 1939 they entered WW2 with the Allies.
• Hertzog met with Malan and the Purified National Party returned to being the National Party. Hertzog was the leader with Malan as his deputy, until 1940 as Hertzog retired. In 1948, Malan's National Party and the Afrikaner Party formed a government.
• Why did the NP win the 1948 elections?

  Afrikaner support for the Nazis, the UP's connection to Britain and it's weakness on race relations, the impact of WW2 on the economy (more black workers) and the NP's strict policy on race.