Apartheid

Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation in South Africa and South West Africa. The word comes from the Afrikaans term meaning "separateness" or "apart-ness." This system existed from 1948 until the early 1990s. It was built on an authoritarian political culture called baasskap, or "boss-ship." This structure ensured that the white minority population held total political, social, and economic power.

The system functioned through two distinct levels of segregation. The first level was known as petty apartheid. This involved the separation of public facilities and social events. The second level was called grand apartheid. This level was much more significant as it strictly controlled housing and employment opportunities by race. The government used many laws to enforce these divisions. For example, the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1949 made interracial marriage illegal. The Population Registration Act of 1950 classified every citizen into one of four racial groups. These groups were "White," "Black," "Coloured," and "Indian."

Apartheid was not a sudden development but grew from older colonial history. Racial discrimination began during European colonization in the 17th century. The Dutch East India Company established a trading post in 1652. Over time, the Dutch and later the British implemented various restrictive laws. These included pass laws that required people to carry documents to travel. The discovery of gold and diamonds in South Africa also increased racial inequality. By 1910, the Union of South Africa was created as a self-governing dominion. This new government continued to pass laws that limited the rights of non-white citizens.

The enforcement of grand apartheid led to massive forced removals of people. Between 1960 and 1983, approximately 3.5 million Black Africans were removed from their homes. These were some of the largest mass evictions in modern history. The government forced these people into segregated neighborhoods called bantustans, or tribal homelands. There were ten designated bantustans in total. Four of these areas were declared nominally independent states. The government even claimed that people moved to these areas would lose their South African citizenship.

Resistance to these laws grew both inside and outside of South Africa. Many people joined global social movements to oppose the system. The United Nations frequently condemned the government. Other nations applied international sanctions, such as economic restrictions and arms embargoes. Internally, resistance became increasingly militant during the 1970s and 1980s. This led to heavy crackdowns by the ruling National Party. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission later investigated the resulting violence. It found that 21,000 people died from political violence. Specifically, 7,000 deaths occurred between 1948 and 1989. Another 14,000 deaths and 22,000 injuries happened during the transition period from 1990 to 1994.

The end of apartheid began with political negotiations. Between 1987 and 1993, the National Party held bilateral talks with the African National Congress (ANC). The ANC was the primary political movement fighting against segregation. A major turning point occurred in 1990 when Nelson Mandela was released from prison. These discussions eventually led to the repeal of apartheid legislation on June 17, 1991. This opened the way for the country to hold its first non-racial elections in April 1994.

Today, the legacy of apartheid still affects South Africa. The system created deep economic and social inequality that continues into the present day. While elections are now open and competitive, the historical effects remain visible. The transition changed the country from a minoritarian system to one based on majority rule. This shift marked the end of the official era of "separateness."