How significant in the resistance to apartheid was the South African Students' Organisation (SASO)?
Level
O LEVEL
Year Examined
2021
Topic
SOUTH AFRICA, c.1940–c.1994
👑Complete Model Essay
How significant in the resistance to apartheid was the South African Students' Organisation (SASO)?
The Significance of SASO in the Resistance to Apartheid
The South African Students' Organisation (SASO), while playing a vital role in raising black consciousness and sparking student activism, was ultimately less significant than other factors in the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa. This essay will argue that while SASO's contributions were important, the groundwork laid by organisations like the African National Congress (ANC) and events like the Sharpeville Massacre were more instrumental in bringing about change.
The Impact of SASO
Founded by Steve Biko, a medical student at Natal University, SASO emerged from the Black Consciousness Movement. This movement, also spearheaded by Biko, sought to instill pride and self-reliance within the black community. SASO, operating as its student wing, challenged the apartheid regime through protests and strikes. Biko's ideology of non-violent resistance and black assertiveness resonated with students, leading to significant demonstrations like the 1972 student strikes. His subsequent arrest and death in police custody in 1976 further fueled the anti-apartheid movement, igniting the Soweto Uprising and galvanizing international condemnation.
The Broader Context of Resistance
However, SASO's emergence should be viewed within the larger context of the anti-apartheid struggle. The ANC, established in 1912, had already been actively resisting discriminatory policies for decades. The Programme of Action (1949-50) marked a turning point, advocating for boycotts, strikes, and civil disobedience. The Defiance Campaign of 1952, led by young activists like Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, exemplified this non-violent resistance. While SASO's student protests were significant, they were built upon the foundation laid by the ANC's earlier campaigns.
Furthermore, events like the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960, where peaceful protesters were gunned down by police, proved to be a turning point. This tragedy internationalized the struggle against apartheid and led to the ANC's decision to form the armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). The subsequent Rivonia Trial, where Mandela and other key ANC leaders were sentenced to life imprisonment, further solidified international opposition to apartheid.
Conclusion
While SASO played a crucial role in raising black consciousness and mobilizing students, its impact should be viewed in the context of a larger struggle. The ANC's decades-long fight, coupled with watershed moments like the Sharpeville Massacre and the global condemnation that followed, ultimately proved more significant in dismantling apartheid. SASO's contribution, while valuable, was one chapter in a much larger story of resistance and change.
**Sources:**
**SOUTH AFRICA, c.1940–c.1994, History Essay*
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Yes, SASO played a significant role in the resistance to apartheid
Evidence:
- SASO was founded by Steve Biko, a medical student at Natal University, who also founded the Black Consciousness Movement, of which SASO was a part. Biko's ideology emphasized pride in black culture and history, and promoted solidarity, non-violent action, and assertiveness among black people.
- Biko and SASO were instrumental in organizing the 1972 student strikes, which were a major turning point in the resistance to apartheid.
- The authorities regarded Biko as a dangerous figure, and he was eventually murdered in a police cell, which only further galvanized the anti-apartheid movement.
Extracts from Mark Schemes
How significant in the resistance to apartheid was the South African Students’ Organisation (SASO)? Explain your answer.
YES –
SASO was founded by Steve Biko – a medical student at Natal University; also founded the Black Consciousness Movement of which SASO was a part; promoted pride in black culture and history; Biko promoted solidarity, non-violent action and assertiveness among black people; authorities regarded him as dangerous on account of the 1972 strikes by students; Steve Biko was arrested and eventually murdered in a police cell – this encouraged Soweto protests in 1976 as well as affirmative action by students etc.
NO –
More significant was the Programme of Action (1949–50) organised by the ANC to oppose apartheid including boycotting and civil disobedience; Defiance Campaign, 1952 – Youth League members such as Mandela and Sisulu led a peaceful protest; Freedom Charter; Black Sash support for black women over Pass Laws; impact of Sharpeville Massacre and Rivonia Trial; creation of militant resistance groups such as MK; role of key individuals such as Mandela, Tutu and Tambo etc.