Apartheid South Africa's Propaganda Effort, c.1960-1980: The Hearts and Minds Campaign of the National Party. by Johann Obermeyer Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of History in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Prof. William Richard Nasson December 2016 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Declaration By submitting this dissertation electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that the reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe on any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. December 2016 Copyright © 2016 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved 1 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the South African National Party’s efforts at winning ‘hearts and minds’ within the decades of the 1960s’ up to the 1980s’. Thus, the various attempts by the NP to control and manipulate the image of the Republic of South Africa as seen from within and outside of its borders, is examined. The perspective offered in this study is from the point of view from the NP itself, as this is done in order to try to get a clear picture of what the apartheid government was struggling for and against. The methods employed within the study are, at times, of a historiographical nature and rely on various documentary sources. Because of the nature of the topic, subterfuge is to be expected and thus the sources are assessed for what they are, and not necessarily what they perhaps pretend to be. The phenomenon of subterfuge is thus examined in its own right. The study concludes with the suggestion that it might be useful to further research one particular aspect as shown in chapter 3, as well as with the idea that further studies of this kind might be useful in contributing towards the shift towards a more integrated contemporary South African history. 2 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Opsomming Die doel van hierdie studie was om in die algemeen die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Party se poging op die wen harte en gedagtes binne die raamwerk van die 1960's 'tot die 1980's te bestudeer. Dus, die verskeie pogings deur die NP om die beeld van die Republiek van Suid- Afrika te beheer en manipuleer soos gesien beide van binne en buite die land se grense. Die perspektief wat in hierdie studie gebruik word, is uit die oogpunt van die NP self, dit is gedoen om 'n duidelike beeld van waarvoor die apartheidsregering geveg het, te kry. Die metodes wat gebruik word in die studie is by tye van 'n historiografiese aard en berus op verskeie literêre bronne. As gevolg van die aard van die onderwerp, word skelmstreke verwag en dus moet die bronne geneem vir wat hulle is en nie wat hulle dalk voorgee om te wees. Die verskillende voorbeelde van skelmstreke is dus in hul eie reg ondersoek. Die studie word afgesluit met die idee dat dit moontlik nuttig kan wees om verdere navorsing oor een spesifieke aspek soos in hoofstuk 3 gewys word, te doen. Asook die idee dat ‘n studie van hierdie soort nuttig kan wees in die verskuiwing na 'n meer geïntegreerde geskiedenis. 3 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Acknowledgements A work such as this is never an easy feat, especially if viewed it against the backdrop of life and love moving forward, whilst one attempts to sit perfectly still in front of the keys and type. Therefore I would like to say thanks to my wife Yolandi Obermeyer for living with me and my thesis for almost 3 years, constantly supporting and motivating me. A general study of any historical topic also has its dangers, as one’s scope is constantly changing and thus the danger of going off on a rhetorical tangent is ever present. A topic such as this also has the danger of allowing emotional or personal bias to colour the end result. Therefore, I would like to acknowledge the role that Professor William (Bill) Nasson played in cajoling and guiding me in the right scholarly direction. 4 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Contents Chapter 1: Socio - Political landscape 1.1: introduction………………………………………………………………………………p. 9 1.2: Scope of the study Historiography and Relevance Key Figure 1.3: Socio - political landscape of the 1960s' Prologue Sharpeville The armed struggle State reaction International projection of propaganda in support of apartheid Chapter 2: Theoretical Patterns 2.1: Introduction………………………………………………………………………..…….p. 27 The theory and pattern of nationalism Definition and nature Patterns of nationalism The nature of nationalism in the modern world 2.2: Theoretical Propaganda History and description 5 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Modernization of propaganda Practical uses of propaganda Mass media and the nation 2.5: Concluding remarks Chapter 3: Safeguarding Afrikaner principles 3.1: Introduction………………………………………………………………………….p. 39 3.2: Censorship and Publishing Afrikaner newspapers The Cronje Report: The foundation of censorship in South Africa Geoffrey Cronje Structure and aim of the commission The Church Newspapers and Advertisement The proposed Publications Board 3.3: The Publications Act(s); the mechanism of censorship in South Africa 1963 Publications and Entertainment Act 1974 Publications and Entertainment Act 3.4: Censored and banned Literary Works The ‘Sestigers’ Afrikaner writers and Censorship Thoughts on authoritarian censoring 6 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 3.4: Concluding Remarks Chapter 4: Propaganda and the South African Broadcasting Commission 4.1: Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..p. 70 4.2: SABC and the Broederbond Short history of the SABC SABC and the Broederbond The move towards television and the Meyer Commission 4.3: The commission of inquiry into all matters relating to television Underlying theory Education and Authoritarian control Proposed implementation 4.5: South African television service in practice 4.5: Concluding Remarks Chapter 5: Department of Information, actions and reactions 5. 1: Introduction………………………………………………………………………….p. 94 Early beginnings 5.2: South Africa's Paper Curtain 5.2: Maintenance and defence from behind the Paper Curtain To the Point 7 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za The Club of Ten The Citizen Birth of the Citizen News reporting in practice The secret U.S war against South Africa The Star project Operation Blackwash 5. 3: The True information scandal 5.4: Post-Muldergate 5.5: Concluding remarks Chapter 6: Conclusion 6.1: Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..p. 131 The need and justification of propaganda Methods of manipulation Final remarks 8 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Chapter 1 Prologue: Socio - Political landscape 'The very term 'Afrikaner' signalled a desire on the parts of the Nationalists to identify as white Africans, torch bearers of Christian civilization drawn together by a unique culture and calling. The African tribes encountered by the Boers were often hostile and it was only through feats of stubborn fortitude and by the grace of God that they overcame constant threats to their existence - as the defeat of the vastly more numerous Zulu warriors at Blood River in 1838 so vividly showed... '1 1.1: Introduction The subject of apartheid has been studied increasingly since the early 1990s'; arguably, this has been done, firstly, to a large extent from the perspective of so-called 'struggle history', and, secondly, also to a great extent, has been caught up with a focus on the rise and fall of this repressive system which owed its existence to the working of both socio-political forces and economic factors. In common or popular usage, Afrikaner nationalism, or the term 'Afrikaner' itself, as mentioned in the quote above, gives one an idea of the 19th century sufferings and determination of the Afrikaner people. Continuing with this pattern of grief, the Afrikaners also suffered at the hands of the British after their trek inland, with the South African War and the later Anglo or Anglo- Afrikaner domination of South African society in the post war era, with the trademark Afrikaner poverty that followed, which in turn created the conditions for nationalist tendencies to rise. In the first article of De Burger in 1915, Malan wrote that, "for our Volk this is the darkest hour. Once there was a time when we were united, one heart, even if storms raged around us...but our hearts are torn and our cultural life has been embittered. We drink the water of Marah."2 Subsequently, in the same article, he wrote that the task was to "...tie together what should have 1 Saul Dubow, Apartheid, 1948 ‐ 1994 (United Kingdom: Oxford university press, 2014), p. 17 2 De Burger, 26th July, 1915, p. 1 9 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za never been separated." 3 The ideal of unification was clearly in view at the end of the day, and in the way that the later Nationalists viewed the new and evolving policy of apartheid, this was intended to hold true for both white and black, if on a distinctively different basis and meaning. When Daniel François Malan (1874 - 1959) spoke about apartheid in parliament for the first time in 1944, he explained that it was meant to be different from what was considered to be the negative idea of segregation, and that it would rather be a positive system within which all the various ethnic groups in South Africa could uplift themselves within their own cultural framework.4 Malan maintained that apartheid was a positive and non-repressive system which was based on the Afrikaners’ divine calling and even on their historically privileged destiny to convert the heathen to Christianity without watering down their national and cultural identity.