Index: African National Congress (ANC), Azanian Peoples'
Liberation Army (Poqo, APLA), Azanian Peoples' Organization (Azapo), Black
Consciousness (BC), Communists in South Africa (CPSA,
SACP), Inkatha, National Party, Pan Africanist
Congress (PAC), Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC),
Umkhonto (MK), United Democratic Front
(UDF).
Official African National Congress Page
Throughout the 1900's, the system of apartheid, or the policy of racial segregation, ruled the land in South Africa. Africans, specifically those who did not fall into the category of being "white," were ostracized and "developed an acute sense of inferiority that their color became a symbol of sin" (Fatton 5). Apartheid taught Africans that Europeanization was good, and that African culture, beliefs and traditions were wrong and evil; "they [Africans] would admire the white world and despise their own" (5). In order to be civilized, blacks had to whiten their souls and reject their blackness. The more ideas and concepts that were forced and drilled into the minds of the Africans, the greater the urge to revolt against the system of apartheid.
Beginning in the 1950's, African leaders began to form organizations that spoke for the African resistance against racism and white supremacy. Political groups such as the African National Congress (ANC), South African Indian Congress (SACIC), the South African Colored Peoples' Organization (SACPO), and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) help create a strong sense of identity, pride, and nationalism among Africans. As a result, violence between white authorities and the black population broke out. The white population believed that killing the inferior will stop them from revolting and resisting. Fortunately, the whites were wrong.
Even though in 1977 the Black Consciousness Movement was banned by the Internal Security Act, hope did not diminish. More organizations were created, and more pride among the Africans was created. Also, a large number of the white population joined in the fight against white supremacy and apartheid. Leaders such as Nelson Mandela led the way for resistance and hope for a better South Africa. Finally, in 1998, apartheid ended, and freedom finally won.
After reading this book and writing this paper, I learned so many new and important things. I believe that Americans take their freedom for granted, and after reading and researching, I believe that living in a country where you can be who you are, do the things that you want to do, and live the way you want to live is the best thing in the world. Even though there was segregation in the U.S., it did not continue almost up to the 21st century. I am proud of the Africans who endured hell for so long, but refused to give up, even though they were banned, beaten and/or killed. This shows that one should never give up on what he or she believes in, no matter what the cost.
Fatton, Robert, Jr. Black Consciousness in South Africa. 1986.
I went to research in the library the topic of Black Consciousness, and I noticed that not far behind was the name Steve Biko. I then chose to look up a book that contained information about Steve Biko as well as the Black Consciousness movement. The book, Bounds of Possibility: The Legacy of Steve Biko and Black Consciousness, talks of how Steve Biko was one of the founders of this movement. Biko was a black student living in South Africa under the oppressive apartheid government. He, like most of his colleagues, were tired of being treated as though they were not human and started protesting these injustices. He, along with partners, formed the Black Consciousness Movement. The movement, while protesting injustices, was more to the blacks of South Africa. Black Consciousness became a way of life. It taught the blacks that being black was synonymous with freedom. "For the first time in their lives, they were able to walk tall and not feel they were sub-humans or negatives of a greater humanity represented by whiteness" (Pityana 9). This whole movement uplifted the black South Africans as a people and brought light to a society filled with terrible injustices. This movement provided glimmers of hope at the end of the road for it was now believed by the people that freedom was not far away. This book basically shows the importance of the role and contribution of Steve Biko and Black Consciousness to the building of a modern South Africa.
Bruton, Tamryn. "Biko's Black Consciousness." The Road to Soweto. <http://www.history.und.ac.za/soweto/bikothe.htm >.
The Inkatha Freedom Party is a South African political party which was founded in 1975 by Mangosuthu Buthelezi. Most of Inkatha's estimated 1.7 million members are Zulus residing in the KwaZulu homeland within Natal. This area is one of the most conservative parts of South Africa, which respects Zulu traditions and institutions. Mr. Buthelezi's drive to re-establish the pre-colonial kingdom is part of his fight for greater provincial autonomy and Zulu self-determination ("Inching Together").
Inkatha advocated an evolutionary struggle against apartheid (working within the system), and declared its willingness to accept special power-sharing arrangements that would fall short of majority rule in a postapartheid South Africa. This lead to to the ANC widely condemning Inkatha for cooperating with the white South African government. Buthelezi's ideas were heralded by conservative leaders of western governments such as Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thacher who opposed both the use of force and sanction in the resolution of the South African struggle.
In 1991 Inkatha's influence was substantially damaged by revelations
that the white South African government had financed the movement from
secret funds. A 1994 inquiry later revealed that a group of high-ranking
members of the South African police had trained an Inkatha guerrilla squad
in order to heighten violence and to disrupt the political transition in
South Africa. This information only heightened the adversarial relationship
between the ANC and Inkatha, and lead to black against black violence which
persists to this day ("A Chilling Tale").
.
Currently, in the area of KwaZulu, Inkatha still holds a strong majority
of the government, and plays an active role in the National coalition government
of South Africa along with the ANC.
"A Chilling Tale: South Africa." The Economist 9 Dec. 1995, 45.
"Buthelezi's White Zulus." The Economist 22 June 1996, 43.
"Inching Together: South Africa." The Economist 22 June 1996,
42.
Inkatha started out as a Zulu cultural group. During 1975, black politics were severely restricted. That year, Inkatha was revived by Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi as an antiapartheid organization. Today it is called the Inkatha Freedom Party, a South African Political Party, and it is the ruling political party in the black homeland of KwoZulu. The ideology of the party is conservative. In the 1980s, Inkatha and ANC became bitter rivals that resulted in violence. This violence led to the deaths of thousands of people.
The Inkatha Freedom Party has its own Statement of Belief that spells out various elements that are important to the people involved in the group. The first of the beliefs is, "(w)e believe that respect for individuals and the value placed on cultural and large groups is synonymous with the progress towards a politically stable society" (Mare and Hamilton 228). Another belief states that they "believe that the identity of an individual within a particular cultural milieu is essential to his identity as a South African, but we believe also that culture belongs to all men and that no social, economic or political impediments which hinder the free movements of individuals from one cultural milieu to another are in any respect justified" (Mare and Hamilton 228).
The party also believes that everything should be done according to the law. They also believe firmly in equality before the law, and they are totally against discrimination. Inkatha believes that the government should promise its people improvement for the future and that leadership must meet the demands of responsibility by taking any steps necessary to avoid a race war.
Mare, Gerhard and Georgina Hamilton. An Appetite for Power. Bloomington,
IN: Indiana University Press, 1987.