Apartheid in South Africa Essay Sample

Apartheid can be defined as a social policy or racial segregation involving political, economic, and legal discrimination against non-whites. South Africa is one of the countries with a rich history in the world. It is regarded as the most developed state in Africa and among the last to have an elected black president towards the end of the 20th century. Bantustans, The Group Areas Act, The Population Registration Act No 30 of 1950, Pass Laws, and The Bantu Homelands Citizenship Act of 1970 all contributed to Apartied.

Bantustans were territories that the Apartheid Government of South Africa set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and facilitated Apartheid. There were homelands where the majority of the Black population was moved to prevent them from living in the urban areas of South Africa, therefore helping Apartheid because it kept the population divided. Under the Group Areas Act cities and towns of South Africa were divided into segregated residential and business areas. Thousands of Coloreds, Blacks, and Indians were removed from areas that were classified for white occupation. The Group Areas Act and the Land Acts maintained residential segregation, thereby contributing to Apartheid. The goal of the Groupo Areas act was not only to separate South Africa's white minority from its non-white majority, but also to separate non-whites from each other, and to divide black South Africans along tribal lines to decrease their political power. The Population Registration Act of 1950 required that each inhabitant of South Africa be classified and registered by their racial characteristics as part of the system of apartheid. This Act divided the South African population into three main racial groups: whites and blacks. Race was used for political, social, and economic purposes. Politically, white people had the right to vote, access to state security, and representation in the National Assembly as compared to Black and Colored people who had no political power. Hence, this helped Apartheid as it was a discriminatory action. Pass Laws contributed to Apartheid by requiring black South Africans over the age of 16 to carry a passbook. More specifically, the use of passes, pieces of paper, or booklets, to restrict the movement of black people in South Africa has a long history. In each instance, whites wanted black people for cheap labor but also wanted to control them. The laws gave white mine owners the right to restrict the movements of black workers, forcing them to live in compounds at the mines in poor conditions away from their families, while white workers could settle elsewhere and come and go. The Bantu Homelands Citizenship Act of 1970 defined Blacks living throughout South Africa as legal citizens of the homelands designated for their particular ethnic groups, thereby stripping them of their South African citizenship. The Bantu Homelands declared that all Africans were citizens of “homelands,” rather than of South Africa itself, with the ultimate goal of having no African citizens of South Africa. The homelands were on poor agricultural land, so black South Africans living there could not support themselves without being employed by white South Africans. As a result, blacks had to leave their homes every day and travel to labor jobs. Contributed to Apartheid because this was a form of segregation for blacks.

Apartheid is a word meaning "separateness," or "the state of being apart,". It was a system of racial segregation in South Africa enforced by the government that was led by the National Party from 1948 to 1994. The apartheid laws separated white, black, and Asian South Africans from one another and gave power to the white South Africans who were in power. Apartheid greatly impacted South Africa in many different capacities which spanned from segregation to many inequities that existed in the country. the Apartheid system affected South Africa's black population negatively. Apartheid was first introduced in 1948 by Hendrik Verwoerd a white Prime Minister in South Africa that prohibited black people from entering urban areas without immediately finding a job. It was illegal for a Black person not to carry a passbook. Laws such as the South Africa Act of 1909, and the Native Lands Act of 1913, the Bantu Authorities Act all took power away from non-whites and gave power to the white minority. The political rights and the land of blacks were taken away. The Bantu Authorities Act created homelands for blacks and took away their citizenship and that they must carry passports. In addition, the whites created separate public spaces for blacks, thereby changing their lives and culture for the worst. It is abundantly clear that Apartheid served as a form of oppression in South Africa and impacted non-whites in South Africa politically, socially, and economically. Lastly, as this carried on several prominent individuals strived to ignite and spur change for the better to put an end to Apartheid.

Nelson Mandela’s role in bringing Apartheid to an end was very important, however, many other factors contributed to the ending of Apartheid. The African National Congress, also known as the ANC, was a major factor in ending Apartheid. The African National Congress (ANC) initiated Campaigns of passive resistance, and civil disobedience protests targeting curfews, Pass laws, and "petty apartheid" segregation in public facilities. Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela was hugely involved in helping end the apartheid system in South Africa. He was an activist and the founder of the African National Congress (ANC). He led many peaceful protests and rallied against the National Party's tactics in racially dividing South Africa. Sanctions/Boycotts, Economic sanctions against South Africa placed significant pressure on the government that helped to end apartheid.De Klerk negotiated with Mandela to fully dismantle apartheid and establish a transition to universal suffrage. In 1993, he publicly apologized for apartheid's harmful effects. He oversaw the 1994 non-racial election in which Mandela led the African National Congress (ANC) to victory and became President Desmond Tutu drawing national and international attention to the iniquities of apartheid. He emphasized nonviolent protest and encouraged the application of economic pressure on South Africa.

Furthermore, one can agree that Apartheid was a political tool used to oppress non-whites in South Africa. Policies such as Bantustans, the Group Areas Act, the Population Registration Act No 30 of 1950, Pass Laws, and the Bantu Homelands Citizenship Act of 1970 all bolstered and enhanced the mission of Apartheid, essentially resulting in discrimination against nonwhites. Several policies, individuals and groups helped put an end to Apartheid including, The ANC, Nelson Mandella, Sanctions/Boycotts, FW de Klerk, and Desmond Tutu. Lastly, this was a period in history that permanently changed the way of life for non-whites in South Africa for years to come.