Implementing apartheid: Strengthening the National Party

The years 1948 to 1959 saw the effective implantation of apartheid in all its forms and the development of the National Party as the natural party of government in South Africa.

The new government sought to impose white supremacy through an all-embracing system of apartheid.

Development of National Party government control

The National Party didn’t have blueprints for the implementation of apartheid. Their main ambition in the early years of their government was to stay in power. However, apartheid was the centre of their platform. They maintained their support and achieved apartheid by various strategies:

• Making the state more dominated by Afrikaners; for example, as English-speaking civil servants retired, they were replaced by Afrikaners.

• All senior National Party politicians and government officials were expected to have close ties with the Broederbund.

• They created new political constituencies, for example in South West Africa (Namibia).

• In 1956 they disenfranchised coloured voters.

Growth in National Party support

The party grew in support: by the elections of 1958 and 1961 it had a majority of over 50 seats which it was able to retain throughout the apartheid period. This was due both to party organisation and control, and the development of a bureaucracy which became dominated by Afrikaners.

Many Afrikaners quite simply were tied to the continuation of National Party government because they relied on it for their livelihoods.

Grand and petty apartheid

The National Party strategy envisaged a total system of apartheid. Many examples of segregation had preceded their electoral victory, for example the carrying of passes. Now, however, it was all formalised in national law. There were two types of apartheid:

• Grand apartheid: This was the overall strategy of keeping the different races separated as much as possible, for example by ensuring they lived in separate areas.

• Petty apartheid: This was the day-to-day restrictions such as separate facilities. Many Africans found this more wearying than grand apartheid.

Apartheid laws

Race relations dominated South Africa’s government during the apartheid period. While many Acts were introduced to cover every possible aspect of racial division, the cornerstone was the 1950 Population Registration Act.

Population Registration Act, 1950

This Act designated the racial category of everyone, divided initially into black, white and coloured, with ‘Indian’ added later. It insisted the different groups be kept strictly separate. Husbands and wives in interracial (mixed) marriages were expected to split up. Everyone was registered according to their racial group and issued with an identity card with their racial group appended. There were tests created and carried out to determine which category a person belonged to.

As Malan asserted, one significant effect of registration according to race was that it put an end to mixed (interracial) marriages and relationships.

Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, 1948, and Immorality Act, 1950

In 1949 and 1950 respectively, mixed marriages and sexual relations between members of different racial groups were made illegal. Whites could be imprisoned for disobeying the latter, although their punishment was not usually as severe as for members of other groups, including their sexual partners.

Group Areas Act, 1950

This required the registration of all land ownership and authorised the government to designate a particular area for occupation by one particular racial group as classified above. Members of other groups in this area were to be forcibly evicted. The Act was responsible for the forcible eviction of 3.5 million Africans between 1951 and 1986.