Whites Vote to End Apartheid in South Africa
On March 17, 1992, a significant turning point occurred in South Africa when white citizens voted to end apartheid, a system of institutionalized racial segregation that had oppressed the nonwhite majority for decades. Apartheid, which means "separateness," was enforced through a series of laws that severely restricted the rights of black South Africans, denying them political participation and equal opportunities in various aspects of life. The African National Congress (ANC), advocating for the rights of native Africans, played a crucial role in opposing this oppressive regime, with figures like Nelson Mandela becoming global symbols of resistance. As domestic and international pressure mounted, culminating in trade sanctions against the apartheid government, the once unyielding white minority began to reconsider their stance. The referendum called by President F. W. de Klerk resulted in nearly 69% of participating white voters supporting the end of apartheid, marking a pivotal step towards a democratic transition. This vote was instrumental in paving the way for negotiations with the ANC and other organizations previously banned from political engagement, laying the groundwork for a new South Africa governed by the majority. The outcome highlighted the complexities and challenges of transitioning to a more inclusive political system in a nation deeply divided by its history.
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Whites Vote to End Apartheid in South Africa
Whites Vote to End Apartheid in South Africa
On March 17, 1992, the white citizens of South Africa voted to end the notorious system of segregation and legal oppression known as apartheid and allow civil rights to all South Africans, regardless of color.
The nation of South Africa, first settled by Europeans with the arrival of the Dutch and then by the British, had been ruled for several centuries by a white minority over a black native African majority. The country institutionalized racial segregation and white supremacy through a system called apartheid, which means “separateness” in the Dutch-derived language of Afrikaans spoken by many in South Africa. The system of segregation was extensive, denying nonwhites any participation in the political process, forcing them to live in certain designated areas, and placing severe restrictions on education and job opportunities. After World War II, the system was structured and regularized with a series of laws that made apartheid the official state policy. Persons of mixed white and nonwhite ancestry, plus immigrants from India, were permitted a certain middle level of rights above those given to native Africans but below those afforded to whites. Apartheid would remain state policy until the early 1990s.
Over the decades, domestic and international opposition to apartheid grew. The African National Congress (ANC), formed in 1912 to promote native African rights, became increasingly active and leaders such as Nelson Mandela were jailed. Mandela in particular would become a worldwide symbol of the unjust and oppressive nature of apartheid. South Africa became a pariah in the world community, and many nations including the United States began to enact trade sanctions and other measures designed to force the stubborn white minority government to change its ways.
By the late 1980s, the pressure to end apartheid was beginning to work, in large part because many whites were beginning to tire of the draconian state security apparatus needed to maintain the system. In 1990 the newly elected leader of South Africa, F. W. de Klerk, released Mandela and formally abolished apartheid. However, that was far from the end of the matter. There was now the difficult task of turning South Africa into an African-majority-ruled nation, since the end of apartheid carried with it the recognition of African rights to political participation and the vote. De Klerk called for a national referendum to approve a policy whereby he would negotiate with the ANC and other previously illegal organizations to accomplish a workable transition. On March 17, 1992, the whites-only vote resulted in a landslide victory for de Klerk, with nearly 69 percent of the voters giving their approval and roughly 85 percent percent of the white electorate turning out to participate.