Early Apartheid laws Flashcards
Prohibition of mixed marriages act:
Introduced in 1949.
marriages between those of different races made illegal.
people in mixed marriages expected to split up and outlawed all new mixed marriages
Immorality act:
Introduced in 1950.
Sexual relations between those of different races made illegal.
Limited population of mixed race children, however did not do much to limit sexual relations between those of different races.
Population registration act:
Introduced in 1950.
Implemented race ‘types’ working to categorize South Africans based on skin colour nails and hair.
Formed basis of many apartheid laws , e.g. enforcing of mixed marriages act.
Denied many of the cape coloured from being able to identify as white due to generations of mixed marriages and thus was highly opposed from that community.
Suppression of Communism Act
Introduced in 1950.
Defined communism as any form of unrest/protest.
Gave government power to arrest and hold people without charge or to ‘ban’ them from meeting others and discussing politics.
Vagueness of how communism was defined allowed for arrest of many anti-apartheid campaigners as they were deemed communists and arrested due to their protests.
Brought South-African Communist party (SACP) closer to African National Congress (ANC).
Group Areas Act
Introduced in 1950.
Each town or city was separated based on race into ‘white’ ‘coloured’ or ‘black’ areas, with members of those races being forcibly evicted into those areas.
Sophiatown Johannesburg, once one of the only racially and socio-economically diverse areas in South Africa (black South Africans being able to own property there) saw 60,000 people displaced.
Much opposition especially as ‘Coloured’ and ‘Indian’ South Africans hit by lacking housing schemes and loss of income.
Bantu Authorities Act
Introduced in 1951.
Black South Africans could only live permanently on their tribal reservations led by their tribal leaders, made based on the different South African tribes of the time.
Resulted in many having to commute long distances to work or being forced to live in cramped hostels to be closer in proximity to work.
Tribal leaders were appointed by the government to ensure cooperation.
Abolition of Passes Act
Introduced in 1952.
Rewrote Pass laws, making it so all non-white people had to carry their pass ( containing race and area where they lived) to enter white areas.
Passes extended to women for the first time, use of pass books more rigorously enforced, fostering resentment among black South Africans.
3 million criminal convictions given for breaking this law as stop and searches became increasingly common.
Bantu Education Act
Introduced in 1953.
Proposed by Verwoerd, moved control of Black South African education to the Ministry for Native Affairs.
Resulted in different standards of education from white schools to black schools, preparing them for a life after school.
Separate Amenities Act
Introduced in 1953.
Divided public services to ‘European’ and ‘non-European’ areas, resulting in separate parks, beaches, trains etc.
Constant reminder of system of segregation in much of daily life, with worst amenities being provided to Black South Africans.
