Question – Give a brief account of the struggle to end apartheid policy prevalent in South Africa. – 16 August 2021
Answer –
The apartheid policy reflected the political and economic system of brutal racial discrimination against local South Africans and other black immigrants under the rule of minority white people in South Africa in the 20th century.
Measures taken to end the Apartheid policy in South Africa:
- People’s protest against the policy of apartheid was based on Gandhian ideals of satyagraha and non-violence.
- The African National Congress (ANC), established in the year 1912, soon emerged as a major force opposing the racial oppression of 80% of the country’s non-European population.
- Legal methods of struggle were used by the African National Congress during the first four decades of the struggle, but began to use more aggressive non-violent direct action after the 1950s.
- Disappointed at being unable to achieve the expected results by their non-violent activities, African National Congress leaders (Nelson Mandela and others) called for an armed rebellion.
- The policy of apartheid was extremely criticized at the international level.
- The apart-heid policy was also opposed in the United Nations.
Conclusion:
Finally in 1992, the white South African government approved the abolition of minority rule and A Policy under international pressure. Nelson Mandela was elected as the first President of the newly formed South Africa in the first free elections held thereafter.
