ABSTRACT
In South Africa and across the wider region, the Congo Crisis thus shaped people’s normative perceptions of domestic politics. In various newspapers and periodicals, Congo-related rhetoric was used, often in relation to South Africa’s domestic politics. Congo’s pagaille strengthened the National Party’s (NP) belief that in order to protect South Africa’s white minority, its apartheid policy was the correct path to follow. The NP arguments that linked the future of South Africa to the occurrences in Congo seem to have resonated with members of the electorate. The notion that the status quo of Southern Africa needed to be defended from a similar fate as Congo was prominent among white South Africans. Patrice Lumumba’s dismissal as prime minister in September 1960 caused significant protest from black South Africans. The UN was frequently identified as a culprit in Lumumba’s disposal, especially by South Africans affiliated to the Congress Alliance.
