Apartheid in South Africa Essay - 2560 Words

Origins of Apartheid In the seventeenth century, South Africa was colonized by Dutch and British imperialists. In response to British domination, Dutch settlers made two colonies: The Republic of the Orange Free State and Transvaal. Dutch descendants became known as â€Å"Afrikaners† or â€Å"Boers.† In the early 1900s, Boers discovered diamonds on their land. This led to a Britain invasion and sparked the Second Boer War, which lasted three years. This was the first modern war to see concentration camps; they were used successfully to break the will of Afrikaner guerilla forces by detaining their families. British forces won the war, converting the two Boer states into colonies who were promised limited self-governance. Post-Boer War, the†¦show more content†¦This created â€Å"white only† areas. If a nonwhite wanted to enter one of these locations, one would have to carry their â€Å"pass book† which only gave them limited access. In 1951, the Bantu Authoriti es Act was implemented which would later be used to further suppress ethnic groups. It created â€Å"homelands† or states for each ethnic group. This had the effect of diverting the majority’s political rights (such as voting, political participation, etc.) away from the National Party and toward their homeland. In 1970, the Bantu Homelands Citizens Act augmented the Bantu Authorities Act. Empowered with this legislation, from 1976 to 1981, more than nine million South African citizens lost their nationality, becoming citizens of their respective Bantustan. They became aliens in their own country for nearly thirty years. History of the African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) was founded in 1912 as a means to protect the rights of black persons. Through this party, a Programme of Action (1949) was born where protests and strikes were organized. This Programme evolved in 1952 with the launch of the Defiance Campaign. At this point, the ANCs goal was â€Å". . . the liberation of the black majority and to equality before the law for all South Africans† (Walshe, 541). Some of the methods implemented may have been inspired by Gandhi’s actions as the ANC used similar methods as him (e.g., peaceful protest), and they beganShow MoreRelatedThe Apartheid Of South Africa1174 Words   |  5 PagesSome periods in human history are simply shameful. The period of apartheid policy in South Africa was one of these times. Apartheid featured a rebirth of racist legislature in South Africa from the 1950s to the 1990s. Essentially, these laws treated people who were not white as completely separate from society; the t erm apartheid literally means â€Å"apartness.† The national legislature in South Africa wanted to suppress blacks and ensure a white supremacy in the government. Basically, politicalRead MoreSouth Africa Apartheid And Oppression1695 Words   |  7 Pages South Africa Apartheid (oppression) Oppression is at the root of many of the most serious, enduring conflicts in the world today. Racial and religious conflicts; conflicts between dictatorial governments and their citizens; the battle between the sexes; conflicts between management and labor; and conflicts between heterosexuals and homosexuals all stem, in whole or in part, to oppression. It’s similar to an article in south africa that people have with racial segregationRead MoreApartheid and The Future of South Africa in Cry, The Beloved Country1044 Words   |  5 Pagesall characters from Alan Paton’s book, Cry, The Beloved Country, are used to share Paton’s points of view on the future of South Africa and the apartheid. Paton uses these characters to represent specific views; Arthur expresses clearly that the apartheid isn’t the right way to progress as a country, Napoleon exemplifies how Paton thinks people should take the anti-apartheid effort, and Msimangu explicitly expresses Patonâ €™s ideas of an ideal leader. Arthur Jarvis was the son of James Jarvis, anRead MoreEssay on South Africa Under Apartheid: A Totalitarian State1356 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the Apartheid Era, there emerged from South Africa cases of gross human rights abuse, racism, police brutality and general mistreatment of the non-white population. Excluding the fact that South Africa was never ruled by a dictator, it can be argued that some of these features were totalitarian and that South Africa was, to a certain extent, a totalitarian state under Apartheid. This discussion will analyse the totalitarian features that were apparent during Apartheid, and will be structuredRead MoreTo What Extent Did The Collapse Of Apartheid South Africa ( 1991 ) Really Bring About Change For The Bantu Population1458 Words   |  6 PagesTo what extent did the collapse of Apartheid in South Africa (1991) really bring about change for the Bantu population? The collapse of Apartheid in South Africa (1991) brought only a small amount of change for the Bantu population. South still faces racism in society, due to the continual domination by the â€Å"white† population with race interaction limited to the false â€Å"rainbow† television campaigns and promotional Africa strategies. At the close of Apartheid, a number of false statements were usedRead MoreHow and why did the apartheid system come into existence in South Africa and how was its existence maintained and enforced for so long?1593 Words   |  7 PagesThe term apartheid was one of the most politically charged words in the second half of the 20th century, and still remains notorious today. Apartheid translated from Afrikaans means separateness or apartness. However when the National Party came to power in South Africa in 1948, it took on a much more sinister meaning and today is associated with racial and ethnic discrimination. The roots of apartheid stem deep into South African history. It started way back during European settlement, andRead MoreApartheid in South Africa1118 Words   |  5 PagesApartheid In South Africa APARTHEID Apartheid is the political policy of racial segregation. In Afrikaans, it means apartness, and it was pioneered in 1948 by the South African National Party when it came to power. Not only did apartheid separate whites from non-whites, it also segregated the Blacks (Africans) from the Coloureds (Indians, Asians). All things such as jobs, schools, railway stations, beaches, park benches, public toilets and even parliament. Apartheid alsoRead MoreThe Apartheid Of South Africa1159 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the year of 1948, the lives of south Africans changed forever. The National Party, which was an all-white government, gained power and created hell for non-white citizens, their goal was to have white people continue to dominate the country and to keep each race separated from each other; even though at the time whites were only 20% of the population. The apartheid, which literally means â€Å"apartness† lasted until 1991, and during this time many acts were passed. One being that â€Å"non-white AfricansRead MoreThe Apartheid Of South Africa Essay1742 Words   |  7 PagesNelson Mandela and protesters during South Africa s journey away from apartheid. It’s a curious ponder, in fact, that America’s and South Africa’s ascents from racial discrimination were possibly involved with each other. However, while the world may be convinced the nation is out of racist dep ths, evidence displays the rise from discrimination in South Africa is undeniably incomplete. There is a dangerous and unresolved influence of apartheid in South Africa today. After World War 2 was won byRead MoreThe Apartheid Of South Africa1333 Words   |  6 Pageshistory of South Africa all we could see is racial discrimination. Africa was all in control of Whites till 1994. South Africa got free from racial discrimination when Nelson Mandela took a step became the first black prime minister of South Africa. Contemporary South Africa is now economically strong and it is completely a racial free state. The contemporary South Africa is now in race with every state in every field. Before 1994 South Africa was completely under control of Apartheid. WHO IS APARTHEID