SUMMARY

In 1910 the Union of South Africa was created, changing its name in 1961 to the Republic of South Africa, as well as separating fully from the United Kingdom.

From 1910 South Africa made use of a system known as ‘apartheid’, a system of radical racial separation. The system became more firmly entrenched in 1948 by the NP (National Party) government, which passed several laws restricting the rights of the non-white population. Through this policy of racial separation whites and non-whites experienced vast divides in most realms of socio-economic development, and the government received widespread international condemnation.

In response to political disenfranchisement opposition groups began to grow in the country, most notably within the black population. Campaigns of civil obedience and demonstrations, led by the ANC (African National Congress), the PAC (Pan African Congress) and the SACP (South African Communist Party) became a hallmark of the 1970s and 1980s during the struggle for a change in government. Repression by the government followed, and the conflict escalated into an armed conflict which lasted from 1981 to 1988. In this armed conflict the government faced the armed wings of the ANC and the PAC, and also the Azapo (Azanian People’s Organisation) group.

The police and security forces in South Africa had far-reaching powers of arrest and interrogation during apartheid, mandated by the government in order to stem the tide of political discontent among the black population against the apartheid system. These powers were widely used in the context of the armed conflict with the ANC and other groups, and also used against demonstrations, sit-ins and political activity that the government deemed to be threatening the national security of the country. Civilian casualties followed these interventions against political activists.

The government of South Africa was also very active in the foreign policy sphere, specifically towards neighbouring countries. South Africa had occupied present-day Namibia during World War I, and fought insurgents in this territory from 1966 to 1988. The South African government also supported armed conflicts that destabilised neighbouring states whose communist/socialist or majority black governments threatened the country’s minority rule policy.

The government of South Africa has been involved in the intra-state and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence.