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Apartheid in South Africa
he word apartheid literally means “apartness” in
Afrikaans, the language spoken by the descendants of Dutch settlers who live in South Africa. Apartheid was the official government policy of
the South African government from 1948 to 1991 that
separated the races in the entire country, similar to segregation in the U.S. The apartheid system caused racial
inequality and injustice, and even though it ended in
1991, its effects still create challenges for the people of
South Africa today.
How did Apartheid Begin?
The apartheid system began in 1948 when the National Party of South Africa won elections. The National Party was dominated by Afrikaners, the descendants of Dutch settlers who had white supremacist
views. At the time black South Africans did not have
the right to vote and the government was controlled
by Afrikaners and white settlers from Great Britain.
The Afrikaners were the descendants of settlers who
had moved to South Africa from the Netherlands in
1652. Settlers from Great Britain moved to South Africa in the late 1800s, and the country was colonized
by Great Britain in 1902. The Population Registration
Act (1950) was the first apartheid law. It divided the
citizens of the country into “white” and “nonwhite”
categories. The nonwhite community was further split
into “colored (mixed-race),” “Asian,” and “Bantu,”
categories, with the Bantu community being divided
into several “tribes,” each of which had its own independent homeland.
What was Apartheid Like?
The apartheid laws were designed to segregate the
different races of South Africa. There were certain areas where whites could live and certain areas where
non-whites could live. There were also separate facilities like bathrooms, train cars, schools, and restaurants.
Even in sports stadiums there were separate seating
sections for whites and non-whites. The laws restricted which jobs whites and non-whites could work. The
apartheid laws required non-white children to go to
state-run schools and even required them to learn and
speak Afrikaans, a language that is similar to Dutch.
The apartheid laws also created “homelands” that
were considered to be outside of South Africa, where
people categorized as “Bantu” were supposed to live.
The government started forcibly moving many nonwhites to these “homelands.” Non-whites also had to
carry “passes,” which were racial identification cards
that enabled the government to control the employment
and movement of blacks within the country.
How did Apartheid End?
As anyone might imagine, non-whites in South Africa were not happy with the apartheid system. Almost
as soon as apartheid laws went into effect members of
the African National Congress (ANC), a political organization with the aim of winning rights and power
for black South Africans, began opposing the new laws
through protests and civil disobedience. The ANC was
banned by the government in 1960, after the Sharpeville
Massacre, in which the government killed 69 peaceful protestors. After the ANC was banned, its leaders
called for violent uprisings against apartheid. Nelson
Mandela, one of the ANC leaders, had wanted to start a
guerilla force to fight against the apartheid government.
He was arrested in 1962 along with seven other leaders
and was sentenced to life in prison. The trial received
international attention, and Mandela gave a four-hour
speech at the trial. Mandela’s wife, Winnie, continued
to help lead the ANC after its leaders were imprisoned.
Desmond Tutu also opposed apartheid in a peaceful
way. Tutu was the head of the Anglican Church in South
Africa and the archbishop of Cape Town. He pushed for
the end of apartheid and often visited governments of
other countries to urge them to pressure South Africa to
end apartheid in the 1980s. In 1984 he won the Nobel
Peace Prize for his non-violent work to end apartheid.
With the attention Mandela’s trial had received
and Tutu’s urgings, many countries around the world
began to pressure the South African government to
release Mandela and end the apartheid system. Music
also played a role in the anti-apartheid movement, as
many blacks wrote protest songs about apartheid, and
in 1988 several musicians performed a concert to push
for Mandela’s release. The concert was televised in 50
countries around the world. As international awareness
of apartheid grew, many countries brought economic
sanctions or punishments
against South Africa.
Many countries and businesses refused to trade
with South Africa, and
athletes from around the
world refused to compete
in South Africa.
In 1989, Frederik
Willem de Klerk became
president of South Africa and brought many changes.
Under international pressure he first allowed peaceful protests, and soon began meeting with black lead-
ers like Desmond Tutu. By 1990, he had lifted the
ban on the ANC, and released Mandela from prison.
Soon he pushed to allow blacks to vote, and by 1991
he had convinced Parliament to repeal the apartheid
laws. Mandela and de Klerk negotiated to create a new
constitution for South Africa and jointly won a Nobel
Peace Prize in 1993 for their efforts to create a new
South Africa. With blacks now able to vote, Mandela
and the ANC easily won elections in 1994. Mandela
became the first black president of South Africa. Although apartheid ended in 1991, South Africa is still
struggling to bring economic equality to many South
Africans. •
Questions
1. When did apartheid start and end?
2. Who enacted the apartheid laws?
3. How were non-whites treated during apartheid? Give several examples.
4. What did non-whites do to oppose apartheid?
5. How did other countries get involved in the anti-apartheid struggle?
6. Identify:
a. ANC b. apartheid Nelson Mandela
F.W. de Klerk
Desmond Tutu
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