Reform and development under Hendrick Verwoerd

• Hendrick Verwoerd became Minister of Affairs in 1950. He was primarily responsible for the creation of the Bantustans.
• In 1958, Hendrick Verwoerd became prime minister of South Africa. Of all South African leaders he was the most determined to enforce Apartheid.
• Verwoerd introduced the Bantu Self-Government Act (1959) , which led to the setting up of tribal homelands.
• Many workers began to live hundreds of miles from their families in hostels on the edge of big cities.
• Verwoerd steadily increased police powers. He believed incidents like Sharpeville needed to be dealt with severely.