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Apartheid Defiance Campaigns

To the architects of Apartheid, the fact that the majority of Africans were opposed to their plans was of little or no importance The new existing made by the authorities crushed resistance or defiance from opposition.

Backed by anti-apartheid groups in the colored, Indian and white communities, the ANC (African National Congress demonstrated its growing popularity. A wave of black resistance under the Banner of the African National Congress (ANC), launch the start of the defiance campaigns. This resulted in hundreds of blacks being arrested by the Apartheid regime police force. New security measures were implemented to violently suppress black resistance.

The Apartheid regimes police and military, had only one objective, "SILENCE and STOP" any form of defiance from the black people of South Africa. The horror that followed over the ensuing years is virtually impossible to describe to someone that was not a victim of this inhumane and cruel acts that took place.

Black political leaders and peaceful protesters were thrown in jail, they were held under a law instituted by the Apartheid government, namely "detention without trial". Any person that challenged the National party policy was considered a "terrorist". People that fought the system were tracked down and tortured, some of the torture tactics were copybook methods, the Nazi's used during World War 2. Black leaders held under the detention without trial law, "mysteriously" died in prison. The lame excuse given by the Apartheid regime was that they committed suicide. The vicious and violent acts were largely aimed at black Africans (people of color) these acts went largely unreported, by the white controlled media.

Wherever defiance campaigns took place, it provided the government to introduce new laws, designed to silence the outcry and dissatisfaction of the blacks. Protest marches and or political gatherings were banned. New laws gave the authorities the power to declare a state of emergency at any given time as it deemed fit.

A significant point of note during the defiance campaigns was that the crowds become larger with each demonstration and it enjoyed the support from the Indian, colored and black race groups. It also placed racism in South Africa under the spotlight with the United Nations.