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The Legacy of Apartheid​

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The Legacy of Apartheid​ The Legacy of Apartheid: ​ An Interview with Mrs. Dalene Erasmus Interviewer: Alexa Potter Interviewee: Mrs. Dalene Erasmus Instructor: Mr. Haight Date of Submission: 2/14/17 Table of Contents Interviewee Release Form………………………………………………………………………....2 Interviewer Release Form…………………………………………………………………………3 Statement of Purpose…………….………………………………………………………………..4 Biography………………………………………………………………………………………....5 Historical Contextualization Paper: “The Soweto Uprising: A Turning Point for Apartheid”.......6 Interview Transcription…………………………………………………………………………..19 Interview Analysis………………………………………………………………………….……40 Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………………45 Works Consulted…………………………………………………………………………………49 INTERVIEWEE RELEASE FORM Statement of Purpose The purpose of this project is to gain the perspective of an eye witness of apartheid in South Africa through and interview with Mrs. Dalene Erasmus. During the interview, Mrs. Erasmus reflects on her life during apartheid, her direct encounters with activists, and the work she has done to help South Africans recover from apartheid. This project serves as an opportunity for the reader to gain an in depth understanding of the effects that apartheid had on South Africa and how they are still prevalent today. This perspective is gained through an emotional interview with Mrs. Erasmus, where she expresses her feelings towards the apartheid legacy, which is considered to be the darkest era of South African history. Biography Dalene Erasmus was born in Johannesburg, South Africa on December 9, 1957. As a child, Mrs. Erasmus was raised in an affluent household in Johannesburg, where both Afrikaans and English were spoken. She attended private school through high school and received a fairly conservative education. Mrs. Erasmus went on to leave Johannesburg to attend college, and received her college education from University of Cape Town. Mrs. Erasmus worked as a social worker, both as a consultant and a behavior assessor for over twenty five years. During Apartheid, despite her conservative upbringing, Mrs. Erasmus considered herself a liberal. Mrs. Erasmus participated in many small-scale movements against apartheid, including signing multiple “Free Mandela” petitions. She is currently retired from social services and living in Johannesburg, South Africa with her husband and three sons. The Soweto Uprising: A Turning Point for Apartheid Antoinette Sithole, the sister of a victim, recalls the events of June 16, 1976, saying “All of the sudden there were sounds like gunshots, so we as people, scattered around, hiding ourselves in the nearby houses.”1 She was referring to gunshots fired by the South African police force deployed to intervene in peaceful protests by Sowetan teenagers. Students took to the streets to demonstrate against oppressive laws, in particular the Afrikaans Medium Decree, which required schools to be taught in Afrikaans, a foreign language to the students.2 While it is commonly understood that the passing of this decree was the leading cause of the Soweto uprising, this tragic event, which resulted in the death of more than 500 teens, was the inevitable result of decades of numerous oppressive laws. To gain perspective on the causes of the Soweto uprising, and the events that occurred thereafter, it is important to shed light on the prevalent racism which dominated South Africa, due to the fascist leadership in place. This perspective is best gained from the account of an eye witness. It is important to get an eye witness account to fully grasp the magnitude of the fatal events of that day, the motives of the demonstrators, and the emotions involved in the infamous event of July 16, 1976, that is the Soweto massacre. Not only is it important to gain perspective from the victims of the event, but it is equally as important to hold the perpetrators, the apartheid leaders, accountable for their horrific actions, which resulted in the death of 575 people.3 1 "Soweto Eyewitness - Antoinette Sithole." Interview by Carole Bos. AwesomeStories.com. WWSU ​ ​ ​ Rampages, 7 Oct. 2013. Web. 9 Dec. 2016. 2 Boddy-Evans, Alistair. "The Afrikaans Medium Decree That Led to the Soweto Uprising."About.com ​ ​ Education. About Inc., 19 Feb. 2016. Web. 09 Dec. 2016. ​ 3 Thompson, Leonard Monteath. A History of South Africa. New Haven: Yale UP, 1990. 188-23. ​ ​ ​ Print.(pg. 213) Leading up to the Soweto uprising was the legacy of the apartheid regime, which began in 1948, when the National Party was elected into office,4 defeating the South African Party. The National Party was largely elected because their campaign was to create a system that oppressed the black population of South Africa. The National Party’s goal was to have a society based on segregation of the black majority from the white minority. The most effective means of enforcing apartheid was through legislation. One of the laws that built the foundation for apartheid was the Group Areas Act, passed in 1950.5 Its purpose was to contain all non-whites in designated areas. This segregated each ethnicity, especially black Africans, in order for the apartheid regime to maintain complete control, and easily regulate each township. The black Africans, being the vast majority, were not easily controlled by the racist apartheid regime. However, the leaders of the regime were well aware that revolts against apartheid would be difficult to quell. Talk of rebellion became more prominent after the Group Areas Act was passed, and many Africans refused to be displaced.6 Consequently, forceful measures were used by the regime to remove blacks from their homes, dismantle their tribes, and relocate them to designated areas. The apartheid regime was not only displacing them, but attempting to eliminate their culture. After a great deal of defiance from black citizens, the Group Areas Act was not repealed, but rather reinforced by the Prevention of Illegal Squatting Act,7 which granted local and government authorities the ability to forcibly remove blacks from 4 Riley, Eileen. "Major Political Events in South Africa, 1948-1990." (Book, 1991) [WorldCat.org]. ​ ​ ​ Facts on File Inc., 09 May 2016. Web. 09 Dec. 2016. 5 "Apartheid Legislation in South Africa." Gandhi Luthuli Documentation Centre. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 ​ ​ ​ Dec. 2016. 6 Ibid. 7 "Apartheid Legislation in South Africa." Gandhi Luthuli Documentation Centre. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 ​ ​ ​ Dec. 2016. both privately and publically owned land. While this created more oppressive circumstances for blacks, it showed that the apartheid regime was unable to enforce fully their prior act, and felt threatened by black African defiance. In an attempt to combat these apartheid laws, a group of black anti-apartheid activists banded together to begin the Defiance Campaign, lead by the African National Congress or ANC.8 The ANC was a social and political party comprised of black anti-apartheid activists, one of the most noteable being Steve Biko. The Defiance Campaign was launched with promotion of peaceful protests, and unarmed demonstrations against the inhumane laws of the apartheid regime. The campaign was launched in 1952, but was initially unsuccessful due to the ANC’s lack of resources, members, and power. Importantly, the Defiance Campaign laid the foundation of the many more anti-apartheid movements to come. Yet another constricting law passed by the apartheid regime was the Natives Act, commonly known as the “Pass Laws.”9 These laws stated that blacks must carry photo identification with them at all times or be subject to arrest. They were put in place to discourage blacks from leaving their designated townships, and to control black citizens in an even more constricting fashion, while enforcing segregation. Blacks responded by joining the ANC’s Defiance Campaign, because they believed these laws violated their human rights. With racial tensions at an all time high, it was inevitable that violence would break out in of South Africa. On March 21, 1960, the African National Congress planned a peaceful demonstration against the Pass Laws. This was a significant movement because women were also invited to 8 Ibid. 9 Riley, Eileen. "Major Political Events in South Africa, 1948-1990." (Book, 1991) [WorldCat.org]. ​ ​ ​ Facts on File Inc., 09 May 2016. Web. 09 Dec. 2016. (pg. 36) demonstrate alongside the men of the ANC.10 The goal of this demonstration was to arrive as a group at the Sharpeville Police Station without their photo identification, and in direct violation of the Pass Laws. Upon arrival, the peaceful protesters were met with anger by the police force. The enraged and nervous officers open fired on the crowd of protestors and what began as a peaceful demonstration, resulted in the murder of 67 protesters and the injury of 186.11 The demonstration became known as the notorious Sharpeville Massacre, and served as a catalyst in the anti-apartheid movement. At the same time that movement of blacks was restricted, apartheid took aim at education. Historically, there was a multi-racial school system in place, which was largely sponsored by missionaries, with the assistance of the state. After the Group Areas Act was passed, the apartheid regime saw it advantageous to their cause to reinvent the education system. The core of the reinvention was the Bantu Education Act, passed in 195312 to inhibit black education to an extreme degree. The Bantu Education Act promoted a separate education system designed to educate blacks only enough to be able to work as laborers for the white minority. The motive of the apartheid regime was clearly to keep black Africans in perpetual servitude.13 Blacks were denied equal education, and because of that they were denied equal opportunity. The Bantu Education Act was the ultimate form of reinforcement of apartheid because it was an attempt to keep the black majority powerless, ignorant, and unable to revolt against their inhumane treatment. Exploitation of black labor was a secondary motive of the 10 Tessendorf, K. C. Along the Road to Soweto: A Racial History of South Africa. New York: ​ ​ ​ Atheneum, 1989. Print. 11 Ibid. 12 "Apartheid Legislation in South Africa." Gandhi Luthuli Documentation Centre.
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