30: Apartheid

30 years ago today (April 27, 1994) Apartheid officially ended in South Africa (and South African-Controlled South West Africa or Namibia) with the first Multi-Racial Elections – which made Nelson Mandela President.

Apartheid (meaning “separateness” in Afrikaans)  was the Official Segregation of South Africa from 1948-1994 (46 years.)

 

There was Segregation in South Africa before Apartheid:

1809-1828 The British established Pass Laws for the local Black populations,

1907: The South Africa Act, ratified by the British Parliament stipulates that only persons of European Origin may be elected to the South African Parliament. It also created the British Colony of the Union of South Africa.

1913: - The Natives Land Act of 1913 is introduced, which prohibits private ownership of property by Black People to 8%.

1927: The Immorality Act, 1927: prohibited extramarital sex between Whites and Blacks.

1936: The Native Trust and Land Act, 1936 expanded this limit to encompass about 13% of the land area of South Africa.

 

The Official Segregation was brought to the forefront when the National Party (Afrikaans: Nasionale Party) came into power in 1948.

 

Major Apartheid Laws:

The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, 1949: prohibited Marriage between Whites and Non—Whites (Coloureds, Asians and Blacks.)

The Suppression of Communism Act, 1950: formally banned the Communist Party of South Africa and proscribed any party or group subscribing to Communism, according to a uniquely broad definition of the term. It was also used as the basis to place individuals under banning orders, and its practical effect was to isolate and silence voices of dissent.

The Immorality Act, 1950: prohibited extramarital sex between Whites and Non-Whites (Coloureds, Asians and Blacks) as well as between Non-Whites and other Non-Whites of different Races.

The Population Registration Act, 1950: required that every South African be classified into one of a number of racial "Population Groups” (White, Coloured, Asian and Black.) This act provided the foundation upon which the whole edifice of Apartheid would be constructed.

The Group Areas Act, 1950:  divided urban areas into "Group Areas" in which ownership and residence was restricted to certain Population Groups (ie White People could only live and work in White Group Areas, etc.)

The Native Laws Amendment Act, 1952: limited the category of Blacks who had the right to permanent residence in urban areas.

The Black (Natives) Laws Amendment Act of 1952: stipulated that all Blacks (and later Coloureds and Asians)  over the age of 16 were required to carry Passes with them at all times. These Passbooks were Nation-Wide and stated where each Non-White was allowed to live and to work in the Country. Any White Person could ask any Non-White Person for their Passbook at any time. Failure to have a Passbook or to be in an area not allowed on your Passbook resulted in Jailtime.

The Riotous Assemblies Act, Act 1956: prohibited gatherings in open-air public places if the Minister of Justice considered they could endanger the public peace. Banishment was also included as a form of punishment.

The Reservation of Separate Amenities Act, 1953: allowed public premises, vehicles and services to be segregated by Race, even if equal facilities were not made available to all Races.

The Bantu Education Act 1953: separated Education from Primary School to University based on Race. The per capita Governmental spending on Non-White (Coloured, Asian and Black) Education was one-tenth of the spending as White Education.

The Promotion of Bantu Self-government Act, 1959: provided for the development of the territorial authorities into self-governing Bantustans (Black “Homelands.”)

The Unlawful Organizations Act 1960: allowed the Government to declare unlawful any organizations deemed to threaten public order or the safety of the public. This legislation was enacted within a few weeks of 1960's Sharpeville Massacre. The African National Congress (ANC) and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) were immediately declared unlawful.

The General Law Amendment Act, 1963: commonly known as the 90-Day Detention Law, allowed a South African Police Officer to detain without warrant a Person suspected of a politically motivated crime for up to 90 days without access to a Lawyer. When used in practice, suspects were re-detained for another 90-day period immediately after release.

The Bantu Homelands Citizenship Act, 1970: made Black People Citizens of one of the Bantustans, with the intention that when the Bantustans became independent they would cease to be South African Citizens.

The Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974 required the use of Afrikaans and English on an equal basis in High Schools throughout South Africa for all Races.

 

Major Events during Apartheid:

In 1960 The Union of South Africa (then a British Colony) became the Republic of South Africa after 52% of the White South African Population voted for Independence. It left the British Commonwealth because of Apartheid.

Elizabeth II, who had been the Queen of South Africa since 1952 lost her position when a President was created in 1961.

The Sharpeville Massacre of March 21, 1960 was a demonstration in Sharpeville’s  of 10,000 Blacks against the Passbooks. 69 were killed and 180 were injured.

In 1963 Nelson Mandela was sentenced to jail. He served 27 years and was released in 1990.

1966-1990 South African Border War with Angola and Zambia. 2,500 South African Soldiers killed.

On December 16, 1966, United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2202 A (XXI) identified Apartheid as a "Crime Against Humanity".

The Apartheid Convention, was adopted by the UN General Assembly on  November 30, 1973 with 91 member states voting in favor, four against (Portugal, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States) and 26 abstentions.

South Africa was suspended from the UN Organization on November 12, 1974.

Television was not introduced until 1976 because the Government viewed English programming as a threat to the Afrikaans Language and Apartheid.

Soweto Uprising of June 1976: 20,000 Blacks in Soweto protested against the forced use of Afrikaans in Schools. 176 Students were killed and 1,000 were injured.

1985 – After riots that broke out in September 1984 could not be brought under control, the First State of Emergency was declared in July 1985.

White South Africans vote on March 18, 1992 in a controversial Referendum with an overwhelming majority (68,6%) in favor of ongoing discussions to establish a fully-fledged Democracy in South Africa.

In 1993 South African President F. W. de Klerk (from 1989-1994) apologized for Apartheid.

In December 1993 both F. W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize.

April 27, 1994 First Non-Racial, Democratic Election held in South Africa.

 

Effects of Apartheid:

All Apartheid Era Laws have been Repealed.

3.4 Million Blacks were forcibly removed from Urban Areas many forced to live in the Bantustans (Black “Homelands.”)

At least 21,000 Deaths of Non-Whites (Blacks, Coloureds and Asians) were murdered for their Race.

800,000 White South Africans have left South Africa since 1994 causing a Brain Drain.

Nelson Mandela became the First Black President of South Africa (from 1994-1999.)

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Afrikaans: Die Waarheid-en-versoeningskommissie - WVK) worked from 1996-2000. The mandate of the Commission was to bear witness to, record, and in some cases grant amnesty to the perpetrators of crimes relating to human rights violations, as well as offering reparation and rehabilitation to the victims. A register of reconciliation was also established so that ordinary South Africans who wished to express regret for past failures could also express their remorse. 849 out of the 7,111 amnesty applications by Whites were approved.

Southwest Africa (Namibia) became Independent of South Africa in 1990.

Namibia joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1990 and the UN in 1990.

South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1994 and rejoined the UN in 1994.

Children known as the “Born-Free Generation” (those born after Apartheid) were allowed to vote for the first time in 2012.

Despite a growing gross domestic product, indices for poverty, unemployment, income inequality, life expectancy and land ownership, have declined.

The spatial segregation of Apartheid continues to affect educational opportunities. Black and low-income Students face geographic barriers to good schools, which are usually located in affluent neighborhoods.

While South Africans enter Higher Education in increasing numbers, there is still a stark difference in the racial distribution of these Students.

South Africa is the most economically unequal country in the world. The difference between the wealthy and the poor in South Africa has been increasing steadily since the end of Apartheid in 1994, and this inequality is closely linked to racial divisions in society.

Xenophobia in South Africa (especially between Blacks from different African Countries and South African Blacks) has skyrocketed since 1994 leading to many dead and lots of riots.

Corruption (especially within the Government) is widespread.

The Afrikaans Language (seen by British Whites and Blacks, Coloureds and Asians as being forced upon them) was replaced by English as the Lingua Franca of Post-Apartheid South Africa.