The Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 was a law enacted by the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

. The law imposed sanctions against South Africa and stated five preconditions for lifting the sanctions that would essentially end the system of

apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...

, which the latter was under at the time. Most of the sanctions were repealed in July 1991, after South Africa took steps towards meeting the preconditions of the act, with the final vestiges of the act being repealed in November 1993.

Legislative history

Initial introduction in 1972

Initial attempt at passage in 1985

Democrats in the Senate initially tried to pass the Anti-Apartheid Act in September 1985, but could not overcome a Republican

filibuster A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent a decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking ...

. President Ronald Reagan viewed the act as an intrusion on his authority to conduct foreign policy ( constructive engagement) and issued his own set of sanctions, but Democrats considered them to be "watered down and ineffective."

Passage in the House and Senate in 1986

The bill was re-introduced in 1986 and brought up for a vote despite Republican efforts to block it to give Reagan's sanctions time to work. It initially passed unexpectedly in the House in June 1986 after Republicans agreed to a

voice vote In parliamentary procedure, a voice vote (from the Latin ''viva voce'', meaning "by live voice") or acclamation is a voting method in deliberative assemblies (such as legislatures) in which a group vote is taken on a topic or motion by respondin ...

in the hope that the bill would die later on in the process, thus ending any possibility of sanctions. Reagan publicly opposed the bill. In August 1986, the Senate passed a version of the Anti-Apartheid Act with weaker sanctions by a veto-proof margin of 84–14. Democratic leaders in the House agreed to accept the weaker Senate version of the bill for it to have sufficient bipartisan support to override any attempt to

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president (government title), president or monarch vetoes a bill (law), bill to stop it from becoming statutory law, law. In many countries, veto powe ...

Veto by President Reagan

Reagan vetoed the compromised bill on September 26, calling it "economic warfare" and alleging that it would mostly hurt the impoverished black majority and lead to more civil strife. He again offered to impose sanctions via executive order, while also working with Senate Republicans on concessions to avoid them overriding his veto. Reagan's veto was attacked harshly by anti-Apartheid leaders like Desmond Tutu who said Reagan would be "judged harshly by history". In the week leading up to the subsequent vote, President Reagan enlisted South African foreign minister Pik Botha to call Republicans on the fence, though this was seen to backfire.

Veto override

Republican Senator Richard Lugar (R–IN), then chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, led the charge to override the veto, turning against a president that he had typically supported. Despite denunciations from his fellow Republicans, Lugar declared on the Senate floor, "We are against tyranny, and tyranny is in South Africa!" Reagan's veto was eventually overridden by Congress (by the Senate 78 to 21, the House by 313 to 83) on October 2. In the House vote, taken on September 29, 1986, 232 Democrats and 81 Republicans voted to override the President's veto while 4 Democrats and 79 Republicans voted to sustain the President's veto. In the Senate vote, all 47 Democrats were joined by 31 Republicans to override the President's veto while 21 Republicans voted to sustain the President's veto. This override marked the first time in the twentieth century that a president had a

foreign policy Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...

veto overridden. Apartheid opponents in the United States and South Africa applauded the vote, while critics argued that it would be either ineffectual or lead to more violence. President Reagan made the following statement after the override: The override was seen as a major defeat for Reagan, coming at the hands of his fellow Republicans in Congress. It was subsequently revealed that there was significant debate within the White House between Reagan's political advisors advocating more compromise and those like Pat Buchanan and

Donald Regan Donald Thomas Regan (December 21, 1918 – June 10, 2003) was an American government official and business executive who served as the 66th United States secretary of the treasury from 1981 to 1985 and as the 11th White House chief of staff fr ...

who supported Reagan's hard line against sanctions.

Impact

After two years of sanctions under President Reagan, the head of South Africa's central bank argued that the nation had adjusted to financial sanctions. In 1989, the General Accounting Office said in a report that the sanctions against South Africa had been only partially enforced by the Reagan administration. In 1989, the newly elected President George Bush enacted "full enforcement" of the Anti-Apartheid Act, a departure from the Reagan administration's policy. In 1990 and 1991, South African President

F. W. de Klerk Frederik Willem de Klerk ( , ; 18 March 1936 – 11 November 2021) was a South African politician who served as the seventh and final state president of South Africa from 1989 to 1994 and as Deputy President of South Africa, deputy president a ...

made steps towards meeting the preconditions of the Anti-Apartheid Act. In 1991, following de Klerk's repeal of Apartheid laws and the release of

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...

and other (though not all) political prisoners, President Bush issued an executive order lifting virtually all bans against doing business with South Africa. The degree to which the sanctions were responsible for ending apartheid was a matter of debate as those opposed to the sanctions argue that the South African economy was already struggling before the sanctions were enforced and that it was the political process on the ground that led to the changes. Despite the repeal of most of the sanctions imposed by this act, many companies were still restricted by laws within individual states and cities in the United States that imposed sanctions. In September 1993,

called for these sanctions to be removed as well and for investment to return to a still-struggling South Africa. The last of the sanctions stemming from this act was repealed in November 1993.

Declaration of the Act

The Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 was drafted as six titles establishing United States policy towards the

government of South Africa The Government of South Africa, or South African Government, is the national government of the Republic of South Africa, a parliamentary republic with a three-tier system of government and an independent judiciary, operating in a parliamentary ...

with emphasis on the economic, political, and social jurisdictions in South Africa. The

Act of Congress An act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called Public and private bills, private laws), or to the general public (Public and private bills, public laws). For a Bill (law) ...

is codified in Title 22 within Chapter 60 entitled Anti-Apartheid Program sections five thousand and one through five thousand one hundred and seventeen. The anti-apartheid legislation was

repeal A repeal (O.F. ''rapel'', modern ''rappel'', from ''rapeler'', ''rappeler'', revoke, ''re'' and ''appeler'', appeal) is the removal or reversal of a law. There are two basic types of repeal; a repeal with a re-enactment is used to replace the law ...

ed by the

during November 23, 1993 and October 1, 1995.

Title I – Policy of the United States With Respect To Ending Apartheid

:Sec. 101. Policy toward the Government of South Africa :Sec. 102. Policy toward the African National Congress, etc. :Sec. 103. Policy toward the victims of apartheid :Sec. 104. Policy toward other countries in Southern Africa :Sec. 105. Policy toward "frontline" states :Sec. 106. Policy toward a negotiated settlement :Sec. 107. Policy toward international cooperation on measures to end apartheid :Sec. 108. Policy toward necklacing :Sec. 109. United States Ambassador to meet with Nelson Mandela :Sec. 110. Policy toward the recruitment and training of black South Africans by United States employers

Title II – Measures To Assist Victims Of Apartheid

:Sec. 201. Scholarships for the victims of apartheid :Sec. 202. Human rights fund :Sec. 203. Expanding participation in the South African economy :Sec. 204. Export-Import Bank of the United States :Sec. 205. Labor practices of the United States Government in South Africa :Sec. 206. Welfare and protection of the victims of apartheid employed by the United States :Sec. 207. Employment practices of United States nationals in South Africa :Sec. 208. Code of Conduct :Sec. 209. Prohibition on assistance :Sec. 210. Use of the African Emergency Reserve :Sec. 211. Prohibition on assistance to any person or group engaging in "necklacing" :Sec. 212. Participation of South Africa in agricultural export credit and promotion programs

Title III – Measures by the United States To Undermine Apartheid

:Sec. 301. Prohibition on the importation of krugerrands :Sec. 302. Prohibition on the importation of military articles :Sec. 303. Prohibition on the importation of products from parastatal organizations :Sec. 304. Prohibition on computer exports to South Africa :Sec. 305. Prohibition on loans to the Government of South Africa :Sec. 306. Prohibition on air transportation with South Africa :Sec. 307. Prohibitions on nuclear trade with South Africa :Sec. 308. Government of South Africa bank accounts :Sec. 309. Prohibition on importation of uranium and coal from South Africa :Sec. 310. Prohibition on new investment in South Africa :Sec. 311. Termination of certain provisions :Sec. 312. Policy toward violence or terrorism :Sec. 313. Termination of tax treaty and protocol :Sec. 314. Prohibition on United States Government procurement from South Africa :Sec. 315. Prohibition on the promotion of United States tourism in South Africa :Sec. 316. Prohibition on United States Government assistance to, investment in, or subsidy for trade with South Africa :Sec. 317. Prohibition on sale or export of items on Munition List :Sec. 318. Munitions list sales, notification :Sec. 319. Prohibition on importation of South African agricultural products and food :Sec. 320. Prohibition on importation of iron and steel :Sec. 321. Prohibition on exports of crude oil and petroleum products :Sec. 322. Prohibition on cooperation with the armed forces of South Africa :Sec. 323. Prohibition on sugar imports

Title IV – Multilateral Measures To Undermine Apartheid

:Sec. 401. Negotiating authority :Sec. 402. Limitation on imports from other countries :Sec. 403. Private right of action

Title V – Future Policy Toward South Africa

:Sec. 501. Additional measures :Sec. 502. Lifting of prohibitions :Sec. 503. Study of health conditions in the "homelands" areas of South Africa :Sec. 504. Reports on South African imports :Sec. 505. Study and report on the economy of southern Africa :Sec. 506. Report on relations between other industrialized democracies and South Africa :Sec. 507. Study and report on deposit accounts of South African nationals in United States banks :Sec. 508. Study and report on the violation of the international embargo on sale and export of military articles to South Africa :Sec. 509. Report on Communist activities in South Africa :Sec. 510. Prohibition on the importation of Soviet gold coins :Sec. 511. Economic support for disadvantaged South Africans :Sec. 512. Report on the African National Congress

Title VI – Enforcement and Administrative Provisions

:Sec. 601. Regulatory authority :Sec. 602. Congressional priority procedures :Sec. 603. Enforcement and penalties :Sec. 604. Applicability to evasions of Act :Sec. 605. Construction of Act :Sec. 606. State or local anti-apartheid laws, enforce

Notes

References

* * * * {{Presidency of Ronald Reagan 1986 in American law 1986 in international relations 99th United States Congress United States foreign relations legislation International opposition to apartheid in South Africa South Africa–United States relations Sanctions legislation Reagan administration controversies United States sanctions