3. Collapse of apartheid 1978-1989

• Specific fact for the consequences of International Sanctions on SA's economy?

  Between 1986-1991 SA suffered a net capital loss of 16.2 billion rands
• Impact of International Sanctions on Deklerk and the NP government

  • Forced Deklerk to begin negotiations to free elections
  • Isolated SA
  • International attention to the condemnation of apartheid
  • pressure on Deklerk to meet UN demands in the hope of rescuing the failing economy - for business to continue
  • attitudes to apartheid state changed
• When was CODESA?


  1991-1992
• Why was Mandela a key role into the unbanning of the ANC?

  He only agreed to release if the ANC was unbanned
• In what way did Mandela greatly contribute to the dismantling of apartheid and help move towards free elections?

  Mandela had secret meetings with the NP and Deklerk. He initiated the CODESA negotiations, leading to power sharing
• How did Mandela try to manage violence in Townships that occurred due to Deklerk's 'Three Fold Strategy'

  • Mandela got influential people like Archbishop Tutu to speak in townships to try to calm things.
  • He himself spoke at Boipatong June 1992 asking people not to lower themselves to the standards of their oppressors.
• What were the results of the 1989 September snap elections?

  NP won by only 48% - lowest performance

  Conservative 31%

  Liberal Democratic 20%
• How did increased resistance affect the economy in the late 80s?

  Strikes and stayaways caused a loss of 6 million working days in 1987
• Specific info for the failing economy during Deklerk's reign

  Value of the rand fell by 35%
• What were the consequences of the declining economy on Deklerk's government?

  Deklerk became unpopular amongst whites and the NP lost alot of support
• When did violence in the township: The Rand occur and what happened?

  1990. 500 people died in fighting between township residents and Zulu migrant workers
• When was the Boipatong violence and what happened?

  June 17, 1992. Armed Inkatha supporters entered the township killing 47
• What affect did the violence in townships have on Deklerk's government?

  SA was on the brink of civil war - it further pressured him into reform
• What are some International sanctions placed on South Africa?

  • September 1985 European committee imposed a set of limited trade and financial sanctions on SA
  • Arms embargo 1977
  • UN General Assembly adopted a voluntary Oil embargo 20 November 1987
  • Companies withdrew investments: 90 between1986-1987 eg. US banks like Chase Manhattan (refused to renew loans)
• When did Botha become PM?

  1978
• COSAS

  formed in 1979

  Congress of South African Students

  Linked all student protests together

  leader of COSAS pushed it towards ANC
• What year could BSA form trade unions?

  1979
• Sunday Post launch a free Mandela campaign

  1980

  Gained wide support

  ANC still banned so didnt use its name
• Who was the main opposition to the NP + what year

  1978

  Progressive Federal Party main opposition to NP

  they appealed to the Afrikaner people

  had a young charismatic leader

  1981 they won 19% of the vote and 26 seats.

  However when the leader started reaching out to Black leaders this was too far for many and they lost support
• What was total onslaught?

  The believe that SA was facing threats from communism both internally and externally
• What was Botha's Total Strategy?

  1. To increase repression internally & externally to stamp out communist threats
  2. introduce reforms to reduce opposition (WHAM)
• What were Botha's reforms under WHAM?

  • 1979 Africans allowed to form Trade Unions
  • shortage of skilled workers so jobs previously reserved for whites were given to BSA
  • 1979 National football team deracialised (not as important as cricket / rugby)
  • 1981 De Lange commission - 1 Education department and gradual equalling of money spend per student between races
  • 1985 Mixed Marriage act repealed
  • 1986 Pass Laws abolished
  • black people could lease houses in cities 1983 they could buy houses
  • black people could take up certain skilled jobs
  • more money spent on homelands
  • relaxed economic apartheid - money spent on getting electricity into townships
• When did Zimbabwe get independence?

  1980
• What were Botha's ways of increasing repression

  • Increased power of the army (SADF)
  • Army constantly present in townships
  • SADF membership 255,000 in 1981
  • military spending increased from 700million 1974 to 3,000 million 1981
  • white men compulsory 2 years military service
  • SA made its own weapons - ARMSCOR made 80% of weapons
  • new constitution in 1983 - tricameral parliament, separate voting for non-white but gave them minimal power
  • new constitution- president status now had more direct power than PM previously had
  • 1982 established Secretary of State (SSC) consisted of army generals and police, they had more influence on Botha than MPs
• New constitution 


  • Botha became president rather than prime minister
  • he had more power as president than prime minister
  • He had the power to dissolve parliament
  • parliament had decreased power
  • Tricameral Parliament
• Tricameral Parliament

  • Whites elect 178 MPs
  • Coloured elect 85 MPs
  • Indians elect 45 MPs
  • Africans were not represented
  • White members could outvote the other groups at any given time
• What was the UDF, nature, aims ect?

  1983

  • United Democratic Front
  • Involved 575 organisations
  • aim was to coordinate internal opposition against Botha's constitutional reforms
  • Initially heavily influenced by Christian figures eg. Frank Chicane
  • UDF seen as an internal wing of ANC
  • Support may be as high as 2 million
• UDF achievements protests

  • UDF supported by COTSAU (trade unions) Number of working days lost grew from 1 million in 1986 to 6 million in 1987
  • organised marches, protests and demonstrations throughout SA
  • SOSAS organised school strikes
  • 1983 and 1984, UDF groups campaigned to collect 1 million signatures for a mass petition against the proposed new constitution. Less than 12% voted in elections for new community councils
• What was the UDF election boycotts

  • 1983 and 1984, UDF groups used leaflets and posters to campaign against the boycott of the new constitution. Less than 12% of Africans voted in elections for new community councils
  • only 29% coloured voted
  • only 19% Indians voted in tricameral
• Vaal Triangle uprising events

  1984

  • Started with a school boycott. Lead by children. Their demands were to ban unqualified teachers, free books and paper, end harassment
  • White gov gave task to black councils to raise rents even though unemployment was 30%
  • Rent strikes started. Some councillors houses were burnt.
  • SADF began to operate in the townships, stopping people to see their passes and arresting them. Army shot and killed young protestors
  • 13 year old lead 1,500 under 14s to burn down town hall
  • around 142 died
  • 1985 State of Emergancy
• Violence in Alexandra Township


  1986

  • 'six day war' revolt broke out after youth activist was shot by a security guard
  • 14th Feb a night vigil organised, jazz stores- where Diradeng died was petrol bombed, other stores, homes of police were set on fire, cars stoned.
  • next morning they stabbed policeman
  • his funeral took place and attacks were carried out on police and councillors
  • police tear gassed 6,000 youth, 29 killed
• Consequences of Alexandria violence

  • army sealed off the township
  • 1986 - 1,500 troops in Alexandra to search houses
  • 3,000 arrested
• Consequnce of state of emergancy

  • 1985 -Result of Transvaal uprising SoE1
  • 1986 - Result of Alexandra Violence SoE2
  • 25,000 arrests made from 1986-7
  • Disinvestment from US and UK banks in SA
  • 85-86, 90 US firms closed down their south African operation
  • military assassinated key ANC leaders
  • Police force grew from 49,000 to 93,000 (1981-1991)
  • Military rule, Botha relied increasingly in State Security Council
  • raided countries where ANC was hiding
  • violence between Inkatha freedom + ANC
  • violence broadcast on TV
  • SADF deployed almost 8000 troops in townships - barbarism
  • 30 organisations banned inc. UDF
  • 1987 saw 43 deaths in police custody
• Failures of Botha's Total Strategy

  Domestic:

  • Didnt manage to stop resistance - RDP, Alexandria, Vaal triangle
  • Trade Union reforms increased resistance to apartheid (strikes) rather than increasing support for the state
  • Police failed to combat UDF - had no central organisation
  • De Lange Commission failed - schools centre of anti-government activity

  Political

  • Stayaways, strikes, 6 million working days lost 1987
  • his supporters didn't all like relaxation of apartheid
  • UDF boycott new constitution
  • failed to gain support of black ppl

  Foreign

  • International attention & Sanctions
• Successes of Total strategy

  • strengthened military service, security services
  • successful raids against external ANC
  • sent aid to UNITA in Angola which was fighting MPLA in civil war - unstabilised the country, reduced support for ANC
  • Nkomati Accords 1984- SA & Mozambique afgree they wouldn't support the other country's opposition group. Ensured mozambique wont help ANC
  • built up military presence in namibia
• Np split

  Np split in 1982 and conservative party formed, by 1987 it was the NPs biggest opposition

  37% of Afrikaners didn't support the NP
• Rubicon Speech

  1985

  • Botha’s advisers realise that South Africa has serious issues.
  • threats that foreign banks will refuse to give loans
  • A National Party Conference is organised in which Botha will announce the Party’s new strategy.
  • In the Cabinet meetings they have discussed entering negotiations with Africans to give them some genuine power & releasing Mandela.
• Mandela's secret meetings with Botha

  1985

  • ANC was split on weather they should negotiate or not
  • Botha wanted negotiations a complete secret
  • negotiations didn't go anywhere as NP didnt want to give representative power to Africans (one man one vote)
  • Mandela had been offered his freedom by Botha if he would renounce violence
  • regular meetings meant they learnt to trust each other
• 1989 Election results

  NP won by 48% - their lowest performance for years

  Conservative - 31%

  Liberal Democratic 20%
• When did deKlerk come into power

  1989