Essay on Apartheid: South Africa and Grand Apartheid

Submitted By tanaberg
Words: 456
Pages: 2

South Africa is a country with many natural resources and their mines lead the production of gold, diamonds, and metals such as platinum. In the seventeenth century, South Africa was colonized by the English and Dutch. When the English dominated the Dutch descendants (known as Boers) the Dutch established new colonies called Orange Free State and Transvaal. When diamonds were discovered there, the English invaded in what was known as the Boer War.

After they gained independence from England, they shared power until the 1940’s, when the Afrikaner National Party was able to gain the majority. People in the national Party invented Apartheid in an attempt to maintain control over the economic and and social systems. The goal was to keep white domination while creating even more racial separation. In the 60’s, they started a plan of “Grand Apartheid” which began territorial separation and police repression. An example of this is The Land Areas Act, which made certain tracts of land ‘out of bounds’ for the blacks. Usually they were forced to live in small towns and could not go to the same public places as the whites. Restaurants for example, were separate facilities.

Working with the African National Congress (ANC) Nelson Mandela apartheid efforts increased and he began to realize that passive resistance was not working. Plans were made to bomb areas of significance to pro-apartheid people, they were always planned not to hurt anybody, but places. Nelson Mandela was tried for treason in 1964 and sentenced to life imprisonment. Even imprisoned he continued his works and teachings. All around the world, not just in South Africa, his anti-apartheid message was gaining popularity. Behind bars he was a symbol of resistance to apartheid.

In the 1980’s, apartheid