Apartheid Background:

Purpose of Apartheid: 

• The purpose of apartheid is to impose segregation and enforce Africans as cheap labor. Also to further condition the belief of white superiority and black inferiority. 

(The following is not necessary to know but important for background understanding)

Pre-Apartheid Laws: 

• 1911 Mines and Works Act

• 1911 Natives’ Labour Regulation Act

• 1913 Natives Land Act

• 1923 Natives Act

• 1924 Industrial Conciliation Act

• 1927 Native Administration Act

• 1936 Native Trust and Land Act

• 1936 Representation of the Natives Act

National party

• Party platform

  • Post WWII black africans took many soldiers jobs for less money

  • Strikes and protests by black workers frightened many Afrikaners

  • During WWII many blacks moved from rural farms to cities for work

    • White farmers missed cheap labor

  • Racial mixing should be avoided at all costs

  • United party would increase civil rights of black africans

• White supremacy

• Cut all ties with GB and form independent republic

United party

• Poorly organized with old and tired leader seeming to advocate for status quo

• National party accused opponents of supporting racial integration

• Most whites firmly behind segregation and agreed:

  • Cheap african labor necessary

  • Country must be governed in interests of white majority

• Election concluded there was a need for radical, rigorous and well planned scheme to implement ideas above

• This starts the era of apartheid

Beginning of Apartheid:

• No master plan to impose apartheid

  • State employed more white people

    • Afrikaner males support national party to show gratitude

  • Europeans only signs pop up on cape town trains

  • Malan announces universities segregated

Petty Apartheid Laws: (day-to-day restrictions. Local area restrictions)

Began being implemented after 1948 election

• 1949 Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act

  • Marriages between two races is illegal

    • Implied to all people of color (POC&White…. POC&POC)

• 1950 Immorality Act  l

  • Sex between 2 different races is illegal

• 1953 Bantu Education Act

  • Vocational training over education

    • African schools had to focus on skill-based learning rather than traditional European schooling 

  • Focus on vocational education

    • Needlework for girls

    • Handcrafting

    • Soil conservation

• 1953 Native Labor Act

  • Africans could not join unions or participate in strikes

• 1953 Separate Amenities Act

  • All public areas/services must be divided by race

    • Buses, restrooms, hospitals, restaurants, etc

Grand Apartheid Laws: (Restrictions that applied across South Africa)

• 1950 Population Registration Act

  • All South Africans had to be registered into one of the four racial groups

    • Racial Groups:

      • Whites

      • Asians

      • Coloureds

      • Africans/Blacks

• 1950 Group Areas Act

  • No mixed neighborhoods

  • Registration of all land ownership

  • Government could designate areas for specific, racial groups

    • Government could move people out

• 1951 Native Resettlement Act

  • forced removal and resettlement

  • Government could move Africans from Johannesburg to anywhere they wanted

• 1951 Bantu Authorities Act

  • Africans could only live on their tribal reserves

  • Had to live in their tribal homeland (13.5%)

  • 8 separate homelands were created for each tribal language and ethnic group

  • The government promoted this as “separate development”

  • Meant to be self-governing

  • South African gov’t appointed chiefs in these areas