RHETORIC IN SOCIETAL CONFLICT: APARTHEID IN SOUTH AFRICA
Abstract
Background of the Study: The South African Apartheid was a time of social conflict between the black majority in the country and the small white minority. The racist system lasted from 1948 to the 1990s and was characterized by systematic separation of whites and blacks throughout the country so that minority whites who held all the power could ensure that they maintain their position of authority.
Purpose of the Study: The paper analyzed the rhetoric in societal conflict in apartheid South Africa
Findings and conclusion: The decade-long battle for human rights and freedoms was finally worn as a result of the persistence of black protestors and the motivation and leadership they received from their leaders. The cooperation that was observed between de Klerk and Mandela led them to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Moreover, a truth and reconciliation commission started to investigate all the human rights abuses and memorialization of these abuses. Although the transition to a less discriminatory South Africa was not wholly non-violent, when it ended, a new reality was established in the country that was only found as a result of the continued resistance of those who were oppressed even though they were the racial majority. Throughout the decades, the establishment and agitators used a variety of methods to maintain and demolish the apartheid movement, respectively. Today, South Africa has a democratic government and universal suffrage that gives all South African the right to vote and hold political office. However, the movements and protests were not entirely successful as a high percentage of the country’s non-white population suffers from severe poverty and the hopelessness generated from the high unmet expectations, which result in violence, high crime rates, and civil unrest in the nation.
Keywords: Societal Conflict, Apartheid & South Africa
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