What effect did Apartheid have on South Africa?

Answer 1

APartheid in South Africa started in 1948 and ended in 1991. The first vote blacks were allowed into was on April 4, 1994.

Answer 2

First, let's set the record straight, apartheid has not yet been re-instated so the question being in the past tense is a little off-colour. "What IS it like in South Africa after apartheid" would be better.

To be honest, nothing much has changed. The poor are still poor and the wealthy still

wealthy. You must bear in mind that South Africa never had a civil war (the handful of violent clashes don't make the grade and the few terrorist attacks by anti-apartheid activists were few and far between) and the change in policy was sudden; the slow movement of black skinned people into previously white-only neighbourhoods and schools was virtually invisible through day-to-day life.

There have been some fundamental changes though that are noticeable to those of us who are old enough to have lived through the change. With the sudden bloating of the population who now had to be accounted for in terms of basic health care, housing grants, social subsidy, etc. (Black people were never covered by state aid) we have a lot less of the national budget for maintenance of our infrastructure.

Subsequently the road network is suffering from a lack of maintenance and our electricity supply is in dire straits but otherwise nothing has really changed.

A lot of older South Africans will tell you about how the standard of education has fallen through the floor and other Horror stories but these are policy changes made at the national government level and are in no way related to the actual change over from apartheid to unilateral democracy.
Bad!

Answer 3

Apartheid was officially incorporated by the Afrikaner Nationalist Party in 1948. It was a system of legal discrimination, effectively revoking the rights of 25 million blacks for a period of over 30 years in favor of the 5 million whites who held government.

The laws established under apartheid combined earlier segregation laws and customs into a new comprehensive code of racial statutes, and had as its main aim the establishment of legal separation and white supremacist rule.

In total 317 laws came into effect, legally affecting all aspects of life for black people including: Land ownership; Freedom of association; Freedom of speech; Freedom of movement; Right to vote; Constitutional Rights and other general rights.

Property - The 'Group Areas Act of 1950' established the distinct areas in which black and white people were allowed to live and work, favorably setting aside urban, industrial and agricultural areas for whites only. It prohibited blacks from renting or occupying property in 'whites-only' zones.

The 'Bantu Authorities Act of 1951' stripped blacks of their right to participate in national government. The Act created a basis for ethnic government in African reserves known as 'homelands'. These 'homelands' were established by national government to function as independent states, effectively restricting every black African's political right to his designated 'homeland', including his right to vote, and ultimately forfeiting the citizenship of black South Africans.

4 Homelands were created from 1976-1981, denationalizing 9 million South Africans with laws so strict and severe that blacks had to obtain passports to enter their own country. Pass laws were brutally enforced by police and anyone caught in the streets after curfew were physically dealt with, and in most cases had their passes revoked, which meant loosing one's job for not being allowed back in without one's pass. These passes mainly applied to gardeners and house-maids only, who were required to enter/live in white areas for work. Typically, this pass did not extend to the spouses of these workers, so the effect of long periods of separation from families were the norm. A general black family might consist of a mother residing with a white family (typically getting leave over Christmas to see her family), a father who most probably worked on the mines or a farm throughout the year, and the children left in the location (raised by the eldest of the family). These factors obviously influenced various elements in immeasurable ways. The direct impact it must have had on the nation's AIDS and education statistics alone is staggering.

Pass laws: The 'Pass Laws Act of 1952' required all black South Africans over 16 to carry a Pass Book called a 'Dompas'. Similar to a passport, it contained more detailed information on the individual, including fingerprints, photograph, details of employment, government authorization to be in a particular area of the country, qualifications to work and a reference letter from one's employer elaborating on one's performance and general behavior. Should a worker displease their employer, and they in turn decline to endorse the 'Dompas', this would jeopardize the worker's right to stay in that particular area, thus allowing whites total power over blacks in general. Forgetting to carry a Dompas, misplacing it, or having it stolen resulted in arrest and expulsion to a Bantustan. Each year, over 125 000 blacks were arrested for technicalities regarding a Dompas, effectively making it the most hated symbol of the Apartheid era.

Constitutional Rights: Blacks forfeited their civil rights under several laws passed by national government. The 'Suppression of Communism Act of 1950' forbade blacks to engage in political activity and exercise their democratic rights. It banned any type of opposition, Communist or otherwise, and allowed the government to oppress any person or group they felt posed a threat to the system of Apartheid..

The 'Separate Representation of Voters Act' terminated the right of blacks to vote in the national elections. Any who rejected these restrictions risked imprisonment or death. Since 1963 the police killed over one hundred people in confinement, imprisoning tens of thousands without trial or access to lawyers or even the right to see their families. Thousands more died in political protests, gunned down by police or military.

General laws: The 'Population Registration Act of 1950' required all South African citizens to be classified into categories according to race. The categories were: White, Black (African), and Colored (people of mixed descent).

The 'Reservation of Separate Amenities Act' created separate public facilities to be used by black and white people.

Under the 'Public Safety' and 'Criminal Law Amendment' Acts, officials possessed the power to declare states of emergency and increase penalties for protesting against any or supporting the repeal of any government established law.

The most notable of these was the state of emergency declared in 1960, during a peaceful protest at Sharpeville. Large groups of blacks attempted to overthrow the Pass Laws by refusing to carry their Dompas. According to police the protest became violent, resulting in the now infamous 'Sharpeville Shootings', where 69 blacks where killed, and a further 187 seriously wounded.

Another historical turn point happened in June1976, when students protested being educated in Afrikaans as main language. More than 10 000 engaged in the peaceful protest. Feeling threatened, police unjustifiably opened fire. In the end, over 100 blacks died as a result.

In the 1980's the fight for liberation rose to new heights. As resistance to Apartheid continued to grow, a state of emergency was declared in some parts of the country in July of 1985, which led to the declaration of a national state of emergency in 1986 which would last until 1990.

In February 1990 the regime was forced to recognize the ANC and other affiliated organizations, indicating the governments willingness to solve and overcome the country's political problems peacefully.

In 1991 Nelson Mandela was elected president, and inaugurated in 1994.

The ANC is currently the leading party in the Government of National Unity in South Africa.

All Apartheid laws have been abolished.

A 'Truth and Reconciliation Commission' was held to bring to justice those who violated the basic human rights of others in the 'Old South Africa'.

'BBE' or 'Black Economic Empowerment' was put in place to repair the imbalance caused by unfair distribution of wealth.

A new 'Constitution' was formed to prevent future discrimination on grounds of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or any other basis formerly used.

All eleven spoken languages of the country were declared the 'official language' of the country, making South Africa unique in this respect.

The country is lauded for its peaceful transition from Apartheid to majority rule, and is affectionately referred to on the world stage as 'The Rainbow Nation.'

Answer 4

Some would say better, others would say worse. People of all colors have different views. Apartheid has not ended in South Africa, power is now in different hands and apartheid now exists in different forms and believe it or not, it actually written into law that white males can be discriminated against - apartheid is alive and well, it just now on the other foot, it kinds of makes a mockery of all that has been fought for by South Africans.

Answer 5

Nelson Mandela took office in 1991 and officially ended the Dutch segregation laws.