How Apartheid Ended in South Africa: Internal Resistance and Global Pressure
Internal Factors
- Mass Resistance – ANC, PAC, trade unions, Soweto Uprising (1976), civil disobedience, armed struggle.
- Economic Strain – Apartheid policies stifled growth; sanctions worsened fiscal crisis.
- Negotiated Transition – Government talks with ANC led to Mandela's release (1990) and the 1993 Interim Constitution.
International Factors
- Global Anti-Apartheid Movement – Sanctions, divestment, cultural/sports boycotts, UN resolutions.
- Cold War End – Reduced geopolitical support for apartheid regime; shifted focus to human rights.
- Diplomatic Isolation – Loss of legitimacy made governance unsustainable.
- Global Human Rights Norms – Strengthened international consensus against racial oppression.
The transition culminated in the 1994 democratic elections and a new constitutional order.
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