Haganum Model United Nations
Gymnasium Haganum, The Hague
Research Reports
Historical Committee in 1986
The question of apartheid in South Africa
4th, 5th and 6th of March 2016
Haganum Model United Nations 2016| 4th of March – 6th of March 2016
Forum:
Historical Committee in 1986
Issue:
The question of apartheid in South Africa
Student Officer: Robin van der Haar
Position:
Deputy President
Introduction
With the enactment of apartheid laws in 1948, racial discrimination was
institutionalized. Race laws touched every aspect of social life, including a prohibition of
marriage between non-whites and whites, and the sanctioning of ``white-only'' jobs. In 1950,
the Population Registration Act required that all South Africans be racially classified into one
of three categories: white, black (African), or colored (of mixed decent). The coloured
category included major subgroups of Indians and Asians. Classification into these
categories is based on appearance, social acceptance, and descent. For example, a white
person is defined as ``in appearance obviously a white person or generally accepted as a
white person.'' A person cannot be considered white if one of his or her parents were nonwhite. The determination that a person is ``obviously white’’ takes into account ``his habits,
education, and speech and deportment and demeanor.'' A black person is someone that is
accepted as a member of an African tribe or race, and a colored person is one that is not
black or white. The Department of Home Affairs (a government bureau) is responsible for the
classification of the citizenry. Non-compliance with the race laws is dealt with harshly. All
blacks are required to carry ``pass books'' containing fingerprints, photo and information on
access to non-black areas.
In 1951, the Bantu Authorities Act established a basis for ethnic government in
African reserves, known as ``homelands.'' These homelands are independent states to which
each African was assigned by the government according to the record of origin (which was
frequently inaccurate). All political rights, including voting, held by an African are restricted to
the designated homeland. The idea was that they are citizens of the homeland, losing their
citizenship in South Africa and any right of involvement with the South African Parliament,
which holds complete hegemony over the homelands. From 1976 to 1981, four of these
homelands were created, denationalizing nine million South Africans. The homeland
administrations refuse the nominal independence, maintaining pressure for political rights
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within the country as a whole. Nevertheless, Africans living in the homelands need passports
to enter South Africa: aliens in their own country.
In 1953, the Public Safety Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act were passed,
which empowered the government to declare stringent states of emergency and increased
penalties for protesting against or supporting the repeal of a law. The penalties include fines,
imprisonment and whippings. In 1960, a large group of blacks in Sharpeville refused to carry
their passes; the government declared a state of emergency. The emergency lasted for 156
days, leaving 69 people dead and 187 people wounded. Wielding the Public Safety Act and
the Criminal Law Amendment Act, the white regime has no intention of changing the unjust
laws of apartheid.
Definition of Key Terms
Apartheid
Word meaning "separateness", or "the state of being apart", literally "apart-hood", is a system
of racial segregation in South Africa enforced through legislation by the National Party (NP),
the governing party of South Africa.
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People of colour
People who do not have a white skin or a Caucasian appearance (non-white), as well
as people with mixed racial heritage are counted as coloured. This usually meant black
African Americans, although the terms can be applied to members of other non-white races
as well.
Population Registration Act
An act passed in 1950, that rules all South Africans to be classified into 3 categories
of race.
Bantu Authorities Act
Subsequently renamed the Black Authorities Act, 1951, was an act to give authority
to Traditional Tribal Leader within their traditional tribal homelands in South Africa.
Homelands
The Bantustans or homelands, established by the Apartheid Government, were areas
to which the majority of the Blacks population was moved to prevent them from living in the
urban areas of South Africa.
Public Safety Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act
This two acts from 1953 was passed in response to the so-called Defiance Campaign
of 1952, and it included clauses like: "Any person who in any way whatsoever advises,
encourages, incites, commands, aids or procures any other person ... or uses language
calculated to cause any other person to commit an offence by way of protest against the
law... shall be guilty of an offence"
Background Information
The English and Dutch colonized South Africa in the seventeenth century. English
domination of the Dutch descendants (known as Boers or Afrikaners) resulted in the Dutch
establishing the new colonies of Orange Free State and Transvaal. The discovery of
diamonds in these lands around 1900 resulted in an English invasion, which sparked the
Boer War. Racial segregation and white supremacy had become central aspects of South
African policy long before apartheid began. The controversial 1913 Land Act, passed three
years after South Africa gained its independence, marked the beginning of territorial
segregation by forcing black Africans to live in reserves and making it illegal for them to work
as sharecroppers. Opponents of the Land Act formed the South African National Native
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Congress, which would become the African National Congress (ANC). Following
independence from England, an uneasy power-sharing between the two groups held sway
until the 1940's, when the Afrikaner National Party was able to gain a strong majority.
Strategists in the National Party invented apartheid as a means to cement their control over
the economic and social system. Initially, aim of the apartheid was to maintain white
domination while extending racial separation. Starting in the 60's, a plan of ``Grand
Apartheid'' was executed, emphasizing territorial separation and police repression.
Recent Events
In the early 1980s, Botha's National Party government started to recognise the
inevitability of the need to reform apartheid. Early reforms were driven by a combination of
internal violence, international condemnation, changes within the National Party's
constituency, and changing demographics—whites constituted only 16% of the total
population, in comparison to 20% fifty years earlier.
In 1983, a new constitution was passed implementing what was called the Tricameral
Parliament, giving coloureds and Indians voting rights and parliamentary representation in
separate houses – the House of Assembly (178 members) for whites, the House of
Representatives (85 members) for coloureds and the House of Delegates (45 members) for
Indians. Each House handled laws pertaining to its racial group's "own affairs", including
health, education and other community issues. All laws relating to "general affairs" (matters
such as defence, industry, taxation and Black affairs) were handled by a cabinet made up of
representatives from all three houses. However, the white chamber had a large majority on
this cabinet, ensuring that effective control of the country remained in white hands. Blacks,
although making up the majority of the population, were excluded from representation; they
remained nominal citizens of their homelands. The first Tricameral elections were largely
boycotted by Coloured and Indian voters, amid widespread rioting.
Concerned over the popularity of Mandela, Botha denounced him as an arch-Marxist
committed to violent revolution, but to appease black opinion and nurture Mandela as a
benevolent leader of blacks, the government moved him from Robben Island to Pollsmoor
Prison in a rural area just outside Cape Town, where prison life was easier. The government
allowed Mandela more visitors, including visits and interviews by foreigners, to let the world
know that he was being treated well.
Black homelands were declared nation-states and pass laws were abolished. Black
labour unions were legitimised, the government recognised the right of blacks to live in urban
areas permanently and gave blacks property rights there. Interest was expressed in
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rescinding the law against interracial marriage and also rescinding the law against sex
between the races, which was under ridicule abroad. The spending for black schools
increased, to one-seventh of what was spent per white child, up from on one-sixteenth in
1968. At the same time, attention was given to strengthening the effectiveness of the police
apparatus.
In January 1985, Botha addressed the government's House of Assembly and stated
that the government was willing to release Mandela on condition that Mandela pledge
opposition to acts of violence to further political objectives. His daughter Zinzi – his first
words distributed publicly since his sentence to prison twenty-one years before, read
Mandela’s reply in public. Mandela described violence as the responsibility of the apartheid
regime and said that with democracy there would be no need for violence. The crowd
listening to the reading of his speech erupted in cheers and chants. This response helped to
further elevate Mandela's status in the eyes of those, both internationally and domestically,
who opposed apartheid.
Major Countries and Organizations Involved
African National Congress (ANC)
An organization founded as the South African Native National Congress (SANNC)
on 8 January 1912 at the Waaihoek Wesleyan Church in Bloemfontein to work for the rights
of the black South African population. Its current leader is Nelson Mandela; he is currently
imprisoned at Robben Island, along with a number of other ANC members. It is considered
as a terrorist group my a number of countries, presumably by the United States of America
and South Africa
The Republic of South Africa
The republic, headed by president Pieter Willem Botha and his National Party (NP).
United Nations
At the first UN gathering in 1946, South Africa was placed on the agenda. The
primary subject in question was the handling of South African Indians, a great cause of
divergence between South Africa and India. In 1952, apartheid was again discussed in the
aftermath of the Defiance Campaign, and the UN set up a task team to keep watch on the
progress of apartheid and the racial state of affairs in South Africa. Although South Africa's
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racial policies were a cause for concern, most countries in the UN concurred that this was a
domestic affair, which fell outside the UN's jurisdiction.
Commonwealth
South Africa's policies were subject to international scrutiny in 1960, when Macmillan
criticised them during his celebrated Wind of Change speech in Cape Town. Weeks later,
tensions came to a head in the Sharpeville Massacre, resulting in more international
condemnation. Soon afterwards Verwoerd announced a referendum on whether the country
should become a republic. Verwoerd lowered the voting age for whites to 18 and included
whites in South West Africa on the roll. The referendum on 5 October that year asked whites,
"Are you in favour of a Republic for the Union?", and 52% voted "Yes".
As a consequence of this change of status, South Africa needed to reapply for
continued membership of the Commonwealth, with which it had privileged trade links. India
had become a republic within the Commonwealth in 1950, but it became clear that African
and Asian member states would oppose South Africa due to its apartheid policies. As a
result, South Africa withdrew from the Commonwealth on 31 May 1961, the day that the
Republic came into existence.
Timeline of Events
Year
Event
Hoping to get votes from the white Africans, the National Party promises to make laws
1948
severely restricting black rights if they win the general election. The National Party
defeats the United Party and apartheid begins.
Volunteers begin a peaceful resistance to apartheid by breaking the laws they think
1952
are wrong. The peaceful protests include black people sitting on benches marked for
white people only and being out in the city after the curfew set for blacks.
A law is passed that creates a separate education system for blacks and whites.
1953
Blacks are trained to prepare them for a life as part of the working class since it is not
expected that they will be allowed to do anything more than that.
Nelson Mandela, an anti-apartheid activist, is arrested with several other people for
1956
fighting against apartheid. He is charged with treason, but after a four-year trial he is
found not guilty.
The government passes new laws to create separate homelands, called Bantustans,
1959
for the major black groups in the country. The government does this to stop blacks
from being citizens of South Africa.
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Apartheid requires blacks to carry passbooks, which contain personal information
1960
such as name, date of birth, and photos. When protestors show up at the Sharpeville
police station without their passbooks, a riot breaks out and police kill 69 people.
Mandela was the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, part of the African National
1962
Congress. He is arrested for his role in bombing government targets and sentenced to
life in prison.
1974
Due to apartheid, South Africa is removed from the United Nations. South Africa is not
allowed back into the United Nations until apartheid ends.
Previous Attempts to Solve the Issue
At the first UN gathering in 1946, South Africa was placed on the agenda. The
primary subject in question was the handling of South African Indians, a great cause of
divergence between South Africa and India. In 1952, apartheid was again discussed in the
aftermath of the Defiance Campaign, and the UN set up a task team to keep watch on the
progress of apartheid and the racial state of affairs in South Africa. Although South Africa's
racial policies were a cause for concern, most countries in the UN concurred that this was a
domestic affair, which fell outside the UN's jurisdiction.
In April 1960, the UN's conservative stance on apartheid changed following the
Sharpeville massacre, and the Security Council for the first time agreed on concerted action
against the apartheid regime, demanding an end to racial separation and discrimination.
From 1960 the ANC began a campaign of armed struggle of which there would later be a
charge of 193 acts of terrorism from 1961 to 1963, mainly bombings and murders of civilians.
Instead, the South African government began further suppression, banning the ANC
and PAC. In 1961, UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld stopped over in South Africa
and subsequently stated that he had been unable to reach agreement with Prime Minister
Verwoerd.
On 6 November 1962, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution
1761, condemning apartheid policies. In 1966, the UN held the first of many colloquiums on
apartheid. The General Assembly announced 21 March as the International Day for the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in memory of the Sharpeville massacre. In 1971, the
General Assembly formally denounced the institution of homelands, and a motion was
passed in 1974 to expel South Africa from the UN.
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On 7 August 1963 the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 181, calling
for a voluntary arms embargo against South Africa. In the same year a Special Committee
Against Apartheid was established to encourage and oversee plans of action against the
regime. From 1964 the US and Britain discontinued their arms trade with South Africa. The
Security Council also condemned the Soweto massacre in Resolution 392. In 1977, the
voluntary UN arms embargo became mandatory with the passing of Resolution 418.
Economic sanctions against South Africa were also frequently debated as an
effective way of putting pressure on the apartheid government. In 1962, the UN General
Assembly requested that its members sever political, fiscal and transportation ties with South
Africa. In 1968, it proposed ending all cultural, educational and sporting connections as well.
Economic sanctions, however, were not made mandatory, because of opposition from South
Africa's main trading partners.
In 1973, the UN adopted the Apartheid Convention, which defines apartheid and even
qualifies it as a crime against humanity which might lead to international criminal prosecution
of the individuals responsible for perpetrating it. This convention has however only been
ratified by 107 of the 193 member states as of August 2008. The convention was initially
drafted by the former USSR and Guinea, before being presented to the UN General
Assembly. The convention was adopted with a vote of 91 for, and 4 (Portugal, South Africa,
the United Kingdom and the United States) against the convention.
In 1978 and 1983 the UN condemned South Africa at the World Conference Against
Racism.
After much debate, by the late 1980s the United States, the United Kingdom, and 23
other nations had passed laws placing various trade sanctions on South Africa. A
disinvestment from South Africa movement in many countries was similarly widespread, with
individual cities and provinces around the world implementing various laws and local
regulations forbidding registered corporations under their jurisdiction from doing business
with South African firms, factories, or banks.
Possible Solutions
Since it is not possible to force South Africa directly to take steps to abolish the
system of apartheid, an indirect approach is possible. This indirect approach will be mostly
consist of economic sanctions against South Africa and local regulations forbidding
registered corporations under their jurisdiction from doing business with South African firms,
factories, or banks.
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Measures like hosting talks between the government and pro-black rights group like the ANC
under the supervision of the UN or another neutral third party are advised as well.
In the event of ineffectiveness of the trade sanctions, member nations are advised to work
together to aggressively severe the economic sanctions and try to hurt the South African
economy more directly. Putting arrest warrants for South African political leaders and
freezing their foreign financial holdings can also be considered. Setting up a tribunal to try
these political leaders for crimes against humanity is a possible solution, should no steps
towards a more equal South Africa be taken.
A more direct approach can be considered, such as military intervention. However, it is
advised that this option should only be considered in the event of no other viable options
available.
Bibliography
"The history of apartheid in South Africa."
<http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.hist.html>.
“Apartheid.” < http://www.history.com/topics/apartheid>.
“The Homelands” <http://www.sahistory.org.za/specialfeatures/homelands#sthash.n0I3hE6G.dpuf>
“1953. Criminal Law Amendment Act No 8”
<https://www.nelsonmandela.org/omalley/index.php/site/q/03lv01538/04lv01828/05lv01829/0
6lv01855.htm>.
“Apartheid timeline” <http://www.softschools.com/timelines/apartheid_timeline/44/>.
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