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Politics & Society

Explore Politics & Society content from South African History Online, featuring articles, biographies, and resources.

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List of SADF raids into Neigbouring Countries
Article
Mar 31, 2011

List of SADF raids into Neigbouring Countries

  Cross border raids   1975  August  Invasion of Angola. 1978  4 May Air and ground strike on SW...

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Passive Resistance in South Africa
Article
Mar 31, 2011

Passive Resistance in South Africa

The passive resistance movement in South Africa is seen as, largely, led by M K Gandhi and the Indian Congresses campaig...

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Soweto Students’ Representative Council (SSRC)
Article
Mar 31, 2011

Soweto Students’ Representative Council (SSRC)

Before the June 16 student uprising, the Soweto Students' Representative Council (SSRC) was formed. This organisation l...

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The Women’s Charter
Article
Mar 31, 2011

The Women’s Charter

Adopted at the Founding Conference of the Federation of South African Women Johannesburg, 17 April 1954. The Charter ...

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The 1956 Women’s March, Pretoria, 9 August
Article
Mar 31, 2011

The 1956 Women’s March, Pretoria, 9 August

‘Strijdom, you have tampered with the women, You have struck a rock.'  So runs the song composed to mark this ...

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The turbulent 1950s - Women as defiant activists
Article
Mar 31, 2011

The turbulent 1950s - Women as defiant activists

In the 1950s the government's increasingly repressive policies began to pose a direct threat to all people of colour, an...

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PAC’s African Women’s Organisation
Article
Mar 31, 2011

PAC’s African Women’s Organisation

The aim of the African Women's Organisation is to rally African women under the banner of African Nationalism and to edu...

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Garment Workers Union (GWU)
Article
Mar 31, 2011

Garment Workers Union (GWU)

Formed in 1928 by Emil Solomon (Solly) Sachs, this was a union of women factory workers that transcended barriers of col...

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Federation of Transvaal Women (FEDTRAW)
Article
Mar 31, 2011

Federation of Transvaal Women (FEDTRAW)

The Federation of Transvaal Women (FEDTRAW) was formed on the 8th of December 1984, bringing together close to 200 women...

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Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW)
Article
Mar 31, 2011

Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW)

The Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW or FSAW) was launched on 17 April 1954 in Johannesburg as the first attemp...

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Black Sash
Article
Mar 31, 2011

Black Sash

The Women's Defence of the Constitution League In 1955 a small group of white middle-class women who were predominant...

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ANC Women’s League (ANCWL)
Article
Mar 31, 2011

ANC Women’s League (ANCWL)

When the African National Congress (ANC) was formed in 1912, it did not accept women as members. In 1918, the government...

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Women’s Rights and Representation
Article
Mar 31, 2011

Women’s Rights and Representation

It was not until the introduction of the Bill of Rights that all women in this country received formal recognition as eq...

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United Democratic Front (UDF)
Article
Mar 31, 2011

United Democratic Front (UDF)

The United Democratic Front (UDF) was an anti-apartheid body that incorporated many anti-apartheid organisations. It was...

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African Nationalism
Article
Mar 31, 2011

African Nationalism

Introduction  Nationalism refers to an ideology, a form of culture, or a social movement that focuses on the natio...

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1960 - 1994: Armed Struggle and Popular Resistance
Article
Mar 31, 2011

1960 - 1994: Armed Struggle and Popular Resistance

1984-1990:- The people armedIntroductionNumerous factors characterised the intensification of the freedom struggle again...

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Womens Rights
Article
Mar 31, 2011

Womens Rights

It was not until the introduction of the Bill of Rights that all women in this country received formal recognition as eq...

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Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)
Article
Mar 31, 2011

Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was a court-like body assembled in South Africa after the end of Apartheid...

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Democratic Alliance (DA)
Article
Mar 30, 2011

Democratic Alliance (DA)

The Democratic Alliance (DA), previously named the Democratic Party (DP), was formed on 8 April 1989, when the former Pr...

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Dutch East India Company (DEIC)/VOC
Article
Mar 30, 2011

Dutch East India Company (DEIC)/VOC

March 20, 1602 marked the beginning of the inexorable end for many a state in the then known world. On that day, four hu...

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South African Police Services (SAPS)
Article
Mar 30, 2011

South African Police Services (SAPS)

The South African Police Service (SAPS) that we are familiar with today has its origin after the Second Anglo-Boer War i...

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Natal Indian Congress (NIC)
Article
Mar 30, 2011

Natal Indian Congress (NIC)

The NIC (Natal Indian Congress) was the first of the Indian Congresses to be formed. It was established in 1894 by Mahat...

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South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO)
Article
Mar 30, 2011

South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO)

The South West African People's Organisation (SWAPO) was founded in Windhoek, South West Africa (presently Namibia) on 1...

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End Conscription Campaign (ECC)
Article
Mar 30, 2011

End Conscription Campaign (ECC)

In the late 1970s four young men publicly refused to obey their army call-ups by the South African Defence Force (SADF) ...

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Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB)
Article
Mar 30, 2011

Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB)

The Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) was an ultra-right wing organisation led by Eugene Terreblanche, that first came ...

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Non-European Unity Movement (NEUM)
Article
Mar 30, 2011

Non-European Unity Movement (NEUM)

This article was written by Baruch Hirson A Short history of the Non-European Unity – An insider's view Where is the N...

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Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Article
Mar 30, 2011

Southern African Development Community (SADC)

Southern African Development Community (SADC) was established in 1980 as the Southern African Development Coordination C...

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Article
Mar 30, 2011

African People’s Organisation (APO)

By the beginning of the twentieth century a number of political organisations initiated by Coloureds existed, most of wh...

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Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP)
Article
Mar 30, 2011

Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP)

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) is a South African political organization, established by Chief Gatsha Buthelezi, which ...

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South African Coloured People Organisation (SACPO)
Article
Mar 30, 2011

South African Coloured People Organisation (SACPO)

Like all other Black ethnic groups, the Coloureds also fell victim to segregation and repressive legislations enacted by...

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