Final answer:
The broad mass African nationalist movement in South Africa that emerged in the 1940s-1950s, encapsulated by the African National Congress and Pan-Africanist Congress, resulted in the union of diverse groups opposing the apartheid regime through peaceful protests and militant actions, influenced by global Pan-African thought and resistance to colonial practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
African Nationalism in South Africa (1940s-1950s)
The development of a broad mass African nationalist movement during the 1940s to the 1950s in South Africa was marked by the formation of significant anti-apartheid organizations like the African National Congress (ANC) and the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC). The movement gained traction partly due to the influence of earlier Pan-African Congresses organized by figures like W. E. B. Du Bois and the quest for self-determination.
The oppressive apartheid system, formally instituted in 1948, catalyzed the unity of people from diverse backgrounds in the struggle against the racial segregation and disenfranchisement of the Black majority. This joint effort entailed peaceful protests initially but evolved into more militant actions, especially after the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960 and the Soweto Uprising in 1976. The ANC and PAC's efforts, coupled with international pressure and economic sanctions, eventually contributed to the end of apartheid in the early 1990s. Marcus Garvey's universal vision of uniting people of African descent and the theoretical debates between the Black Panthers and cultural nationalists in America also influenced the shape of the nationalist movements in South Africa.