1.1.4 what is the irony of the doctrine of total strategy.
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1.1.4 |
what is the irony of the doctrine of total strategy. |
Transcribed Image Text:SOURCE 1A
The content of this article was taken from the book A Crime Against Humanity-
Analysing the Repression of the Apartheid State edited by Max Coleman, (Cape
Town)
'Total strategy' is a term with which most South Africans will be familiar. It came into
common use during the era of P.W. Botha and was portrayed by its authors as the
apartheid government's response to the perceived threat of the total onslaught'.
The total onslaught, the story went, was the threat posed to South Africa (and indeed
to the Western world) by the Soviet Union's designs on the strategic value of South
Africa as the industrial powerhouse of the African continent, the guardian of the sea
lanes around the Cape of Good Hope, and in particular the possessor of enormous
mineral wealth, which combined with the mineral wealth profile of the Soviet Union
would enable that country to hold the world to ransom. Furthermore, there were
revolutionary forces at work within South Africa, which were intent upon supporting
and fuelling this threat.
This ingenious invention was intended to serve many purposes:
to win the support of Western governments;
to justify draconian repression of the black population or that part of it
displaying tendencies towards toppling white power;
• to brainwash the white population into closing ranks, particularly within the
security forces (defence and police) and within the judiciary, even to the
extent of mentally condoning torture and assassination of political activists;
to justify destabilization of South Africa's neighbours, through cross-border
raids, through support for Renamo, Unita and other renegade forces and
through military invasion of Angola.
The irony of the doctrine of total strategy was that it was designed to portray the
apartheid government as the sole bastion of Western democracy on the continent
of Africa, whereas the real purpose of total strategy was to maintain apartheid power
in the most undemocratic manner imaginable, serving the interests of 13% of the
population at total expense of 87% of the population.
Expert Solution
Step 1 - Introduction
The South African continent had suffered a lot in terms of racism and equality over a long period of time. During the Colonial period the people of Africa were enslaved and were transported to other parts of the world.
During those times in Africa the white minorities would segregate the Africans who were living in majority. This had gradually led them to protest such an injustice which was done against them.
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