The Affliction Of Apartheid In South Africa In The 1960's

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By the 1960s, the affliction of Apartheid and respression of internal opposition in South Africa had still not ceased to desist, despite growing world criticism of South Africa 's racially discriminatory policies. The basic ideological premise of apartheid was that blacks were not really full citizens of South Africa and, therefore, were not entitled to any official representation. Most Africans had little say in the conduct of the state affairs in their countries and were exploited, manipulated or simply left aside and forgotten. Thousands of Africans, Asians and other groups (ultimately numbering about 3.5 million by the 1980s) were removed from white areas into the land set aside for other racial groups. Under apartheid, over 80% of the land was held by 13% of the population. Unions were formed and strikes broke out, such as the massive 1946 strike of gold miners on the Witwatersrand or on the Durban docks. Strikers were brutalized, then blacklisted. The two major political associations at that time that were revolting against Apartheid were the African National Congress (ANC) and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). Leaders of the ANC and PAC within South Africa were tracked down, arrested, and charged with treason. Nelson Mandela (a major leader of the ANC) was sentenced in 1964 to imprisonment for life. Most leaders had to flee the country and lead the revolution in exile. In 1970s, the world saw many revolutionary movements in countries such as Portugal, Zimbabwe,