Book 5: People, Places and Apartheid - Glossary

From the book: Book 5: People, Places and Apartheid commissioned by The Department of Education

homelands ”” those territories reserved for black people and around which the principle of segregation in South Africa was organised; sometimes called bantustans

black consciousness”””” a political movement and ideology seeking to unite black people in affirming their common identity

embargo”” an official ban, especially on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country

intelligentsia”” an intellectual and well-educated elite within a particular social group, regarded as possessing culture and political influence

banning order ”” a document issued in terms of South African security legislation by which a person’s freedom of movement, association, speech and action were restricted

utopian ”” idealistic. This adjective comes from Utopia, an imagined perfect place or state of things. It was the name of a book by the sixteenth century author and philosopher, Thomas More.

paradigm”” a typical example, pattern or model of something

paradigm shift ”” a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions

paradigmatic figure”” someone who develops or represents a fundamental change in position

recrimination ”” an accusation in response to being accused by someone else; people blaming each other for something that went wrong

transcendence”” rising above or going beyond normal human experience

volatile”” likely to change rapidly and unexpectedly

curtail”” reduce in extent or quantity

evoke”” draw forth or call out

ideologue”” a dogmatic or uncompromising adherent of an ideology

majoritarian”” government by decisions of the majority

autonomy”” freedom of action; independence

grand apartheid”” the principles and policies that dealt with the broader political and economic aspects of the apartheid system, such as the creation of homelands based on ethnic or tribal divisions. These policies were at their height during the 1960s and 1970s.

influx control”” (under apartheid) the strict limitation and control imposed on the movement of black people into urban areas

appendage”” something attached to a larger or more important thing

superfluous”” unnecessary

“Coloured”is a loaded term in South Africa. While it is a colonial and apartheid creation, it is nevertheless a term that is widely used. For this reason, and because of the focus of this chapter on organisation during the 1980s, I use the term, and without the clumsy quotation marks.
For contemporary debates on coloured identity, see Zimitri Erasmus, Coloured by History, Shaped by Place. Cape Town, Kwela, 2001.

Charterist ”” refers to the Freedom Charter, adopted in 1955. At the time, it was the guiding political document for the ANC and allied organisations.

Island”” used like this the word refers to Robben Island, where many political prisoners were sent to serve out their sentences

boycott”” to withdraw from commercial or social relations, as a punishment or protest; to refuse to buy or handle goods for this reason Origin: from the name of Captain Charles C. Boycott, an Irish land agent so treated in 1880 in an attempt to get rents reduced

Casspir”” a type of armoured truck often used by the police

disinvestment”” reducing or withdrawing investments (usually an action taken by a company or organisation)

sanctions”” measures taken by a state to coerce another state to conform to an international agreement or norms of conduct

dynamic”” (as used here) an energising or motive force

conscientise”” to develop a person’s consciousness of their rights, especially in order to free themselves from oppression

empathy”” the ability to imagine why people think and believe as they do; putting oneself “in the other person’s shoes”. Empathy does not mean we have to sympathise or agree with the other person, but that we should try to understand them.

untenable”” unable to be maintained or defended against attack or objection

intransigence”” unwillingness to change one’s views or to agree with someone else

sjambok ”” a long stiff whip, originally made of rhinoceros hide

consign someone to”” to put someone in a certain place in order to be rid of them