History of South África

The first European navigators, mainly Portuguese, arrived in South Africa in the fifteenth century. Diogo Cão reached the South African coast in 1485 and in 1488 was the turn of Bartolomeu Dias.



The history of the country begins in the seventeenth century with the permanent occupation of the region of Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch. In 1909 the union of British colonies of Cape, Natal, Transvaal and Orange River originate from the nation of South Africa.


From 1948 to 1993/1994, the political and social structure is based on apartheid, the system of legalized racial discrimination that kept the field of white minority in the political, economic and social development.


In 1983, it adopted a new constitution that guarantees a policy of limited rights for minorities in Asia but continues to exclude blacks from exercising political rights and civil rights. Most black therefore not entitled to vote or parliamentary representation. The white ruling party during the apartheid is the National Party as the major black political organization is the African National Congress (ANC), which for almost fifty years was considered illegal.


Later, in 1990 under the leadership of President F. W. de Klerk, the South African government begins to dismantle the Apartheid system, freeing Nelson Mandela, ANC leader, accepting and legalizing the organization as well as other anti-apartheid.


The next steps towards national unity are given in 1991. The opening of negotiations between representatives of all communities, with the aim of drafting a democratic constitution, marking the end of an era in South Africa.


In 1993, the government and black opposition agree on mechanisms to ensure the transition to a political system without discrimination. It created an executive committee between, with mostly black, to oversee the first multiparty elections and multiracial, and it also created a body in charge of drafting a constitution that guarantees the end of apartheid.


In April 1994 multiracial elections are made for the new Parliament. The ANC won the elections and Nelson Mandela, forming a national unity government becomes the first black South African president.


In 2004, the year that President Thabo Mbeki has completed five years as successor to Nelson Mandela, president of the Republic of South Africa promised to end all the violence of a political nature that might still exist in this country.


Historical Facts

Europeans arriving in the region in 1487, when the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias rounds the Cape of Good Hope. Point on the trade route to India and inhabited by several black groups (Bushmen, Khoi, Xhosa, Zulu), the region is populated by Dutch immigrants, the French and Germans in the seventeenth century. These white settlers (known as Boers or Afrikaners) are fixed in the region and develop a lump itself, Afrikaans. In 1806, the British take to Cape Town and fighting Boers and blacks. The clashes led the Boers to emigrate en masse to the northeast (Great Day in 1836), where he founded two independent republics, Transvaal and Orange Free State. The entry of the British in the Transvaal causes tension and results in the Boer War, which ended with the British victory

Nelson Mandela

Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela is an important political leader of South Africa, who fought against the apartheid system in the country.

Was born on July 18, 1918 in the town of Qunu (South Africa). Mandela, trained in law, was president of South Africa between the years 1994 and 1999.

               Struggle against apartheid

Apartheid, which means "separate life" was the existing system of racial segregation in South Africa, which forced blacks to live apart. Whites controlled the power, while the rest of the population enjoyed no more political rights, economic, and social.

Still a law student, Mandela began his fight against apartheid. In 1942, actually came to the opposition, joining the African National Congress (anti-apartheid movement). In 1944 he participated in the foundation, along with Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu, the ANC Youth League.

Throughout the 1950s, Nelson Mandela was a leading member of the anti-apartheid movement. Participated in the dissemination of the "Freedom Charter" in 1955, defended the document by which a program by the end of the apartheid regime.

Mandela has always advocated the peaceful struggle against apartheid. But his opinion changed on March 21, 1960. On this day, South African police fired on black protesters, killing 69 people. This day, known as the Sharpeville Massacre ", caused Mandela spent advocating armed struggle against the system.

In 1961, Mandela became commander of the ANC's armed wing, known as "Spear of the Nation." Began to seek international funding to finance the fight. But in 1962, was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison for encouraging strikes and travel abroad without permission. In 1964, Mandela was tried again and sentenced to life imprisonment for planning armed action.

Mandela remained imprisoned from 1964 to 1990. In these 26 years, became the symbol of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa Even in prison, managed to send letters to organize and promote the fight to end racial segregation in the country. In this period of imprisonment, received support from various social groups and governments around the world.

With increasing international pressure, the then South African president Frederik de Klerk called on February 11, 1990 release of

Nelson Mandela and the withdrawal of the illegality of the ANC (African National Congress). In 1993, President Nelson Mandela and Frederik de Klerk shared the Nobel Peace Prize, for his efforts to end racial segregation in South Africa.

In 1994, Mandela became the first black president of South Africa ruled the country until 1999, being responsible for the end of the apartheid regime in the country and the reconciliation of internal groups.

With the resignation of President Mandela departed from the policy devoting himself to causes of various social organizations in support of human rights.

He has received several international honors and congratulations for the recognition of his life fighting for social rights.

Some phrases of Nelson Mandela

"I dream of the day when all people will rise up and realize that were made to live as brothers."

- "Uma boa cabeça e um bom coração formam uma formidável combinação."

- "Não há caminho fácil para a Liberdade."

"The Fall of oppression has been sanctioned by humanity and is the highest aspiration of every free man."

- "The struggle is my life. I will continue to fight for freedom until the end of my days."

- "Education is the strongest weapon you can use to change the world."

International Day of Nelson Mandela

Beginning in 2010, will be celebrated on July 18 of each year the International Day of Nelson Mandela. The date was set by the UN General Assembly and is the day of his birth.

By:  Andressa, Beatriz e Francielle