What Does Apartheid Mean?
Apartheid literally means "seperatness". It is a system that seperats people accourding to their race. In South Africa, the government took away the human and political rights of everyone who wasnt of white skin color.
Apartheid literally means "seperatness". It is a system that seperats people accourding to their race. In South Africa, the government took away the human and political rights of everyone who wasnt of white skin color.
1.What Happened in this Country that Compromised Human Rights?
In South Africa, after the new government of the Afrikannar National Party won the elections, they wanted wanted to have complete control of the economic and social system of South Africa. As a result, they wanted people of white skin color be superior to the people of any other color. This is how the segregation first began in 1948.
2a.Who Was Involved?
After the elections of 1948, the National Party campaigned its policy of Apartheid. They won the elections against the Smuts' United Party. Soon after, the National Party joined the Afrikaner National Party. They were soon officially called the Afrikaner National Party. The leader of this new government was Daniel Francois Malan. They quickly began enforcing the laws of Apartheid, in 1948.
2b.What Laws were Enforced?
The first law that was created for Apartheid was called the Group Areas Act in 1950. It was created to help divide South Africa into racial groups. The Seperate Amenities act of 1953 created seperate busses, schools, beaches, and etc for whites. The laws that already existed, such as the law that forced blacks and colored to carry around identification cards, was enforced even more. These passbooks prevented coloreds to live or even visit "white towns". In addition, in 1948, a law was creating, forbidding coloreds to get married to whites. Lastly, in the 1960's, a new law was created, making protesting against the government, illegal.
3.Why Were These People Victims?
The government segregated, tortured, and killed all blacks and asians because they wanted order. They wanted complete control of the economic and social system. In addition, they believed that the white race was superior to any other race, so they began segregating and killing all the other races. At that time, 67% of the population was black, 21%white, 9% colored, 3% Asian. They wanted to get rid of all minorities so that the white race would control and rule over South Africa.
4.When Did This Event Occur?
Apartheid was always going on a little bit since 1917, but when the Afrikaner National Party got elected, it was enforced even more. More unfair laws were created segregating the people of any color other than white. In 1948, when they took control, Apartheid became more stricter.
4b.When Did This Event End?
On November 6 1962, The United Nations General Assembly (the UN), passed "Resolution 1761". "Resolution 1761", was an act that got rid of all racial and Apartheid rules. But, even though this law was created, segregation still continued in South Africa. People remained getting robbed of their human rights. It wasn't until not to long ago, in 1994, when Nelson Mandela got elected president, that the black and coloured South Africans got their human rights and freedom back. Neslon Mandela was the first democratic president of South Africa that got elected fairly.
5.What Was The Aftermath?
After Apartheid was finnally over and done with, it still left behind some unfair things. For example: South Africa is still one of the most unfair and unequal income distribution patterns. Secondly, poverty is mainly seperated by skin color. In fact, blacks make up 90% of the country's poor category, and only make up 75% of South Africa's entire population. In addition, the Black Economic Empowerment Equity Act, stores and companies are judged based on what the companies are made up of, racially. Lastly 80% of all farming land is still controlled by white farmers.
