1948-1961 History of Southern Africa





The Republic of South Africa, 1961-1994



From 1961 onward, the Republic of South Africa found itself increasingly internationally isolated. It's Commonwealth membership was suspended, the newly independent countries of Africa organized a boycott of South Africa; the AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS found sympathy for their cause abroad.
Yet the South African government was determined to continue their Apartheid policy. For decades the economy did relatively well, despite international boycott, thanks to South African gold and diamond production. In continuation of Apartheid policy, certain stretches of land were set aside for the native population, the so-called HOMELANDS (Bantustans), several of which were granted nominal independence : Transkei, Ciskei, Bophuthatswana, Venda. These states often consisted of several unconnected plots of land (of little economic value) and lacked basic infrastructure, having 'capitals' of a few thousand inhabitants. They were economically dependent on South Africa. Both the ANC and the international community regarded the 'homelands' as a trick to deprive the black population of South Africa of their South African citizenship.
Attempts by the ANC to destabilize the government by armed struggle, organized from military bases in neighbouring countries, backfired; the actions brought bad press, and the South Africans were far more successfull in destabilizing the regimes of Mocambique and Angola, both countries were paralyzed by civil war.
TV was introduced in South Africa as late as 1979.
After the demise of communism it became apparent that South Africa could not continue on that path, and NELSON MANDELA, a leading ANC politician who had spent 27 years in jail as a political prisoner, and Prime Minister FREDERIK WILLEM DE KLERK began negotiations about the transition to a multiethnic multiparty democracy. A coalition government was formed in which Nelson Mandela served. Apartheid was abolished and multiparty elections were held in 1994. The homelands were reintegrated into South Africa. Both Mandela and de Klerk were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.





EXTERNAL
FILES 		South Africa, History of, from Infoplease
Files from the Nobel Prize Internet Archive : Nelson Mandela, Frederik Willem de Klerk
DOCUMENTS Flag of South Africa 1910-1994, from FOTW
ANC Historical Documents Archive
Umkhonto we Sizwe, We are at War, 1967, from Modern History Sourcebook
UN Resolution 1598 : On Race Conflict in South Africa, 1961, from Modern History Sourcebook
REFERENCE Robert Ross, A Concise History of South Africa, Cambridge Concise Histories, 1999, 219 pp.
Long Walk to Freedom - the Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, 1995, 625 pp.
Jonathan Paton, The Land and People of South Africa, Harper & Row 1990 [G]
W.J. de Kock, History of South Africa, Dept. of Information, Pretoria 1971 [G]
Article : South Africa, Republic of, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1962 pp.632-633 (on events in 1961) [G]
Article : South Africa, Republic of, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1963 pp.739-740 (on events in 1962) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1964 pp.755-757 (on events in 1963) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1965 pp.744-745 (on events in 1964) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1966 pp.690-692 (on events in 1965) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1967 pp.690-692 (on events in 1966) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1968 pp.699-700 (on events in 1967) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1969 pp.681-683 (on events in 1968) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1970 pp.689-691 (on events in 1969) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1971 pp.673-675 (on events in 1970) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1972 pp.631-633 (on events in 1971) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1973 pp.617-619 (on events in 1972) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1974 pp.620-622 (on events in 1973) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1975 pp.621-626 (on events in 1974) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1976 pp.618-620 (on events in 1975) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1977 pp.617-620 (on events in 1976) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1978 pp.632-636 (on events in 1977) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1979 pp.626-629 (on events in 1978) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1980 pp.621-625 (on events in 1979) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1981 pp.621-624 (on events in 1980) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1982 pp.624-628 (on events in 1981) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1983 pp.617-621 (on events in 1982) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1984 pp.621-624 (on events in 1983) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1985 pp.474-476, 780 (on events in 1984) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1986 pp.468-472, 779 (on events in 1985) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1988 pp.397-400, 699 (on events in 1987) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1989 pp.397-400, 699 (on events in 1988) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1990 pp.414-417, 715 (on events in 1989) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1993 pp.370-372, 716 (on events in 1992) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1994 pp.368-371, 716 (on events in 1993) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1995 pp.471-475, 716 (on events in 1994) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1970-1971 pp.1281-1302 (data of 1969-1970) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1975-1976 pp.1289-1309 (data of 1974-1975) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1978-1979 pp.1064-1084 (data of 1977-1978) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1980-1981 pp.1067-1087 (data of 1979-1980) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1983-1984 pp.1070-1090 (data of 1982-1983) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1984-1985 pp.1067-1085 (data of 1983-1984) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1985-1986 pp.1068-1097 (data of 1984-1985) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1987-1988 pp.1073-1091 (data of 1986-1987) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1988-1989 pp.1077-1094 (data of 1987-1988) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1989-1990 pp.1088-1112 (data of 1988-1989) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1990-1991 pp.1088-1112 (data of 1989-1990) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1991-1992 pp.1091-1115 (data of 1990-1991) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1992-1993 pp.1182-1206 (data of 1991-1992) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1993-1994 pp.1184-1208 (data of 1992-1993) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1994-1995 pp.1190-1208 (data of 1993-1994) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : The World in Figures 1st ed. 1976 pp.95-97 [G]
Article : South Africa, in : The World in Figures 2nd ed. 1978 pp.95-97 [G]
Article : South Africa, in : The World in Figures 4th ed. 1984 pp.94-96 [G]
South Africa 1989-1990, Official Yearbook, 15th ed., Pretoria 1990 [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1962 pp.689-692 (on events of 1961) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1963 pp.609-611 (on events of 1962) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1964 pp.597-599 (on events of 1963) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1965 pp.632-633 (on events of 1964) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1967 pp.611-613 (on events of 1966) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1968 pp.604-606 (on events of 1967) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1969 pp.607-608 (on events of 1968) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1970 pp.616-617 (on events of 1969) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1971 pp.605-606 (on events of 1970) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1972 pp.600-601 (on events of 1971) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1973 pp.75, 602-603 (on events of 1972) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1974 pp.521-522 (on events of 1973) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1976 pp.74, 489-490 (on events of 1975) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1989 pp.467-469 (on events of 1988) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1990 pp.462-464 (on events of 1989) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1992 pp.465-469 (on events of 1991) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1993 pp.469-471 (on events of 1992) [G]
Article : South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1994 pp.478-480 (on events of 1993) [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on October 20th 2006

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