Life in South Africa During Apartheid Era – Housing, Employment, and More
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The term “apartheid” is Afrikaans and means “apartness.” Apartheid was a system of institutionalized segregation and discrimination against people of non-European origin that existed in South Africa for almost 70 years, from the 1940s to the 1990s. The effects of apartheid in South Africa are still evident today. The social stratification between races, classes, and genders created a unique set of challenges for all communities affected by the practice of apartheid. Apartheid was officially ended on November 21, 1991, with the adoption of the new Constitution, ending over 200 years of Dutch and British colonial rule. Today, South Africa has become one of Africa’s leading economic powers. It continues to work towards building a more inclusive democracy through anti-racism initiatives and partnerships with other African nations.
Legal Background of Apartheid in South Africa
The term “apartheid” is Afrikaans and means “apartness.” The time was first used in the early 20th century by Afrikaner intellectuals who used it not to describe a specific system of racial discrimination but to express a yearning for an idealized cultural and racial “wholeness.” In the 1930s, however, the term began to be used more widely to describe the policies of racial discrimination against non-white people in the then Union of South Africa. In the 1940s, the National Party (NP) of J.B.M. Hertzog and other Afrikaner nationalists adopted apartheid as an official policy to create a society where the “white race” would dominate.
Racial Groups under Apartheid
The basis of apartheid in South Africa was the belief that people of African descent were less human than people of European descent. This belief was called “scientific racism,” It used a system of measurement to classify people into different “races.” The following racial groups were identified under apartheid in South Africa: White, Black Indian, Coloured Asian
Employment and Labor Rights During Apartheid
During apartheid in South Africa, people of different racial groups were not supposed to work together. Black people were expected to do only menial work, while whites were supposed to do skilled work. The Industrial Conciliation Act of 1945 and the Trade Disputes Act of 1927 forced black people to join trade unions and have employees of a certain organization represent them. The Mines and Works Act of 1911 and the Natives (Urban Areas) Act of 1923 limited the number of hours black people could work and in what industry they could work.
Political Rights During Apartheid
During apartheid in South Africa, the Suppression of Communism Act of 1950 meant that communists were not allowed to be part of the government and could be arrested without a warrant. African people were only allowed to vote in the “Bantustan” areas (black homelands), which were fake counties set up by the government to look like independent states. African people were not allowed to vote in South Africa or be part of the government until the end of apartheid.
Housing Rights During Apartheid
The Group Areas Act of 1950 meant that people of different racial groups could only live in specific areas. The Black Urban Areas Act of 1933 forced black people to move to black urban neighborhoods. Black people were not allowed to own land until 1994. The Natives Land Act of 1913 took away the right to own land from black people.
Conclusion
Apartheid in South Africa was a system of institutionalized segregation and discrimination against people of non-European origin that existed in South Africa for almost 70 years, from the 1940s to the 1990s, which ultimately led to democracy in the country. The basis of apartheid in South Africa was the belief that people of African descent were less human than people of European descent. This belief was called “scientific racism,” and it used a system of measurement to classify people into different “races.” The following racial groups were identified under apartheid in South Africa: White, Black, Indian and Coloured Asian
