until a rebellion in Soweto was.

             crushed by the South African forces with heavy loss of life, in 1976.

             An unsuccessful bid to invade neighbouring Angola at the same time led to a.

             recession in South Africa, for which the government was blamed.

             IT BEGAN WITH THE BRITISH.

             The problem began 250 years ago. The first European (white) settlers came.

             to South Africa in the 17th century, and began treating non-white people as.

             sub-human. Black Africans had lived there for thousands of years.

             The discovery of wealth, especially gold and diamonds, brought the might of.

             the British Empire to South Africa, and the racist policies that denied.

             non-white their basic human rights, grew stronger.

             "White Power" took hold, when Britain handed over power to the white.

             minority of South Africa in 1910. The whites immediately began writing laws.

             to guarantee their control. Non-whites were not allowed to vote.

             In 1947, another white supremacist government was elected. announcing an.

             official policy of 'apartheid' or separation, with more unjust laws. The.

             nightmare ended more than 40 years later. The white supremacists saw they.

             had lost their power to control. The huge non-white majority was able to.

             vote for the first time.

             A United Nations report, written during the 1960s, begins by saying the.

             issue had been discussed by the UN since it was formed in 1946.

             The report mentions old complaints filed by both India and Pakistan, about.

             South African laws that discriminated against South African citi-zens of.

             Indian or Pakistani decent.

             The UN report does not mention Mahatma Ghandi. Ghandi, a British-educated.

             lawyer born in India, moved to South Africa in 1893, a century before the.

             end of apartheid. Ghandi lived there for twenty-one years, protesting the.

             racial discrimination he faced. Seeking his legal rights as a British.

             subject in British-ruled South Africa, Ghandi organized "civil.

             disobedience" protests against racial discrimination, for example, a strike.