The Defiance Campaign was a civil disobedience campaign led by the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa in the 1950s. It was launched in response to the apartheid government's increasingly repressive laws and policies that discriminated against black South Africans.
The campaign aimed to challenge unjust laws and segregation policies by encouraging people to openly defy them. Participants were asked to deliberately break discriminatory laws, such as pass laws and curfews, and to refuse to carry passes or obey segregation rules.
The campaign began in 1952 with a mass protest in Johannesburg, where thousands of people gathered to burn their passes in a symbolic act of resistance. Over the following months, protests and acts of civil disobedience spread across the country, with thousands of people participating in boycotts, strikes, and demonstrations.
The government responded with arrests, violence, and repression, but the campaign continued to gain momentum and support. The Defiance Campaign played a significant role in raising awareness of apartheid and mobilizing opposition to the government's discriminatory policies.
Although the campaign did not immediately bring about an end to apartheid, it marked a turning point in the struggle against racial segregation in South Africa and laid the groundwork for future resistance movements, including the anti-apartheid struggle led by the ANC.
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Defiance Campaign (1989-1990)
The Defiance Campaign was a nonviolent civil disobedience movement launched by the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa in September 1989. It aimed to challenge the apartheid laws and demand a democratic and non-racial society.
Objectives:
- To force the government to negotiate the end of apartheid - To raise international awareness of apartheid - To strengthen the ANC's position and mobilize the masses
Methods:
- Civil disobedience: Mass demonstrations, sit-ins, boycotts, and strikes - Symbolic defiance: Wearing banned ANC colors, hoisting the ANC flag, and breaking specific apartheid laws - Economic sabotage: Targeting white-owned businesses in townships
Key Events:
- September 1989: ANC leader Nelson Mandela, who had been imprisoned for 27 years, was released from prison. - February 1990: The ANC declared a suspension of armed struggle, paving the way for negotiations. - March 1990: Hundreds of thousands of people defied apartheid laws in a nationwide stayaway. - June 1990: The government lifted the ban on the ANC and other banned organizations.
Consequences:
- Increased international pressure: The campaign put the spotlight on apartheid and forced the government to acknowledge the need for change. - Mobilization of the masses: The defiance campaign significantly boosted the ANC's support base and encouraged widespread resistance to apartheid. - Negotiations with the government: The campaign created a momentum for negotiations, which eventually led to the end of apartheid in 1994.
Key Leaders:
- Nelson Mandela - Archbishop Desmond Tutu - Walter Sisulu - Cyril Ramaphosa
Legacy:
The Defiance Campaign played a pivotal role in the struggle against apartheid and is considered one of the most significant nonviolent resistance movements in history. Its success demonstrated the power of peaceful protest and inspired other anti-apartheid movements around the world.