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Sharpeville Massacre - Coggle Diagram
Sharpeville Massacre
Impact and strategies of the ANC and PAC
Nelson Mandela chose to sign the new constitution in Sharpeville, after becoming president
Formation of the Umkhoto we Sizwe (MK), the ANC's armed wing, translates to
Spear of the People
Peaceful protests were not working because the police was always ready to respond with violence
The PAC makes their armed wing before the ANC, the Poqo, "we go at it alone"
Mandela already had plans for armed confrontation in his "M Plan" which revolved around guerrilla tactics and clandestine cells
International consequences
International outcry, asking for someone to be held accountable
Tom Lodge claims that the massacre was the spark of the international campaign against apartheid
South Africa was economically sanctioed
Pressure from newly independent countries led to South Africa being removed from the British Commonwealth in 1961
Reaction of the South African government
Prime Minister Verwoerd claimed Africans were peaceful, and those at the rally were coerced by the ANC and PAC
Declared a state of emergency on March 30th, 1960, and arrested thousands of ANC and PAC leaders
April 8th, 1960, the Unlawful Organizations Act was passed, which outlawed the ANC and PAC
Violence
AGAINST
Government can point to violence to prove that Africans are untrustworthy/ immature
Potential to disrupt international support
Nationalists no longer have a moral high ground
FOR
Violence was inevitable
Government set the precedent for armed response
Violence was controlled by the ANC
More effective at disrupting the government
Civil disobedience was unsuccessful
Impact on anti-apartheid leaders
Mandela viewed the massacre as the final straw for peaceful protest, on July 1961 he convinced the ANC's leadership to take up armed struggle
Chief Luthuli began to see apartheid as purely malicious, which contrasts his more moderate views prior
Consequences for the ANC and PAC
Both parties were outlawed, forcing them to go underground
ANC found a rival in the PAC, as the PAC was more nationalist, which became significant as they could not afford to be outflanked by the PAC, which had grown a substantial following rather quickly