apartheid legislation

• Petty Apartheid

  • Definition: This term refers to the overt daily life segregation imposed on the non-white South African population.
• Petty Apartheid

  • Laws and Practices:
  • Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act (1949): Prohibited marriage between whites and people of other races.
• Petty Apartheid

  • Laws and Practices:
  • Immorality Act (1950): Banned sexual relations between white people and people of other races.
• Petty Apartheid

  • Laws and Practices:
  • Separate Amenities Act (1953): Mandated segregation in all public amenities, services, and areas such as parks, libraries, and even public transport.
• Petty Apartheid

  • Societal Implications:
  • Visible Division: It ensured that racial divisions were evident everywhere, from benches to buses.
• Petty Apartheid

  • Societal Implications:
  • Economic Impact: Non-white businesses suffered as they weren't allowed to operate in "white" areas, which were usually more economically prosperous.
• Petty Apartheid

  • Societal Implications:
  • Psychological Effects: It perpetuated feelings of inferiority among non-white populations and superiority among white populations.
• Grand Apartheid

  • Laws and Practices:
  • Population Registration Act (1950): Classified every South African by racial category.
• Grand Apartheid

  • Laws and Practices:
  • Bantu Authorities Act (1951): Established a basis for ethnic government in African reserves, which later became "homelands".
• Grand Apartheid

  • Laws and Practices:
  • Group Areas Act (1950): Legislated where one could live based on race, leading to forced removals.
• Grand Apartheid

  • Societal Implications:
  • Geographical Separation: Forced millions of non-white South Africans into designated "homelands", often in economically barren areas.
• Grand Apartheid

  • Societal Implications:
  • Political Disempowerment: Effectively removed the political voice of the black majority.
• Grand Apartheid

  • Societal Implications:
  • Economic Disparities: Stifled economic opportunities for non-white individuals, concentrating wealth among the white minority.
• Mechanisms of Population Division and Classification

  The process of dividing and classifying the population was both meticulous and intrusive.
• Mechanisms of Population Division and Classification

  • Race Classification Boards: Given the ambiguity and overlap between racial categories, boards were set up to assess and classify individuals, often using humiliating methods like the "pencil test", where the course of a pencil placed in an individual's hair would determine their racial classification.
• Mechanisms of Population Division and Classification

  • Impact on Families: The imprecise nature of classification caused untold personal traumas. There were numerous instances where siblings were classified differently. Such classifications disrupted family structures, forcing families apart due to the stringent laws governing the movement and residence of each racial group.
• International Response to Apartheid Legislation

  The world largely looked at apartheid with disdain, leading to various actions against the South African regime.

  • United Nations (UN):
  • Declaration: The General Assembly declared apartheid as "a crime against humanity" in 1973.
  • Embargoes: Initially a voluntary arms embargo in 1963, it became mandatory in 1977, aimed at curbing the militaristic might of the apartheid government.
• International Response to Apartheid Legislation

  • Commonwealth:
  • Due to intensive criticism and condemnation from other member nations, South Africa left the Commonwealth in 1961.
• • International Response to Apartheid Legislation
  • Economic Sanctions:
  • Western nations, under pressure from anti-apartheid movements, imposed trade restrictions.
  • These sanctions, over time, affected the South African economy, especially when global corporations started divesting.
• International Response to Apartheid Legislation

  • Cultural and Academic Boycotts:
  • Renowned artists, musicians, and academics refrained from performing or lecturing in South Africa.
  • International sports bodies banned South African teams, isolating the country in the sporting arena.
• International Response to Apartheid Legislation

  • Divestment Movement:
  • Activists, particularly in the USA and UK, urged institutions to sell off South African stocks, bonds, or other investments.
  • Universities worldwide were centres of anti-apartheid activism, pushing for divestment from South African-linked corporations.
• International Response to Apartheid Legislation

  • Global Solidarity Movements:
  • Protests, rallies, and campaigns against apartheid were commonplace in Western capitals.
  • These movements not only raised global awareness but also provided tangible support to South African anti-apartheid activists, both in terms of resources and morale.