-
Act of Union
South Africa becomes a unified state with the British Empire -
SANNC founded (later the ANC)
The vision was was to unite Africans and secure their right to vote -
ANCYL Manifesto
The ANC youth leauge writes its manifesto -
NP wins the general election
The national party wins the 1948 general election -
Group Areas Act
Formally divided South Africa up into territories where the different race groups had to live. -
The prohibition of mixed marriges/ immortality acts
designed to promote the separation of races by outlawin sexual relations and procreation. passed by the NP gov -
ANCYL Programme of Action
The ANC adopts the ANC Youth Leauge's Manifesto, aka the Programme of action as the offical platform -
Suppression of Communism Act
was legislation of the national government in apartheid South Africa which banned the Communist Party of South Africa and proscribed any party or group subscribing to communism -
Stock limitation act
was presented by the state as a device for land betterment but its practical significance forced removal or slaughter of cattle belonging to african reservist -
Bantu self government/ authorities
Divided territories designated for blacks into “bantustans” (or “homelands”) based upon 10 tribal groupings. -
May day strike
The ANC, SACP, ACPO co-ordinate a May Day strike. The police opened fire on the protesters killing 18 and wounding 30 people. -
National Day of Protest (ANC)
On June 26 the ANC called for a general strike and a day of mourning in protest at the May day murders -
Population registration act
Required that every person be classified within a hierarchy specified as white, colored, Asian or Bantu (black African). -
Separate Representation of Voters Act
National Party introduced it to enforce racial segregation, and to remove all non-white people from the voters' system. -
The Pass laws
The pass Laws Act permitted the Auhtoirtes to enforce segregation of the black and white communites through black citites and required black South Africans over the age of 16 to carry a pass book -
Defiance Campaign
The ANC Defiance Campaign of 1952 was the largest scale non-violent resistance ever seen in South Africa. -
Public saftey act
Empowered the government to declare states of emergency and increased penalties for protestors.
The penalties included fines, imprisonment and whippings. -
the reservation of separate amenities act
Enforced the segregation of all public facilities.
The main aim was to eliminate any and all contact between white people and other races. -
The bantu education act
Provided an inferior and separate education for black children and youth. -
Natives resettlement act
complemented the 1950 groups areas act and armed the government with bureaucratic machinery that would finally allow it to carry out its policies of the force urban resettlement of africans. -
Freedom charter campaign
The Freedom Charter united people of all racial origins in a common struggle to end apartheid and to establish a non-racial democratic state. It formed the basis of the country’s democratic Constitution of 1996. -
Congress of the people
Congress of the People was held over two days in Kliptown, around 7 000 people from anti-apartheid groups attended -
The treason trial
was a trial in Johannesburg in which 156 people, including Nelson Mandela, were arrested in a raid and accused of treason in South Africa -
The Women’s March (FASW)
ANC women marched to the Prime Minister’s office to deliver a petition calling for the abolition of the pass laws. -
Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) splinters away from the ANC
A group of radicalized activists split away from the ANC to form the PAC. -
Sharpeville Massacre
In March of 1960 during a PAC demonstration against pass books in Sharpeville, the police opened fire, killing 69 black protestors, injuring 186. -
Winds of Change
British Prime Minister Harold Macmillar delivered his “Winds of Change” speech, suggesting that Black nationalism was a force that had to be acknowledged and accepted. -
Sharpsville Massacre: Reaction
The ANC and the PAC were outlawed. Due to his overall ‘responsibility’ for the Pass Protest in Sharpeville, Sobukwe was arrested and jailed until 1969 (he was then released on house arrest and died several years later). -
Resolution 1598
UN Resolution 1598 condemns apartheid -
ANC = Develops an armed wing called Umkhonto we Sizwe (Zulu for “Spear of the Nation”)
Members of both the PAC and ANC felt they had no alternative but to turn to armed resistance. In the ANC, Mandela set up a militant wing called Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) which launched a campaign sabotage against property . -
PAC = Develops an armed wing called Poqo (“Pure”)
In the PAC, Leballo set up a militant wing called Poqo (Pure), which launched a campaign of terrorism against Individuals. -
Winds of Change,Resolution 1598, Resolution 1761: Rection
South Africa declared itself a republic. Its request to remain a member of the commonwealth is rejected by the British government. -
Congress of People: Reaction
Police surrounded the meeting, recorded names of people signing the charter, used this to arrest 156 of them and put them on trial the following year (see
1956 Treason Trial) -
Resolution 1761
UN Resolution 1761 encourages members "separately or collectively, in conformity with the charter" to break trade and diplomatic relations with South Africa. -
Formation of the african resistance movement (ARM) bombing of johannesburg station by frederick john harris
African Resistance Movement (ARM) was a group made up largely by white students who had been part of the National Union of South African Students (NUSAS). On 24 July 1964, Frederick John Harris, a member of ARM, planted a time bomb in the Johannesburg station. -
The Rivonia Trial and Mandela’s “I Am Prepared to Die” speech: Reaction
Mandela and other leaders of the MK were given life sentences and sent to Robben Island. By imprisoning leaders of MK and the ANC, the government broke the strength of the ANC inside South Africa. At the same time this increased international criticism of apartheid
The United Nations condemned the trial and initiated steps to introduce sanctions. It is at this point that Mandela assumes iconic status as the de facto leader of the antiapartheid struggles -
The rivonia trial and mandelas ¨I am prepared to die”speech
Ten leaders of the African National Congress were tried for 221 acts of sabotage designed to overthrow the apartheid system. Often referred to as "the trial that changed South Africa” in October 1963, ten leading opponents of apartheid went on trial for their lives on charges of sabotage.
