Masters Degrees (History)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (History) by Subject "Afrikaners -- Politics and government"

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    Andersdenkende verset : Afrikaner kulturele standpunt teen apartheid en Afrikaner kontak met die ANC in die 1980's
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003-03) Kitshoff, Herman van Zijl; Grundlingh, Albert; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of History.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A renewed and unique spirit of resistance to apartheid spread across South Africa during the 1980's. This manifested as the black revolt between 1984 and 1986, as well as in the ANC's policies supporting the use of violence as a means to emancipation from the restrictions imposed by the apartheid government. The legacy of the Soweto uprising of 1976, coupled with P.W. Botha's efforts to reform, to a great extent fuelled these revolts which spread across the country during the 1980' s; while the constitution of 1983 led the militant young, predominantly ANC followers to again conclude that their future was doomed under apartheid. The ANC's policy of aggession towards the government was a further impetus for violent behaviour amongst the masses. International sanctions against apartheid increasingly crippled the National Party government during the 1980's. This revolutionary situation III the country, together with the obvious logjam the government found itself in, led to the psychological awakening of a group of Afrikaners known as the "dissidents". Although doubts about apartheid had existed amongst white South Africans since the sixties, the resistance in Afrikaner-circles during the 1980's was unique especially for it's active nature. It agreed furthermore with a zealous global sense of apathy towards apartheid, and was to a great degree fuelled by the black revolts and the government's aggressive way of containing these uprisings. This caused liberalminded Afrikaners not only to question their own identity and privileged position within South Africa, but urged several individuals, groups and organisations to make contact with the ANC. The reason for this was to engage in discussions with the ANC concerning the future of the country, and served as a form of passive resistance against the government. This thesis examines the work of these liberal Afrikaners against the backdrop of the troublesome eighties, and tries furthermore to capture their spirit of resistance.