SA Inequality Policies Guide Flashcards
What is Apartheid?
Apartheid is a system of segregation based on race.
What happened in SA in the 1990’s?
Apartheid ended in the early 1990’s and later that same decade the South African Constitution was introduced.
How did the South African Constitution benefit Blacks?
Blacks gained freedom after the introduction of the Constitution, specifically political freedom.
How did Blacks still struggle?
Blacks may have gained political freedom but society was still unequal and so they struggled.
How were jobs for Blacks during Apartheid?
The jobs that Blacks could do during Apartheid were restricted.
How did inequality change after Apartheid?
After Apartheid ended Blacks were given political freedom but economic inequality remained.
When was BEE introduced?
In 2003, BEE was introduced which involved positive discrimination against Blacks for economic purposes.
What things were involved in BEE?
BEE included things such as preferential treatment towards Black-owned companies for government contracts and also towards Blacks when promoting for managerial positions.
How has BEE been impactful?
Since the introduction of BEE there has been a reduction in the levels of economic inequality which proves the success of this policy.
What are ‘Black Diamonds’?
There are now 5 million middle-class Blacks in SA who are referred to as ‘Black Diamonds’.
How can BEE be criticised?
BEE has not been implemented properly and so although some economic power has been transferred it has not be transformed.
How is SA referred to as a ‘Cappuccino Society’?
SA are referred to as a ‘Cappuccino Society’ as there is Black on the bottom and a layer of White on top with only a sprinkling of Black which shows there has only been small improvements in economic inequality.
How could economic inequality be improved further in SA?
Although some gaps have been closed due to BEE there needs to be a stricter policy implemented to close the economic inequality gap.
What is ‘Bantu Education’?
During Apartheid it wasn’t common for Blacks to receive education but if they did it was ‘Bantu Education’ which was poor quality and had a restricted curriculum.
How much do the SA govt. spend on education?
The SA govt. spend 20% of their budget on education.
How has SA spending so much on education been impactful?
Due to govt. spending they have now been able to train more Black teachers, reduce class size and build new schools which replaced ‘plankie’ schools in Townships and Homelands.
How has govt. spending impacted attainment gap?
There has been a reduced attainment gap which has lead to more equal economic opportunities after education.
What has bee implemented to make University entry easier for Blacks?
There have been reduced entry requirements put in place for Blacks and the govt. have implemented a policy which scrapped tuition fees for low income families.
How have these policies been beneficial to the number of Blacks attending higher education?
This has therefore increased the level of Blacks being able to access higher education and therefore increases the number of Blacks going into higher paying jobs.
What are the university rates for Blacks?
65% of university students in SA are Black but this does not change the fact that White are 5x more likely to go to university than Blacks.
What education policy was introduced in 2024?
In 2024 a Bill was introduced which will hopefully help to increase equality in education - one way it could do this is by addressing the barriers for Blacks in attending private education such as these schools typically using Afrikaans.
How has education equality improved?
There have been improvements in education equality in SA but there needs to equal education given to Black and Whites to help eliminate this inequality.
How are HIV/AIDS rates in SA?
SA has had the highest HIV/AIDS rates since 1997 and currently have 8 million HIV+ cases.
When did HIV/AIDS policies begin to be introduced?
After a decade of AIDS-denialism policies started to be introduced in 2009.
How many people are receiving ART in SA?
There are 5 million South Africans receiving ART.
What does ART do?
ART suppresses HIV and makes the person non-infectious which therefore prevents their HIV from progressing to AIDS.
How have ART rates increased?
Viral suppression rates were 10% in 2009 and have now risen to 80% in 2024.
What does increased ART use mean?
An increased number of people receiving ART shows that there are sufficient efforts to improve HIV rates and has all in all been successful.
How has SA campaigned to improve HIV/AIDS?
SA has conducted campaigns for getting tested for HIV - including the president getting tested live on national TV - and campaigns for condom use, making condoms freely available in places such as schools.
How many South Africans know their status?
90% of South Africans know if they are HIV+ or not.
How has HIV rates decreased in the last 15 years?
Between 2009 and 2024 there has been 300,000 less cases of HIV and 180,000 less AIDS-related deaths.
How has campaigning benefited the HIV/AIDS crisis?
There has been increased levels of awareness which as helped people to know symptoms, how and when to get tested and how to stay protected which has helped to improve rates.
What barriers do Blacks face for receiving ART?
Blacks face barriers for receiving ART including affording travel to receive the treatment and the high rape rates in Townships.
How has funding been affected for HIV/AIDS in SA?
The US have decided to freeze their funding to SA which has led to the closing of multiple clinics in SA.
How could HIV/AIDS improvements be undone?
The HIV/AIDS policies in SA have been very successful but due to funding being withdrawn the success may be reversed.
How was farming tripped for Black farmers during and before Apartheid?
Before and during Apartheid Blacks were forced off their land and onto Homelands which was the least fertile land for farming.
Why was Blacks being forced onto Homelands bad?
Being forced onto Homelands showed the inequality at this time and took economic power away from Blacks and handed it to Whites.
How was ‘Willing Seller, Willing Buyer’ unsuccessful’?
‘Willing Seller, Willing Buyer’ was unsuccessful as only 10% of land has been transferred in the last 30 years.
What did the government promise in 1994?
In 1994, the government promised to transfer 30% of land from Whites back to Blacks within 5 years with the ‘Willing Seller, Willing Buyer’ policy.
How much of the land in SA do Whites own?
Whites own 70% of land despite only making up 8% of the population.
What could be a cause for the unsuccessfulness of this policy?
Land Reform only makes up 1% of SA’s government spending.
How have racial tensions risen due to the unsuccessful land reform?
Racial tensions have risen due to the public being unhappy with this and this is prominently shown at EFF rallies where they have begun to use to chant “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer”.
What policy was introduced in 2025 for Land Reform?
In January 2025 there was a policy implemented which allowed the government to seize land from Whites without compensation if it was in the interest of the public - for example, if the land was abandoned.
Why has the 2025 Land Reform Policy raised concerns?
The 2025 Land Reform policy is an improvement to previous policies but has raised concerns to the lack of farming and commercial skills from the buying Blacks which could be detrimental to the South African economy.
How successful overall has the SA Land Reform been?
Land Reform in SA have been very unsuccessful but there is now a new hope in 2025 with the new policy even though it is facing backlash, especially from Whites.
