The Commonwealth, South Africa and Apartheid

Abstract

The thesis explores the role of the modern Commonwealth in the international campaign against apartheid, spanning the period from apartheid's foundations in 1948 until its ending in March 1994 with universal, non-racial elections. It analyses the significance and distinctiveness of the Commonwealth's contribution to ending apartheid and the enduring tension between the UK, the formal imperial power, and other Commonwealth members over key elements of that campaign, including arms sales, sporting contact, and sanctions. It also considers the Commonwealth's role in encouraging a negotiated solution in South Africa and the part it played in the period of transition after 1990, particularly in addressing the violence that threatened to overwhelm the peace process. It argues that the Commonwealth's engagement with South Africa, over four decades changed its relationship with the UK and transformed the organisation itself.