South Africa After Apartheid Research Paper

Blacks shared the pain of Apartheid in one of the darkest periods in history. Blacks were horribly oppressed by tyrants who obliterated their happy, healthy lives for nothing more then their own interests. Many Laws were passed that restricted blacks from the freedoms that all people should rightfully obtain from birth. White South Africans took the black population by the throat, making it hard for blacks to live as happy people. Black South Africans were held in a form of imprisonment and could do little to fight back, causing Apartheid to be one of the darkest periods in black history.

After researching the literature and films, we gained a well-rounded understanding about life for both blacks and whites during Apartheid in South Africa. Unfortunately we were only exposed to South Africa during Apartheid not Pre- or Post- Apartheid and this leads readers only having knowledge of a single story which can lead to racism and other complications.

In South Africa, policies systematically oppressed black, Asian, and ‘coloured’ people (those of mixed race),

South Africa has always been one of the most beautiful places in the world, however, beautiful places must also have dark periods in history. The Apartheid government was a racial segregation and discrimination movement in the 1950s and continues to the 1990s. One of the most notable actions this government undertook was forcibly evicting residents of District Six to the outskirts of Cape Town called Cape Flats. The Apartheids justified this eviction by declaring District Six as “whites only,” even though more than ninety percent of this community was colored. This injustice caused major upsets in South Africa and soon after, the world (Guardian Weekly). District Six became an inspiration to many, especially District 9.

Recently, The Washington Post released an article about several college students posting a rather prejudiced ad. This ad advertised that they only wanted a roommate who was a person of color. Thus, debates arose about whether or not this was a discriminatory act. Nonetheless, this newspaper article is just one example of a society submerged in white authority. Historically, the apartheid of South Africa is a poignant example of racial division and discrimination. Evidence of racial division is still visible throughout the fairly new democratic nation. European settlements during the 20th century were a direct result of white supremacy and deep racial division, in an attempt to build up a capitalist economy that benefited the white South African elite and lowered the social status of many black South Africans in the community.

From 1948 to 1994, South Africa functioned under the policy of apartheid, a system of racial segregation and white supremacy in which nonwhite racial groups were deprived of their South African citizenship and forced to live separately from whites. Stripped of their rights and marginalized in a country where they were in fact the majority, nonwhites launched strikes and campaigns of passive resistance against the all-white South African government. One freedom fighter stood out amongst the rest: Nelson Mandela, an anti-apartheid revolutionary, who would stand with others at the forefront of the nonwhites’ fight for their rights. Presently, Mandela is regarded as an international hero in the struggle for black liberation who dedicated his life to the abolition of racial oppression in South Africa and to correcting the injustices of the apartheid, using his political power and moral authority over the people. Despite the controversy he faced and the sanctions placed against apartheid opposition, Mandela has managed to leave a legacy of harmony in South Africa today.

Generations of Americans grew, and continue to age, studying the inspiring shouts of freedom that erupted from Nelson Mandela and protesters during South Africa 's journey away from apartheid. It’s a curious ponder, in fact, that America’s and South Africa’s ascents from racial discrimination were possibly involved with each other. However, while the world may be convinced the nation is out of racist depths, evidence displays the rise from discrimination in South Africa is undeniably incomplete. There is a dangerous and unresolved influence of apartheid in South Africa today.

This injustice of apartheid towards the Bantu population is evident through the unfair distribution of land. 80% of South Africa’s land was given to the white minority population of the time, despite the fact that they consisted of less than 10% of the population. The government also introduced ‘influx’ control laws to limit the number of permits released to black South Africans allowing them to leave their homelands and work in cities or on white farms. The white government’s forceful policies included little to no spending on significant finances, which constructed services in the Bantu Homelands. “Schools hospitals and public transport, reliable electricity and running water, public telephones and sewerage systems were rare.” (L. Thompson, op cit, p 201.) This inequality and unfairness towards the Bantu population was evident for many years before apartheid collapsed.

The apartheid policy describes the system of racial discrimination and white political domination adopted by the South African National Party after its rise to power. This essay will critically examine the historical significance of the Nationalist Party’s influence during its governance from 1948 to 1994. Additionally, this paper will analyse the social, political, economic and cultural impact of the Nationalist apartheid legislation. Furthermore, it will examine several major resistance campaigns and significant historical figures that gave rise to the cessation of the apartheid legislation under new democratic rule, including the effects of the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960 and the transformative force of anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela.

While White South Africans were receiving the highest living standards similar to the living conditions of western first world countries, the majority of black people didn’t receive any type of living standards and rights such as income, education and were even discriminated. It was during these conditions that Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela seized the leadership of anti-apartheid movement.

Apartheid was a political system that segregated white and black people from 1948 to 1994 in South Africa. Non-white individuals were categorized as follows black Africans, colored which included mixed race, and Asians for Indian and Pakistani. By 1950, Apartheid became a law; under this law blacks were banned to marry white, they separated public facilities for white and non-whites. In addition, non-white individuals’ weren’t allow to vote. After numerous protests and strikes and the effort of Nelson Mandela, Apartheid came to an end in 1994. Even though Apartheid ended, inequalities are still present amongst the South Africans. The inequality is present in education, employment and wages, and other areas.

The effects of apartheid have long outlived the days of its existence and there seems to be no sign at this point of South Africa completely moving past it. There is, however, always hope, and solutions are much sought after. In August 2011, former Archbishop Desmond Tutu1 announced his suggestion to rectify the wrongs of the past by implementing laws that require all white citizens to pay a special tax. This would serve as reparation to symbolically account for the benefits that white people as a whole acquired as a result of the apartheid regime. My stance on the matter is that the apartheid laws were rules disadvantaging members of a certain race, and this act which violated human equality and dignity was deeply frowned upon. This suggestion by Desmond Tutu is essentially trying to seek revenge by enforcing rules on the beneficiaries of the past laws that disadvantage them based solely on their race. One instance cannot be described as horrific, while the same thing forced onto a different race is seen as justified. This ideal of reconciliation in South Africa will further be discussed by referring to the views expressed in ‘Transformative Constitutionalism’2 and ‘Transformative Adjudication.’3 The Constitution of South Africa4 will also be explored, with the intent of determining whether the perspective of Archbishop Desmond Tutu is justified.

South Africa has had a history of treating people of African descent as inferior despite them being the majority. During the 19th century, British settlers tried to restrict the movement of black people in and around areas occupied by whites and controlled by the British. The South Africa Act of 1910 gave whites complete political control over all races. During World War II, Jan Smut led the United Party and began to loosen up on the segregation laws but the Sauer Commission was established in 1947 to focus on the relocation of blacks into urban areas and the negative effects it would have on white businesses and jobs. In the election of 1948, Smuts's United

The Apartheid started in 1948 when Dr. Malan’s National Party beat the United Party who wanted integration. After the National Party won they had been given the Sauer report, which said that they had to choose between integration or an Apartheid. They chose the Apartheid which meant racial segregation of all of the races. They were split into 3 groups black, coloured and white and they were forced to move to an area specifically designated to their colour. There was petty Apartheid introduced so that black people couldn’t use the same building as white people. This was introduced to stop white and black people mixing. It also affected benches, water fountains and also beaches to humiliate anyone who wasn’t white. Black or coloured people

The government legislated more policies on apartheid. All non-white people’s lives had become more limited. The