Year

Internal events

External events

1948

National Party comes to power

 

1950

Suppression of Communism Act

 

1952

Defiance Campaign (over 8000 arrests)

 

1953

Public Safety Act
Bantu Authorities Act creates separate authorities for blacks.

1955

Congress of the People adopts Freedom Charter (26 June)

1956

Arrests and trial of 156 Congress Alliance leaders (all acquitted March 1961)
March of 20 000 women on Union Buildings (9 August)

1958

Verwoerd becomes prime minister

1960

Anti-Pass Law Campaign
Sharpeville massacre (21 March)
Banning of ANC and PAC (28 March)
State of Emergency (30 March-31 August)

1961

ANC adoption of the armed struggle
Republic declared

SA withdraws from Commonwealth

1962

Sabotage Act

1963

Rivonia Trial
'Ninety-day Detention' Act

1965

Rhodesia declares UDI

1966

Verwoerd assassinated (succeeded by B.J. Vorster)

1967

Terrorism Act

1970

SA expelled from Olympic movement

1973

UN adopts International Convention on Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid

1974

SA barred from General Assembly

1975

Invasion of Angola by SA forces
Indipendence of Mozambique
proclaimed (25 June)
People's Replublic of Angola declared (11 November)

1976

Soweto Uprising (16 June)

1977

Death of Steve Biko in detention
Banning of 17 organisations and 2 newspapers

UN mandatory arms embargo

1978

P.W. Botha succeeds Vorster as prime minister

UN Resolution 435 providing for Namibian elections

1979

National Security Management System instituted
Simonstown Deliberations on total strategy

1980

Rhodesia becomes Zimbabwe (18 April)
SADC formed to counter SA influence

1982

Internal Security Act

1983

United Democratic Front launched

1984

Tricameral constitution adopted (3 September)
Vaal uprising

Nkomati Accord with Mozambique

1985

Partial State of Emergency daclared (21 July)
Over 32 000 SADF troops deployed in 96 township

1986

Partial State of Emergency withdrawn (7 March)
National State of Emergency declared (12 June)

USA adopts Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act (CAAA)

1988

Banning of 17 anti-apartheid organisations

1989

F.W. da Klerk succeeds P.W. Botha as state president