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Key moments in the history of South Africa
  • 1652-57 Dutch sailors landed at Cape Town. Some of them became settlers: the first "Boers". They considered themselves African and called theme selves "Afrikaans". Today five million people speak Afrikaans.
  • 1795-1834 A merchant began to import slaves from west Africa and from the Dutch colonies in the Cape area, ruled by the British. In 1834, the British abolished slavery. Many Boers disagreed with this measure and left the colony for other territories that were occupied by black native tribes. Britain invaded and annexed Zulu territories. 
  • 1850-1910 Great Britain recognized the two Boer Republics of Transvaal and the Orange Free State. In 1898, the Anglo-Boer war broke out: the United Kingdom won and annexed the two Boer Republics. More an more tribal lands became "native reserves". The discovery of diamonds and gold changed the situation and many Africans, who were farmers, were compelled to migrate and work in the mines.
  • 1910 The Union of South Africa was established and took its place in the British Commonwealth of nations. The resistance of native groups was destroyed.
  • 1912 The ANC (African National Congress) was founded, in order to obtain equal rights for all citizen and to protest against apartheid with legal means.
  • 1952 The ANC promoted a campaign against apartheid. Many leaders were arrested.
  • 1960-64 30,000 Africans marched on the House of Parliament in Cape Town. This started a long period of non-violent campaigns and acts of sabotage and boycott. The ANC and many other organizations were banned. for many years the anti-apartheid activist were persecuted and many protest imprisoned on Robben Island.
  • 1976 20.000 black schoolchildren began a protest march from Soweto against the imposition of Afrikaans in their schools. Thousands of black students boycotted the schools with the solidarity of their parents.
  • 1977 Winnie Mandela and her daughters were sentenced to deportation to an Afrikaner village for seven years. Torture and murder were used by police against the people, who were fighting for democracy. For many years, protest were organized in many parts of the world to isolate the South African Government through economic sanctions, arms embargoes and cultural and sporting boycott.
  • 1989 F.W. de Clerk became the new President. He changed his political strategy.
  • 1990 He announced the unbanning of the ANC and 35 others organizations. This was the end of the state of emergency.
  • 1994 On April 26°, 27°, 28°, for the first time all South Africans were citizens. Millions of Blacks, "went to the polls" to elect their first democratic government. The African National Congress won the election with 62,5 per cent. The new government established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, with the purpose of investigating abuses committed during the apartheid regime (1948-1990).
  • 1996 The Republic of South Africa adopted the new Constitution. The nation is divided into none provinces.
  • 1998 The "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" Report was published. This is one of the most significant documents of our time.
  • 1999 The second democracy elections saw the increase of the ANC's majority. Thabo Mbeki was elected president of South Africa.