Historical Context

Natalie Polston

Dr. Brown

ENGL 306

7 April 2016

Historical Context

            The Purple Rain Protest took place in Cape Town, South Africa on September 2^nd, 1989. While apartheid in South Africa had been prevalent for many years, it came to a culmination on that day and made a profound statement about the majority’s attitude about apartheid. South African history is unique in that it is often referred to as the “most protest-rich country in the world" (CIA World Factbook). The Purple Rain Protest occurred in a historical and political context in which protest was not only necessary, but also common. Coming out of hundreds of years of oppression, the protesters’ position stands as one that had been held by many, across numerous centuries.

Oppression has been interwoven in the history of South Africa by European colonization as early as the 17^th Century (Crais 31). Portuguese, British, Dutch, and French colonizers were interested in South Africa for its lucrative resources such as spices and minerals (Crais 35). They engaged in and initiated numerous wars with South African indigenous peoples in attempts to thwart their land. British forces were ultimately successful in obtaining land and power due to their advanced military strength and techniques. The indigenous South Africans were continually subjugated by various European settlers, therefore creating the attitudes and habits that would eventually lead to apartheid (Feinberg).

After years of Europeans fighting over who would get the land in South Africa, Great Britain prevailed and the British Commonwealth obtained South Africa and deemed it the Union of South Africa in 1910 (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). During that time, the country formed a congress, giving the government greater autonomy and legitimacy (O’Meara). With the election of a new prime minister, 1924 brought the first stint of power held by the National Party (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). The National Party is defined by its favor to white South Africans, as well as its emphasis on separation of races within the country. At the onset of World War II, however, the Party fell out of power, only to resurface later (O’Meara).

By the beginning of the 20^th Century, much of blacks’ land was controlled by the white minority. This is shown by the fact that at that time, natives owned only 7% of the land in South Africa (Feinberg). 1948 brought new rule to South Africa: the National Party (Beinart 166). In its rule, this party enforced the attitudes and regulations of segregation created by European rule in the colonial era. The root of the Purple Rain Protest lies in the power of the National Party. Apartheid was created and enforced by the National Party and grew the policy during their time of power.

In order to understand what the protesters were concerned with, it is vital to understand the implications of the policy of apartheid. In Afrikaans, apartheid translates to “apartness” (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica).  In essence, apartheid is sanctioned racial segregation. It allows for whites in South Africa to dominate political, educational, and economic arenas, while any nonwhites are discriminated against. Interestingly, whites are the minority race in South Africa, comprising only around 20% of the country (Beinart 280). In effect, apartheid separated South Africa by race, and then divided them spatially. Clearly, this presented a huge problem for the non-white majority.

In regard to the location of the protest, Cape Town is the one of three capitals of South Africa, and serves as the legislative capital of the country (MacKinnon 315). It is the 6^th largest city in the country, but is the city with the most political presence (Statistics South Africa). Protesters gathered in Cape Town because that’s where the political leaders of the time would have been—they entered into that space in order to be heard. Because of its proximity to political action and proceedings, Cape Town is the site of many important South African protests (Goedertier).

It is significant to recognize South Africa’s history and continuing culture of protest (Lodge and Mottiar 7). Protest as a method for change and the attitudes associated with it carry even into recent events, with prominent protests occurring as recently as early 2016 (CNN). Formerly, these sorts of rebellions would manifest themselves in war (Crais 32). So, the desire for change has always existed on the part of the oppressed—since the beginnings of colonization, non-white South Africans have fought against their oppressors. However in the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries, protest has become the vehicle for voicing these demands for change.              

The Purple Rain Protest serves as a sort of hinge for South African social and political change. There are hundreds of years of oppression that lead up to it: from colonization by Europeans all the way to apartheid and post-apartheid segregation and discrimination. Subsequently, the events following even 30 years after the protest show that protest as a political form grew following the Purple Rain Protest. It is a marker of both what had gone before and what was to come in the future of South Africa (Archer and Stent).