South African Apartheid

The South African election of 1948 was won by Daniel F Malan, a Protestant and member of the political Reunited Nation Party.   D F Malan became the first Prime Minister of the South African Apartheid policy.   The Grand Apartheid separated races on a much larger scale while the Petty Apartheid gave way to smaller changes.   The first law of the Grand Apartheid was the Population Act of 1950.   This act formalized racial classifications into Whites, Coloured, Blacks, and Indians.   All races, over the age of 18, were issued identification cards based on their racial group.   The second law was the Group Areas Act of 1950.   Under this law it was determined where a person would live based strictly on their race.   Each race was allotted its own area; this later became the basis for forced removals.   In 1951 black shackland slums were destroyed and white employers were forced to pay for the construction of housing for blacks permitted to reside in cities predominantly white.   The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1949 prohibited South Africa citizens from marrying different races.   In addition to this in 1950 the Immortality Act made sexual relations with persons of a different race a criminal offense.

The next major effect of the South African Apartheid was the Homeland System.   This system attempted to divide South Africa into separate states based on ethnic groups.   The ten homeland states allocated to blacks were the Lebowa, QwaQwa, Boputha/Sawana, KwaZulu, KaNgwane, Transkei, Ciskei, Gazankulu, Venda, and KwaNdebele.   Each of the states was allowed to set independent government policies for their people.   Of these Homeland States four accepted independence Transkei in 1976, Bophuthatswana in 1977, Venda in 1979, and Ciskei in 1981.   Once independent each state was required to make their people citizens; causing their South African citizenship to be revoked.

Forced Removals became a major problem with the Apartheid during this time period.   The South African...