Chronology
Important Events in the History of South Africa and Apartheid
3rd Century A.D. African hunters and gatherers, farmers and pastoralists begin to settle the regin
1652 Dutch establish a trading station at the Cape of Good Hope; joined by Germans and French Huguenots, they develop a new language, Afrikaans, and identity, Afrikaaners
1650-1898 Despite strong resistance by Africans, Afrikaaners and British gain control of region
1814 British acquire permanent sovereignty over the Cape
1836-38 The Great Trek
1838 Trekking Boers defeat Zulu nation
1854 Cape Colony granted representative government; establishment of nonracial franchise
1860 Indian indentured laborers come to work the sugar plantations
1867 Discovery of diamonds
1884 First big gold field found in Transvaal
1899-1902 Anglo-Boer war; British seize all of South Africa
1905 South African Native Affairs Commision advocates territorial segregation of whites and Africans
1907 Cape Colony School Board Act restricts access of nonwhites to public education
1910 South Africa acquires Commonwealth dominion status
1911 Mine and Works Act of Parliament sanction an industrial color bar; strikes by Africans made a crime
1912 African National Congress (ANC) founded
1913 Native Land Act prohibits Africans from buying land outside of reserves
1920 South West Africa mandated to South Africa by the League of Nations
1926 Colour Bar Act secures a monopoly on skilled jobs for white mineworkers
1934 Founding of Purified National Party by Afrikaner opposition
1936 Africans removed from the common voters' role in the Cape Province
1948 National Party victory in parliamentary elections; apartheid erected
1949 ANC adopts program of militant nationalism and mass action
Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act
Population Registration Act
1950 Group Areas Act
Communist Party made unlawful
1951 Bantu Authorities Act
1952 ANC and Indian Congress deliberately break segregation laws in the Campaign Against Unjust Laws; 8,000 arrested nationwide, 14 killed by police
1953 Reservation of Separate Amenities Act
Bantu Education Act
1955 "Freedom Charter" adopted by 3000 delegates from all over South Africa. 10,000 children stay out of school in protest against Bantu Education Act
1956 Thousands of African women protest pass laws, 3 killed by police. Coloureds removed from common voters' roll in Cape Province
1959 Pan Africanist Congress (PAC)
1960 Police massacre 69 and would 186 peaceful demonstrators protesting pass laws in Sharpesville. Nationwide protests erupt, State of Emergency declared.
PAC and ANC banned
SWAPO organized
1961 South Africa becomes a republic and severs ties with the British Commonwealth. Nonviolent means having failed, 'ANC organized Umkonto We Swize (Spear of the Nation) to organize armed resistance
1964 Nelson Mandela sentenced to life in prison under the Suppression of Communism Act
1971 World Council of Churches withdraws invested funds from corporations operating in South Africa
1973 UN General Assembly declares SWAPO to be "sole authentic representative of the people of Namibia"
1975 Mozambique and Angola achieve independence
1976 Soweto uprising, protests spread across country, over 1,000 killed
1977 Steve Biko killed while in police custody, UN approves mandatory arms embargo against South Africa. 17 Black Consciousness organizations outlawed. "Sullivan Principles" initiated.
1978 Azanian People's Organization (AZAPO), a Black Consciousness group, organized
1979 International oil boycott declared
1980 Zimbabwe acheives independence
1982 National Party in South Africa splits, with formation of rightwing Conservative Party
1983 United Democratic Front established
1984 Establishment of new tri-cameral parliament with colored and Indian chambers -- elections boycotted by 80% of eligible voters
1985 Well-organized nationwide protests and acts of civil disobedience increase dramatically
State of emergency declared
Archbishop Tutu wins Nobel Peace Prize
Ban of UDF and 28 other opposition groups
1986 Pass laws replaced by issue of standard identity documents for all races
Violence claims over 1,500 lives