Non- White Political Parties And Trade Unionism In South Africa

·         Non- White Political Parties And Trade Unionism In South Africa

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·         The formation of the African National Congress (ANC)

·         The ANC was the first African nationalist political organization to be formed in South Africa. It was formed in 1912 known as the South African Native Congress (SANC) and in 1935 the name was changed to African National Congress (ANC). The objectives or aims included the following;

·         It was formed to bring about and encourage mutual understanding in the country, this was especially between Africans, coloureds and the whites.

·         It was also formed to defend the liberty of all the South Africans who were oppressed after the coming of the whites.

·         It was also formed to maintain, uphold and defend the rights of all the South Africans whose rights as human beings had been violated, e.g. the right to associate.

·         It also aimed at representing Africans mostly and providing a collective mouth piece to air out what they wanted both on national and international levels.

·         The ANC aimed at attaining national freedom and independence led by young educated Africans, like Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tarnbo and Walter Sisulu, Dr. Pixley- Ka-Tsaka- Seme and other members.

·         In 1955, the ANC joined with other Indians, colored and racial white political groups in forming the Congress Alliance and adopting the Freedom Charter.

·         The ANC also wanted to wipe out white domination, which the National Party government had developed for more than 50 years through several laws.

·         It also aimed at doing away with Apartheid. This racist policy had eliminated Africans and made them foreigners in their own home country.

·         In addition to political equality, the ANC wanted to fight for economic equality of all races. The whites had put in place an economic system to restrict blacks and colored to get higher positions but to be low paid, staying in stricken poverty and in very crowded reserves.

·         It was formed as a nationalist organization to lobby for Independence.

·         The activities of the ANC

·         The ANC was the largest and best-known nationalist movement of South Africa. In 1940, Dr. Xurna was elected as the first President of the ANC.

·         His dynamic leadership made ANC effective as it prepared Africans in their struggle for political independence.

·         In 1943, the Youth League of the ANC was formed by young men who wanted action not word or mere petitions. The Youth League rejected white segregation, domination and Apartheid in South Africa.

·         The ANC recommended for more funds to be availed for African Education.

·         It also got more courage and ability when the African Mine workers Union (AMWU) were formed in 1941.

·         It mobilized the masses by making them politically conscious.

·         It also joined forces with the Indian congress after 1945. With the ANC, Africans were united more against the whites in South African government.

·         In 1955, it adopted the Freedom Charter prepared by the National acting Council of the Congress of the people to liberate the South African natives.

·         In 1960, it organized a peaceful demonstration against Pass laws, which were followed by boycotts and strikes for example Nelson Mandela organized a general strike in protest against the Pass laws. He also protested South Africa to be made a Republic by then.

·         At Sharpeville very many African demonstrators were killed and wounded.

·         The ANC sought recognition from the OAU members and obtained assistance from several African countries to train freedom fighters especially when it formed the "Umkohto-we-sizwe" and Poqo (the armed wing of the ANC and PAC respectively).

·         The ANC campaigned and won international support to end Apartheid. The ANC put pressure on the South African regime to free political detainees, for example Dr. Moroka the successor of Zuma, Nelson Mandela and Robert Mongalisho Sobukwe, among others.

·         It published the bad conditions in South Africa to millions of Africans and obtained UNO support, which put pressure on South African regime since 1962.

·         The ANC got support from the western countries to put off the policy of Apartheid.

·         Problems faced by the ANC

·         The ANC leaders were arrested being restricted by the South African government brutality.

·         White dominance led to the formation of secret political activities against the ANC and other affiliated organizations.

·         There was high level of poverty, unemployment, high cost of living, low standards of living, loss of land to the settlers and the slow constitutional progress in South Africa.

·         ANC political activities could be declared illegal and unlawful with a lot of forceful and varied means.

·         Some African states that supported the struggle through the ANC were deceptive. Many of them like Malawi, Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Botswana were double dealers. This was coupled with the support of South Africa from Southern Rhodesia, Israel, Japan and other western world states. All these undermined the activities of the ANC.

·         With punitive and brutal arrests, imprisonment, the Apartheid forceful legislation; many ANC members and supporters were either imprisoned, killed and others forced into reserves.

·         The struggle for freedom was also characterised by rivalry, suspicion and over tones of sub ethnicity.

·         In 1994, South Africa became free with Mandela as President until when he retired.

·         Before 1948, the more influential trade unions, the ICU of Clements Kadalie submerged the strength and vitality of the ANC when it registered more members and supporters than the ANC. It was a party of mainly professionals, was urban based, and there lacked mass rural support. It was in other words an elitist party. It therefore suffered from lack of wide membership.

·         The police opened fire at ANC supporters, killed and arrested the Africans e.g. in 1960 there were the Sharpsville massacre where 69 Africans were killed, 180 arrested and hundreds wounded.

·         Between 1912 - 1945 the ANC was dormant because of the constant arrests of its leaders.

·         It lacked financial support to carry out its activities. In 1940 its total funds were only 15 shs, which was to inadequate in face of national campaigns.

·         In 1950's disagreements within the ANC, which led to a splinter group led by Robert Mongalisho Sobukwe who formed in 1959- the Pan Africanist Congress with a large section from the ANC.?

·         It also lacked strong leadership for better organization of the activities. The ANC lacked grass root leadership to mobilize the Africans.

·         It suffered a problem of backwardness and illiteracy among the Africans.

·         There was also disunity among the African leaders in the ANC, for example some leaders championed tribal conflicts within the ANC.

·         It also lacked effective leadership to fight against the South African regime.

·         The Africans were subjected to many restrictions, which made it difficult for ANC to carry out its activities