South Africa and the Apartheid System

INTRODUCTION

Many years South Africa was a place where the apartheid in its very extreme form existed . The apartheid system in South Africa was a conscious system of social which was formed after the Nationalist Party won the election in 1948 , and was explicitly targeting at maintenance of white supremacy . Despite the modernization and industrialization processes occurring there , South Africa demonstrates the persistence of racial inequality . While the United States experienced activation of decolonization and civil rights movements aimed at abolishing racial discrimination , South Africa instead witnessed strengthening of segregation

and what is worse - complete disenfranchisement of its African majority . This resulted in denial to its African inhabitants not only the right to vote , but even the right to call themselves South African

The basic features of apartheid have been defined in many works and studies . Its starting point was the election of 1948 after which the series of laws were passed by a parliament which consisted of the representatives of white ' population (10 of the according to which all South Africans were divided at birth into a racial category , like white , Asian , Colored , or African . Racial status thus , defined the main legal and political rights . At the same time segregation intensified . Different social and public opportunities also depended on the racial categories , the access to libraries , schools and even public parks was limited , and the mixed marriages were prohibited The areas of residence were also divided by law . Black people were to leave city centers and had to move to new township . They could only work in cities as workers who provided services to white citizens

But the ground for apartheid system was laid long before the Nationalist Party took power in 1948 . In 1913 the British colonial government had passed the Land Act , creating native reserves which allotted 13 of South Africa 's land area for about 75 of African population . These reserves were known as "homelands " for black South Africans and were divided into four "independent " bantustans , or homelands , and six non-independent ones . Those Africans who worked in the white-designated areas had to carry passes to show they had permission to live , work , or travel there . The unavailability of passes could result in imprisonment They could work in white ' areas in mines , farms , and factories but they could not bring their families . So it was a kind of sojournment for them and only when their working life had finished could they return to their families in "homelands . Such a migrant labor system ' was a keystone of apartheid system in South Africa . Black South Africans were deprived of natural human rights in their homeland but were doomed to provide cheap labor to white-ruled South Africa

What is the reason for such malicious form of racial control experienced by South Africa ? In the middle of the twentieth century this country was not much different from any other European colonies where white colonists took control over indigenous population . But when in the period after World War II the active...