AFRICAN NATIONALISM (NATIONALISM IN SOUTH AFRICA).
➢ African Nationalism in South Africa started as a form of resistance to colonialism and
segregation.
➢ Black South African population gradually began to develop national South African
consciousness as opposed to the old tribal or ethnic consciousness.
➢ This new consciousness was promoted largely by the realisation that they had to unite in
order to gain strength to fight colonial domination and obtain liberation and freedom.
MAIN INFLUENCE OF NATIONALISM
➢ Rapid industrialisation and urbanization
➢ Growth and establishment of independent churches
➢ Building of mission schools
➢ Interaction with people from other democratic nations.
THE RISE OF AFRICAN NATIONALISM IN SOUTH AFRICA
➢ African People's Organisation (APO)
➢ It was founded in 1902 by educated class of coloured South Africans.
➢ Dr Abdullah Abdurrahman became the leader in 1905.
➢ APO protested against segregation laws and plans to exclude black South Africans from
the right to vote.
➢ It was concerned that segregation against blacks could be applied against coloured
South Africans also.
The formation of Native Congress
➢ A number of repressive legislations were passed, including the Native Labour
Regulations Act (1911) which made it illegal for black workers in mines and industries to
strike.
➢ The Mine and Works Act (1919) reserved certain skilled jobs for white workers.
➢ Squatters' Bill-Native's Land Act (1913)
o Confronted by several discriminatory legislation after 1910; many Africans realised that
they needed to establish a countrywide organisation to tackle white rule.
o This initiative was led by Pixley ka Isaka Seme
o On 24 October 1911, South African Native National Congress was formed (SANNC)
o Later became the African National Congress (ANC) (1923)
o Reverend John Dube was elected as the first president while Seme became the treasurer
and Sol Plaatjie as secretary-general
o The aims of the ANC were to unite Africans by overcoming ethnic, regional and linguistic
differences, to encourage united action to oppose discrimination and prejudice and win
political rights for all.
o By 1912 Seme became the editor of SANNC national newspaper, Bantu-Batho.
o One of the first acts of the ANC was to send delegation to London to Protest against
1913 Land Act.
✓ It was a failure.
o In 1919, it sent another delegation overseas to Paris where the peace conference after
World War 1 was held.
o They hoped to gain support from the British government for support for Self-
determination for black people in South Africa.
✓Again it was a failure.
The early ANC was moderate organisation which relied on peaceful petitions and appeals to
the authorities rather than militant action,
➢ Many were educated men who studied at mission schools such as Lovedale in Eastern
Cape.
➢ They included ministers, lawyers, teachers, newspaper editors and businessmen.
➢ Their supporters were mainly educated, middle class, urban blacks.
➢ They did not pay attention to the needs of black workers and people living in rural areas.
THE ICU
➢ The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) drew support of the working class.
➢ It was formed in 1919 as a trade union amongst Cape Town dockworkers (people who
work at the harbour)
➢ During the 1920s, it played a leading role in organising protests against the policies of
the government and had branches throughout Southern Africa, mainly in rural areas.
ANC AFTER 1930: THE INFLUENCE OF WORLD WAR II
➢ About 20 000 white soldiers volunteered to participate in the war.
➢ Black South Africans were generally supportive of the participation in the war and the
ANC declared South Africa was justified in going to war on the Britain side.
➢ At the ANC's Annual Conference held in Bloemfontein in December 1939, it proposed
that if black South Africans should decide to volunteer their participation in war, the
government should consider admitting the Africans and other non-European races of
this country into the full citizenship of the Union.
➢ In 1940, Dr Alfred Xuma became the president of the ANC and he gave it a new sense of
purpose.
➢ He wanted to co-operate with coloured and Indian leaders to present a united front
against discrimination.
The ATLANTIC CHARTER
➢ During the early stages of World War II two leaders of the Alliance Powers began
discussions on how to manage peace when the war ended.
➢ The arrangements were outlined in the Atlantic Charter in 1941 by President Roosevelt
and Churchill of Britain.
➢ The document promised support for self-determination.
➢ Later, the Atlantic Charter led to the establishment of the United Nations Organisation
(UNO) and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
➢ The UNO was committed to the declaration of rights for all citizens.
➢ Article 3 of the Atlantic Charter clearly stated that colonial powers should declare the
right of all people to choose the form of the government under which they live.
AFRICAN CLAIMS
➢ The ANC et up a committee to study the implications of the Atlantic Charter for Africa
➢ In 1943 ANC drew up document called African Claims in South Africa.
➢ It led to the development of a Bill of Rights
➢ It called for the votes for all adults
➢ Fair distribution of land
➢ End of racial discrimination
➢ Right for Africans to own land in urban areas
➢ End of racial discrimination in work place
➢ When WWII ended in 1945, many returning Black South African soldiers were inspired
by the war with ideas of freedom and democracy
➢ These ideas began to germinate in them because of their interaction with soldiers from
foreign countries.
➢ About 125 000 black South Africans had volunteered to serve in the war, but were not
allowed to carry arms.
➢ Hence, they served as drivers, cooks, guards etc.
➢ The government feared that giving military training to black soldiers might undermine
the white domination in South Africa.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF AFRICAN NATIONALISM
❖ AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS YOUTH LEAGUE
➢ IN 1943 younger members of the ANC formed the Congress Youth League (CYL), with
Anton Lembede as president, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo as
members.
➢ These young African intellectuals became increasingly impatient with the
conservatism of man old guard And the slow progress in attainment of freedom and
democracy.
➢ Youth League members were more in touch with the ordinary people because they
went into communities to learn about people’s difficulties.
➢ Their energy and enthusiasm brought more support for the party.
➢ After 1949 ANC Conference, members of the CYL were elected to positions of
leadership.
➢ This was after the National Party came to power in 1948
➢ The ANC adapted Programme of Action proposed by CYL, which accepted the use of
boycotts, strikes, stay-at-homes, civil disobediences and non-co-operation.
➢ This was carried out in the Defiance Campaign launched by ANC in 1952 to protest
against unjust Apartheid laws.
AFRICANISM
➢ Africanists felt that Black Africans should organise separately.
➢ This was inspired by the writings of Mucus Garvey
➢ He spoke of Africa for Africans.
➢ He urged all black people to return back to Africa. He believed in black economic self-
reliance and the right of black people to self-determination. He said all blacks have
common heritage.
➢ This was supported by Anton Lembede.
o However, the ANC Youth league considered Garvey’s slogan of “Hurl the white
man into the sea as too extreme”.
➢ The ANCYL tent to adopt another form of Africanism which is moderate.
➢ There was realisation that different races were to exist in South Africa
➢ Hence, they insisted for the condition of inter-racial peace and progress and abandoning
white domination.
A New definition on Nationalism: The Freedom Charter and Charterism
➢ In 1955, the ANC explained which form of Nationalism it supported in the Freedom
Charter, which Rejected race as a means of defining African Nationalism.
➢ It called for a democratic government for all South Africans, regardless of race.
➢ The non-racialism of Charter defined the South African nation as belonging to all who
live in it, black and white-which became known as Charterism
➢ The freedom Charter marked a strongly democratic development.
➢ Many thousands of South Africans, of all races and classes, contributed to writing the
document and supporting it.
ANC-PAC-SPLIT
➢ Not all ANC members accepted the non-racial approach of the Freedom Charter
➢ A group, led by Robert Sobukwe, broke away to form the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) in
1959
➢ They accused the ANC of abandoning the ideas of the Youth League of the 1940s by
moving away from Africanism towards non-racialism.
➢ They felt that only Africans should lead the resistance movement, and they opposed the
idea of working alongside non-African political activists.
➢ The Africans slogan was Government of Africans by Africans for Africans,
➢ No power-sharing In 1960, the ANC and the PAC were banned by the government, but
the nationalist movement did not Collapse.
➢ Leaders of both organisations went into exile and continued to lead the movement from
there.
