SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADE 9 TERM 4 HISTORY NOTES AND ACTIVITIES
BRIGHT STAR CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL
SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADE 9
TERM 4 HISTORY NOTES AND ACTIVITIES
TOPIC: TURNING POINTS IN SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORY, 1960, 1976 AND 1990.
0. INTRODUCTION.
In this topic we will look at some of the turning points in the history of
apartheid.
Some of the most hated apartheid laws include pass laws which
controlled the movement of black Africans.
The first turning point we will look at in the events took place in 1960
which were sparked by protests against the pass laws.
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SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADE 9 TERM 4 HISTORY NOTES AND ACTIVITIES
WORD BANK
CONCEPT DEFINITION
Multi-racialism The involvement of more than one race
Power-sharing A government that is consists of more than one party
State of emergency A disaster in which a government suspends normal
constitutional procedures in order to regain control.
Apartheid Policy that governed relations between South Africa’s
white minority and non-white majority and sanctioned
racial segregation and political and economic
discrimination
Segregate Keep separate
Massacre An indiscriminate and brutal slaughter of many people
Protest movement Is a public expression of objection, disapproval or
dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political
one?
Truth and A special group that was tasked to ensure that South
Reconciliation Africans exposed the truth about their deeds during
Commission apartheid with the intention to heal or reconcile.
Exile being banned and living away from your native country
Resolution 134 A conclusion reached by the United Nations, after the
killings at Sharpeville, that the South African
government was disturbing world peace and that
apartheid was cruel, and that the country should be
sanctioned.
Sanction Other countries would end their economic and political
relationships with South Africa
Commonwealth The organization to which all British colonies belong
Uprising Actions taken against authorities, usually aggressive
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SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADE 9 TERM 4 HISTORY NOTES AND ACTIVITIES
Repress Using force to control and stop people from doing
something
Stay-away The act of refusing to work, or staying away from your
work
Oppressed Dominated or made to suffer
Censorship The removal of certain information considered offensive
or a threat to security
Prohibition A law that stops something
Rescinded Officially cancelled
UNIT 1: 1960: SHARPEVILLE MASSACRE AND LANGA MARCH
Formation of the PAC, 1959
In 1959, 300 members of the African National Congress (ANC), led by Robert
Sobukwe, broke away to form the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC). The PAC
believed that South Africa had to be liberated by black Africans. They rejected
the multi-racial approach of the ANC and embraced an Africanist way of
thinking, which was that black people should determine their own future.
Sharpeville: Causes, Leaders, Events, Short-Term And Long-Term
Consequences
On 16 March 1960, PAC leader Robert Sobukwe wrote to the Commissioner of
Police stating that the PAC would be holding a five-day, non-violent and
disciplined protest against pass laws. PAC members were asked to leave their
passes at home on 21 March, and give themselves up for arrest at their nearest
police station. Protests took place at police stations throughout the country.
This day was to be a turning point in South African history.
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SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADE 9 TERM 4 HISTORY NOTES AND ACTIVITIES
Sharpeville: Leaders
After Sobukwe announced the planned protest action, the Sharpeville PAC
branch led by the chairman, Nyakale Tsolo, approached almost every house
and the men’s hostel in the township, mobilising support.
On 21 March, Tsolo and the local leadership led a crowd of people to the
Sharpeville police station. They were singing freedom songs and calling out
campaign slogans.
Langa March: Leaders
In Langa, near Cape Town, Phillip Kgosana, regional leader of the PAC, headed
up the protest on 21 March.
Activity 1: Date:
1. Explain why black people hated the pass system. (2)
2. Why did the PAC decide to hold an anti-pass campaign so soon after it was
formed? (2)
3. Explain why the PAC thought that having its members arrested would make
the government change the pass system. (2)
4. Look at the photo above of Philip Kgosana.
4.1 How can you tell that Kgosana agreed to co-operate with the police? (2)
4.2 What does it say about him? (2)
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SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADE 9 TERM 4 HISTORY NOTES AND ACTIVITIES
EVENTS OF 21 MARCH 1960
Soweto
Robert Sobukwe and others marched to the Orlando police station to give
themselves up for arrest. As they approached the station, most of the
marchers, including Sobukwe were arrested and charged with sedition
(treason). Elsewhere in the country, people were also marching to their local
police stations.
Sharpeville
It was in Sharpeville, a township in the Vaal Triangle, that things went seriously
wrong. A group of about 5 000 PAC members marched to Sharpeville police
station. The police opened fire on the crowd that had gathered to protest the
pass laws. As people turned to run away, the police continued shooting. By
the end of the day 69 people had been killed, most of them shot in the back
and 180 were wounded.
Langa
In Langa, near Cape Town, the PAC protest march on the police station began in
the morning, but was called off by Philip Kgosana after the police threatened
violence. However, news of the Sharpeville massacre reached the crowd, and
they marched anyway. The police shot and killed two protestors.
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SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADE 9 TERM 4 HISTORY NOTES AND ACTIVITIES
Activity 2: Date:
1. Were the crowds marching in Cape Town and Langa peaceful? Explain
using your notes above. (3)
2. How did the police chase away the crowds? (4)
3. Why do you think the police didn’t arrest the people who were not
carrying a pass? (5)
SHORT-TERM CONSEQUENCES
ANC President Chief Albert Luthuli and Professor ZK Mathews called on all
South Africans to mark a National Day of Mourning for the victims. The stay
away on 28 March was highly successful and was the first national strike in
South African history. In Cape Town, on 30 March 1960, PAC leaders Phillip
Kgosana and Clarence Makwetu led a PAC march on more than 30 000
protestors from Langa and Nyanga to the police headquarter in Caledon Square
On 30 March, the National Party government declared a state of emergency in
the country. Many PAC leaders were arrested and detained.
The pass laws are suspended
In Cape Town, and then in the rest of South Africa, the pass laws were
suspended. But they were soon back in force and black people had to go back
to carrying a pass.
The violence spreads
People in South Africa heard about what had happened in Sharpeville. Protests
spread to other parts of the country. On 31 March, protesters tried to march
from Cato Manor, a township near Durban to Durban’s centre. Most of them
were stopped by police, about 1 000 managed to get to the police station. They
demanded that the people who had been arrested in the protests the previous
week be released.
State of emergency
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SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADE 9 TERM 4 HISTORY NOTES AND ACTIVITIES
The ANC had called for its members to strike, and thousands of people did not
go to work. The government was worried and declared a state of emergency.
This is a special situation where the government and the armed forces are
allowed to do things they usually are not allowed to do. Public meeting were
not allowed and people could be arrested without being put on trial. The police
arrested about 1 500 people. The protests were crushed.
The ANC and PAC are banned
On 8 April 1960, the government banned the PAC and the ANC. Banning meant
that the organisations were not allowed to exist in South Africa. People were
not allowed to become members or to hold meetings. People could be arrested
and jailed for being members. Some of their leaders and members went to live
in exile in other countries.
Activity 3: Date:
1. What is a state of emergency? (2)
2. Governments also must follow the law. Why can’t governments do as
they please? (4)
3. Give examples of when a government can declare a state of emergency.
(2)
4. Was the government justified in declaring a state of emergency? Explain.
(4)
LONGER TERM CONSEQUENCES
Imprisonment of Robert Sobukwe
Robert Sobukwe was imprisoned on Robben Island, where he was isolated
from the other prisoners and kept in a house away from the main prison for
nine years. He was released in 1969 and placed under a banning order in
Kimberley until his death in 1978.
The beginning of the armed struggle
Sharpeville marked the end of peaceful resistance to apartheid and the
beginning of the armed struggle – the use of violence – to end apartheid.
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SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADE 9 TERM 4 HISTORY NOTES AND ACTIVITIES
As a direct result of the Sharpeville march, both the PAC and ANC were banned
on 8 April 1960. Both organisations were forced underground. In 1961, the
ANC launched their armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), and the PAC under
Potlako Leballo formed an underground military wing as Poqo. Unlike MK,
Poqo focused on attacking people, not government installations. During the
1960’s many Poqo members were hanged for activities during which people
were killed.
World Opinion
Also, after Sharpeville, world opinion turned against South African government.
Soon after the Sharpeville massacre, the United Nations Security Council raised
the issue of apartheid for the first time. In April 1960, the Council called on the
apartheid regime to ‘initiate measures aimed at bringing about racial harmony
based on equality…. and abandon its policies of apartheid and racial
discrimination.’
But the Nationalists remained defiant. On 31 May 1961, Prime Minister HF
Verwoerd led South Africa out of the Commonwealth and declared South
Africa a republic. The government knew that many countries in the worlds
were against them and they stood alone – but still they did not change!
Activity 4: Date:
1. How did the government react to the protests after the Sharpeville
massacre? (2)
2. Why did people go into exile? (2)
3. Explain why MK and Poqo were set up. 92)
4. Do you think the PAC and ANC were right to change their methods after
Sharpeville? Explain. (4)
Activity 5 Date:
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SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADE 9 TERM 4 HISTORY NOTES AND ACTIVITIES
Topic: Esssay
1. The Sharpeville uprising ushered in a new era of defiance”. Explain
whether this statement is true by referring to the causes, events and
circumstances of the Sharpeville massacre.
(20)
OR
Discuss different factors that forced the NP to bring an end to it’s Apartheid
system. Explain the events of the 1980’s as well as the end of Apartheid during
the 1990’s. (20)
