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Black Consciousness and the Soweto uprising - Coggle Diagram
Black Consciousness and the Soweto uprising
Black Consciousness
tolerated by the gov bc of its emphasis on separate development might tie in with apartheid
wanted non co-operation with white groups even those who wanted to end apartheid + encourage indian and coloured people to see themselves as black and equally subject to white oppression
Gov turned against SASO bc in 1972 organised strikes on uni campuses about inferior facilities+ separated overthrow of portuguese colonial regime in 1974
1973 Biko subject to banning order and 1975 SASO( formed in 1969) banned
people taking increasing pride in their culture and identity
Soweto uprising
was one of the biggest townships with crime, overcrowding and squalor and these were exacerbated by gov cut subsidies
creation of SASM=south african student movement to campaign against poor quality education, they organised protest
june 1976 mass demonstration against afrikans teaching in Soweto, thousands took part, and spread to over areas in the transvaal, natal and the cape
Teaching in afrikans last straw, already brought on by overcrowded townships- desmond tutu warned gov 3 weeks earlier that anger was at a crisis point, in soweto common for 20 ppl to share 4 room house and the absence of recognised leaders who could have calmed tghem
Oliver Tambo later recognised that soweto has few ANC units and no military presence
authorities suprised by strength of inital demonstrations in soweto and responded with brutality- police fire on children killing 20, photo showing the body of 13 year old Hector Peterson= led to widespread condemnation
Minister of justice Jimmy Kruger blamed demonstrators for creating trouble and gov officials accused them of seeking a communist revolution
Security forces possibly killed thousands and banning orders followed, imprisonment, suppression of 18 orgs including christian institute
Mobilisation of school children
schools massively overcrowded bc of reduced gov spending and increasing no of school children; high school enrollment increased 150% between 1970-5 and class sizes in soweto as high as 70
schools taught students only the skills needed for basic jobs bc of a lack of resources
1976 education minister andries treurnicht wanted half of lessons in africans schools to be taught in afrikaans which they didnt speek as saw as language of repression
deputy minister for education est in may1977 compulsory education cost 970,000 teachers=R126mil and R130mil for classrooms
Impact of the Death of Steve Biko in 1977
arrested in 1974 for breaking banning order issued 1973
attended rallies supporting independence for angola and mozambique
used his trial to explain his case= attracted wide publicity and became international figure
he died in police custody 1977 after initally being accused of attacking police offices during interrogation and falling against the wall during violent struggle- died of brain damage made worse after 700 mile jorney to prison hospital in only a blanket, no one prosecuted
ANC report 14 deaths in police custody in 1977 alone
UN and USA protested over his death + worldwide condemnation and key in Cry freedom movie in next decade= more condemnation
inquest reported that he went berserk before hitting his head fatally few believed it