Reexamines the history of South Africa, traces the development of apartheid, and describes the anti-apartheid movement

History of South Africa. Includes information about Namibia and the native races.

South Africa is popularly perceived as the most influential nation in Africa – a gateway to an entire continent for finance, trade and politics, and a crucial mediator in its neighbours' affairs. On the other hand, post-Apartheid dreams of progress and reform have, in part, collapsed into a morass of corruption, unemployment and criminal violence. A Short History of South Africa is a brief, general account of the history of this most complicated and fascinating country – from the first evidence of hominid existence to the wars of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries that led to the establishment of modern South Africa, the horrors of Apartheid and the optimism following its collapse, as well as the prospects and challenges for the future. This readable and thorough account, illustrated with maps and photographs, is the culmination of a lifetime of researching and teaching the broad spectrum of South African history. Nattrass's passion for her subject shines through, whether she is elucidating the reader on early humans in the cradle of humankind, or describing the tumultuous twentieth-century processes that shaped the democracy that is South Africa today.

Popular Politics in the History of South Africa, 1400–1948 offers an inclusive vision of South Africa's past. Drawing largely from original sources, Paul Landau presents a history of the politics of the country's people, from the time of their early settlements in the elevated heartlands, through the colonial era, to the dawn of Apartheid. A practical tradition of mobilization, alliance, and amalgamation persisted, mutated, and occasionally vanished from view; it survived against the odds in several forms, in tribalisms, Christian assemblies, and other, seemingly hybrid movements; and it continues today. Landau treats southern Africa broadly, concentrating increasingly on the southern Highveld and ultimately focusing on a transnational movement called the 'Samuelites'. He shows how people's politics in South Africa were suppressed and transformed, but never entirely eliminated.

An area in the midst of deep change, Southern Africa was in turmoil a short decade ago, its politics framed by white versus black, colonialism versus decolonialism, majority rule versus minority rights. With new political discourses beginning in the early 1990s, the mood today is one of interdependencies between the SADC member countries. To enhance one's understanding of the area, this book provides a comprehensive guide to the history of Southern Africa since the demise of colonialism. In detailed chronologies, it traces the history of the twelve developing Southern African countries—Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Bringing together information on the political development of the SADC member countries, the book aims to provide easy access to the information. The detailed chronologies show the political events as they unfolded, while the two indexes provide easy access to the events. The book is a useful guide to key developments, the role played by political parties, treaty information, and individual personalities.