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Dickinson to Durban » Entries tagged with "Umkhonto we Sizwe"

Did violence strengthen the movement?

1.      Explain the reasons behind the creating of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). Do you think adopting violence as a method strengthened or weakened the anti-apartheid movement? Umkhoto we Sizwe (MK) was formed after fifty years of non-violent resistance by the ANC. In those fifty years, non-violent resistance brought a sense of unity to the masses, but it had not managed to instigate changes in the government. After fifty years people were tired of having their peaceful resistance met with harsh and unnecessary violence. When MK is formed it is to take the resistance to the next level. Non-violent resistance has united the African people, but the movement was starting to fall apart as people became more frustrated with the lack of results. Fifty years later and they are still fighting the … Read entire article »

Filed under: Mosaic Action, Summer Reading Responses

Why Violence?

Explain the reasons behind the creation of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). Do you think adopting violence as a method strengthened or weakened the anti-apartheid movement? When Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the military branch of the ANC, was formed in the 1960’s the anti-apartheid movement was struggling. The organization had spent decades fighting for their rights through peaceful protests but the government only became more oppressive. Eventually, the ANC felt they had no choice but to resort to nonpeaceful demonstrations. In Nelson Mandela’s statement in the 1964 trial he claimed that “We were placed in a position in which we had either to accept a permanent state of inferiority, or to defy the Government.” The ANC also felt that due to the severity of the oppression the people were going to turn … Read entire article »

Filed under: Mosaic Action, Summer Reading Responses