Final answer:
The UDF united anti-apartheid activists in peaceful protests while COSATU mobilized workers for strikes, both significantly contributing to the pressure that led to the end of apartheid in South Africa.
Step-by-step explanation:
The role played by the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) during the mass resistance against apartheid was significant. The UDF was established in 1983 as a non-racial coalition of about 400 different organizations. It aimed to unite anti-apartheid activists under a single umbrella to challenge and ultimately dismantle apartheid policies through peaceful protests, strikes, and other forms of civil disobedience.
COSATU, established in 1985, was a major trade union that fought against apartheid's discriminatory labor practices. As a powerhouse of organized labor, COSATU was crucial in mobilizing the workforce, organizing widespread strikes, and economic shutdowns that challenged the apartheid economy. Alongside the UDF, COSATU played a key role in applying pressure on the apartheid government, leading to negotiations that eventually resulted in the end of apartheid.
The unity and cooperation between diverse groups, inclusive of those represented by the UDF and COSATU, echoed the efforts and hopes of leaders like Nelson Mandela to bring together South Africans of all backgrounds in the fight against injustice and oppression.