Nationalism in South Africa The rise of African

Nationalism in South Africa The rise of African Nationalism

The Rise of African Nationalism • Started developing in early 1900’s (Formation of Union/Land Act) • Nationalism took on different forms: 1. All South Africans should be included equally 2. Black South Africans should develop their own nationalism • Began with mainly educated elite but eventually spread to the masses • Emerged from the resistance movement to segregation and colonialism

The African People’s Organisation 1902: A group of coloured South African’s from the APO Led by Dr Abdullah Abdurahman for 35 years APO protested segregation laws – brought many people together The APO was concerned the right to vote would be removed for coloured people • They wanted the vote franchise to extend to the whole union • They planned to achieve all of this through negotiation • •

The Formation of the Native Congress • After the SA War it was clear that white people would have political control • A Native Congress was formed in all four colonies • 1906: The Transvaal Native Congress wrote to British Parliament but were ignored • 1909: Delegation of Native Congress members and APO members went to Britain to request intervention • They too were ignored

The Formation of the African National Congress • January 1912: Formation of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC) • This was later renamed to the African National Congress • Reverend John Dube elected as first president • Dr Pixley ka Isaka Seme and Sol Plaatje played major roles • The aims of ANC: • Unite Africans • Encourage united action to oppose discrimination • Win political rights for all

The Formation of the African National Congress • • • The ANC sent a delegation to London to protest the 1913 Land Act This was unsuccessful After WWI they sent another delegation to the Paris Peace Conference This was unsuccessful The early ANC was a moderate organisation They relied on peaceful petitions and appeals to authority The leaders of the ANC were highly educated men The supporters of the ANC at this time were mainly the elite black people The ANC did not focus on the needs of black workers or rural areas

The Industrial Commercial Workers Union The ICU drew much support from the working class Formed in 1919 by Cape Town dock workers It organised many protests against the policies of the government It had far more support than the ANC at this time The ANC was seen as representing the elite and was too cautious In the 1930’s the ANC worked with other organisations but had little success at this stage • After this black political organisations demanded a stronger form of nationalism • • •

The influence of the Second World War: The ANC after 1940

Black South Africans in WW 2 • Roughly 125 000 black South Africans were involved in WW 2 • They were not allowed to carry arms and did not fight • The SA government feared training them to be soldiers would undermine white domination • Apparent irony of fighting for freedom for the Allies yet they had none at home. • They felt undervalued

The Atlantic Charter • • • 1941 Roosevelt and Churchill create the Atlantic Charter It promises support for self-determination The ANC studied this in terms of Africa and South Africa 1943 Xuma creates the document, African Claims in South Africa It stated: All adults should be allowed to vote There should be a fair distribution of land Africans should be allowed to own land in urban areas There should be no discrimination in the workplace.

• Allies claimed WW 2 was being fought for freedom & democracy • Africans therefore hoped the end of the war would end discrimination and oppression • 1940 – Dr Alfred Xuma becomes president of ANC • Xuma wanted a united front with Coloured and Indian people • 1943 – Younger ANC members formed the Congress Youth League • Anton Lembede, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo • They wanted more active nationalism

Nationalism and the ANC after 1945 • After WW 2 a more determined form of Nationalism emerged • CYL members were elected to positions of leadership • Programme of Action and 1952 Defiance Campaign • In the 1940’s there was tension in the ANC - This was because of the different views that existed

Africanism • The belief that Africans should organise separately • Strongly supported by Anton Lembede • They believed that: • Africa is a black man’s country • Africans are one • They wanted national liberation and African Socialism

The Freedom Charter and Charterism • The ANC supported a type of nationalism based on the Freedom Charter • It rejected race as a means of defining African nationalism • It wanted a DEMOCRATIC government regardless of race • Non-racialism therefore became a fundamental principle • This became known as CHARTERISM

The Pan Africanist Congress • Not all ANC members accepted this non-racialism • Robert Sobukwe broke away to form the PAC in 1959 • They were more in-line with the ideas of the CYL: • Only Africans should lead the resistance movement • They did not want to work alongside non-African activists • ‘Government of Africans, by Africans, for Africans’ • This meant there should be NO power-sharing at all!

The Banning of the ANC and PAC • • • In 1960 the ANC and PAC were banned by the government Leaders went into exile but still led the movement from there Resistance continued in South Africa at the time While the ANC was in exile the UDF fought for non-racialism Steve Biko and the Black Consciousness movement were more Africanist A strong sense of African nationalism was encouraged from two different fronts: • To think about: Is it possible for African Nationalism to exist while working with other races?

Homework: • Ensure all pages in this unit have been summarised • Please complete Activity 2 on page 133