I'm reading about the Rivonia Trial at the moment for a uni class and was just wondering if somebody could explain what the political situation in South Africa was like in 1963? I know the ANC was being prosecuted heavily by the National Party, but were there divisions between the whites themselves? Basically what was the political landscape like at the time? I can't really find any readings on the issue so any help appreciated.
This is a big question. Get Nigel Worden, The Making of Modern South Africa; William Beinart, 20th Century South Africa; or Robert Ross, Concise History of South Africa. All of these (and any other standard South African History textbook) will address the issue.
Short answer: yes, there were divisions among whites, somewhat along lines of language (English/Afrikaans). There were white people involved in opposition to apartheid, and there were a lot more white people who didn't actively oppose apartheid but also didn't vote NP. But there was also an even more radical white rightwing element, and especially due to the nature of electoral politics in SA, where districts heavily favoured rural areas, the NP wasn't under significant electoral pressure.
There were also divisions in black politics. The ANC was far from the only opposition force. The PAC was the other big one. And of course, the SACP was in alliance with the ANC but retained a separate structure.