National Party

Why Did the NP Win the 1948 Election?

• Economic Struggles: After World War II, South Africa faced economic difficulties. Increased industrialization led to more people moving to cities, causing competition for jobs and growing racial tension.

• Afrikaner Identity: Many Afrikaners (white South Africans of Dutch descent) felt left out and wanted to regain political and economic control.

Campaign Strategy: The NP promised to protect white interests through apartheid, convincing many white voters to support them.

What Was Apartheid?

• Beliefs: The NP believed that races should live separately, with white people at the top of the social hierarchy.

• Laws: They quickly made laws to enforce apartheid, controlling where people could live, work, and go to school.

Strict Enforcement: The government created departments like the Department of Native Affairs to ensure the policies were strictly followed.

Effects of Apartheid

• Non-White Population: Most of the population faced severe restrictions on their rights, education, job opportunities, and movement.

• Cultural Segregation: The system not only separated people physically but also tried to create distinct, stereotyped cultural identities.

International Response: Over time, other countries criticized and isolated South Africa because of apartheid, especially in the 1980s when sanctions were more common.

What was the bantustan system?

• Purpose: The government created "homelands" or Bantustans to isolate black South Africans and justify segregation.

• Disenfranchisement: Many black South Africans were stripped of their citizenship, losing their rights in South Africa.

Economic Issues: These areas were poor and lacked resources, worsening the situation for those forced to live there.

Who are the leaders of Apartheid Policies?

• D.F. Malan: As the first NP leader, Malan started implementing key apartheid policies, emphasizing racial separation to protect white dominance.

Hendrik Verwoerd: Known as the "Architect of Apartheid," Verwoerd made apartheid more rigid and widespread. He also designed an education system to keep non-whites in low-paying jobs and promote a sense of inferiority.

How was the resistance and the end of Apartheid like?

• Growing Opposition: Over time, resistance within South Africa increased, with protests and organized movements pushing back against apartheid.

• International Pressure: Many countries, along with the United Nations, began pressuring South Africa to end apartheid through sanctions, boycotts, and diplomatic efforts.

• End of Apartheid: The combined efforts of internal resistance and international pressure eventually led to the end of apartheid in the early 1990s.

Group Areas Act (1950)

forced different racial groups to live in separate areas, creating racially segregated neighborhoods.

Population Registration Act (1950)

Classified every South African into racial categories (white, black, colored, Indian) and recorded it officially

Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act (1949)

Banned marriages between white people and people of other races

Immorality Amendment Act (1950)

Made sexual relationships between white people and non-whites illegal.

Bantu Education Act (1953)

Created a separate and inferior education system for black South Africans to limit their opportunities.

Pass Laws Act (1952):

Forced black South Africans to carry passbooks (internal passports) to control their movement.

Reservation of Separate Amenities Act (1953)

Enforced segregation in public spaces like parks, beaches, and transportation, with amenities for whites being superior.

Suppression of Communism Act (1950)

made promoting communism illegal and allowed the government to ban groups and people linked to it. 

Bantu Authorities Act (1951)

Created Bantustans (homelands) to separate black ethnic groups and strip them of South African citizenship.

Extension of University Education Act (1959)

Banned black students from attending white universities, creating separate and unequal institutions.