Nationalism: settler societies
“Black Consciousness refers to the black man and
to his situation . . . [he] is subjected to two forces
in this country. He is first oppressed by an
external world. . .and we regard this as most
important, the black man in himself has developed
a certain state of alienation, he rejects himself,
precisely because he attaches the meaning white to
all that is good, . . He equates good with white.
[Steve Biko, I write what I like, 1978, p. 100]
Case Study 4 --- South Africa
South Africa
Post WW II South Africa prospering:
- Afrikaners (those of Dutch and German
ancestry, settled in South Africa since late
17th century) felt British (settlers date to
early 19th century) still dominated and
controlled economy.
- growing number of poor ‘white’
Afrikaners highlighted grievances.
South Africa
In election of 1948, National Party came to
power:
- sought economic power for Afrikaners
- strict segregation of the races
– race meant not only blacks and whites, but
Afrikaners and British, Coloureds Asians
[see ‘National Party’s Colour Policy, 1948, “Additional
Readings”]
South Africa
 While the rest of Africa moved towards
independence, “Apartheid” created a new
form of colonialism (similar to Rhodesia).
South Africa
Three defining pieces of legislation:
- Race Classification Act--Every citizen
suspected of not being European was
classified according to race.
- Mixed Marriages Act--prohibited
marriage between people of different races.
- Group Areas Act--forced people of certain
races into living in designated areas
South Africa
 First affected were those labeled Coloureds
(mixed race descendants of Europeans and
African slaves):
- A process of forced removals under the
Group Areas Act began
- 1955 destruction of Sophiatown (area of
mixed Africans, Asians and Coloureds)
became major political watershed.
Sophiatown
Sophiatown, declared a ‘black spot’ under the Group
Areas Act; removals to Meadowlands began 1955.
South Africa
- Sophiatown became symbol
- critical to early politicization and to
drawing in support of Church
South Africa
 From the Apartheid government’s
perspective, destruction of Sophiatown and
construction in its place of white suburb
called “Triomf’” set the pattern for policy of
forced removals.
 Throughout 1950s and 1960s, millions of
Africans were forcibly removed from homes
in ‘white areas’ to ‘homelands’ or
reservations.
South Africa
 A tribal reserve for black inhabitants of
South Africa, and Southwest Africa (now
Namibia) under the racial segregation policies
of apartheid.
- ten “bantustans” established in South Africa
- ten in South-West Africa (then under South
African administration.
- reserves concentrated members of
designated ethnic groups geographically,
making each of those territories ethnically
homogeneous.
South Africa
 H. F. Verword, Minister of Native Affairs,
later Prime Minister, and Secretary for Native
Affairs, architects of the policy.
- transformed African reserves into “selfgoverning states,” “bantustans”, homelands.
-1951 ruled out possibility of full
independence for these states
- in 1959 that policy would change
 The homeland policy was designed to
maintain and strengthen white supremacy.
South Africa
Like colonialism elsewhere, key element was
education:
- ‘Bantu’ (legal reference to African blacks)
education to replace earlier mission schools:
- “there is no place for the Bantu above
a certain level of labour” (minister for
native affairs)
- education to be ‘adjusted’ accordingly
- many churches, as well as Africans
saw this as ‘education for servitude’
South Africa
Like earlier colonialism in other settler
colonies, control of African movement was
important:
- Pass laws were extended;
- 1955 protest against extending passes to
women were led by the ANC
South Africa
 “New Colonialism” strongly supported in
neighbouring Rhodesia and Portuguese
colonies (Angola and Mozambique)
- also supported by many Western nations
- South Africa portrayed itself as bulwark
against the spread of communist ideas in
Africa (following rhetoric of Ian Smith in
Rhodesia)
South Africa
 Communist Party in South Africa active
since the 1920s in labour issues
- became increasingly supportive of ANC,
especially when latter declared illegal
- European and American interests were being
kept ‘safe’ by South African policies
South Africa
 1955 second attempt made to create truly national
movement (earlier ‘Defiance Campaign (1952)
largely unsuccessful:
- at the ‘Weekend Congress’ document declaring
desire for ‘freedom’ was passed,
- referred to as the “Freedom Charter”
(see ‘additional readings’)
- called communist and socialist by
Government
- leaders of congress arrested
South Africa
- 156 people charged with ‘treason’ against
the state; led to “Treason Trials”
- after 5 years all acquitted in humiliation
for government
- process gave impetus to ANC, brought
leaders from all around the country
together
South Africa
 ANC always claimed to be multi-ethnic,
multi-racial:
-1958, split occurred with some arguing that
only Black Africans could win freedom for
Black Africans
- in part inspired by Nkrumah and PanAfricanism,
- in part by anti-communist members of the
Pan African Congress (PAC)
South Africa
 PAC especially active in encouraging
protests like the Bus Boycott which affected
work, production
-Durban ‘Beer Hall Protest’ organized locally
by women
- became a riot that spread nationwide
- PAC built on it – leading up to Sharpeville!