Apartheid
Nature and Characteristics of Discrimination
1. “Petty Apartheid” and “Grand Apartheid” legislation
Petty Apartheid:
• Day to day segregation
• Similar to “Jim Crow Laws” in the USA but actually imbedded into legislature
Grand Apartheid
• Overall policy that kept races separated
• eg. Living in different areas (townships)
2. “Division and “classification”; segregation of populations and amenities;
creation of townships/forced removals; segregation of education; Bantustan
system; impact on individuals
National Party Government 1948-53
• May 1948, Malan said "Today South Africa belongs to us once more. South Africa is our
own…may God grant that it will always remain our own." (referred to British-Afrikaner, not
black-white).
• Some referred to it as final victory of Boer War.
• Two main aims:
1. Impose white supremacy, apartheid to embrace all aspects of life.
2. End political ties with Britain, become a republic.
• NP won every election until 1994, support grew from 1948-1964.
• Had it's own majority in 1953 - Malan retired, replaced by J.G. Strijdom, died 1958,
replaced by H.Verwoerd
,Apartheid in Practise
• Based on four principles:
• South Africa comprised of 4 racial groups, each with its own separate culture
• Whites were the 'civilised' race and were entitled to absolute power over interests of all
other groups
• White race was a single entity, despite being made of Afrikaners and English speakers
• Black Africans were made up of different tribes (implied Africans were different, therefore
should be separate, so each tribe could maintain its own culture. Whites could therefore call
themselves majority).
• Facilities provided for "inferior" races were inferior - no need for separate but equal.
• Soon after election of National Party in 1948, laws were enacted defining racial groups, and
hence one's life experience.
• White South Africans had majority of wealth, white-collar jobs, while Africans laboured in
mined and farms for little/no money and suffered discrimination.
• Grand Apartheid: Overall policy that kept races separated (e.g. living in different areas).
• Petty Apartheid: Day-to-day segregation (separate facilities).
• Segregation existed pre-1948, National Party win allowed full legislation securing white
superiority/survival - developed unimaginably quickly.
The Department of Native Affairs
• After National Party win in 1948, race relations became key focus of government - all
decisions made with it in mind, security and administration for implementing apartheid/
fighting opposition developed.
• Heart of administration was Native Affairs Department (NAD)
• Low profile before 1950: minister for native affairs in 1949 not effective: suggested
property-owning rights of black people should be improved, in October 1950 became
governor general.
• Hendrik Verwoerd replaced him - committed to apartheid centrilsation and control.
• Born in Netherlands, moved to South Africa at age 2, 1904, had an accent (wanted to prove
himself as having Afrikaner values), was professor of psychology, editor of Die Transvaler.
Thought it was important to protect Africans from West, let them evolve within own cultures.
• Grand Apartheid: to protect the Africans.
, The work of the bureaucracy
• Normalised apartheid, weakened opposition in 50s, gained support of tribal leaders and
urban tenants who gained better accomodation.
• Staff: NAD grew significantly through apartheid - new staff (often Afrikaners), meant many
relied on apartheid for livelihoods, wanted to maintain it.
• Budget, vacancies and amount of staff grew significantly each year. In 1962, there were
5675 employees - 2989 were African, mainly lowly positions.
• Main Responsibilities:
• Implemented apartheid through legislation, 3 key responsibilities:
• The Labour Bureaux - introduced 1952, designed to give African workers specific jobs in
specific places, controlling their mobility.
• Segregated "locations" or townships on edge of urban areas. The department prioritised
shortage of housing units in 50s - provided cheap, mass-produced housing lessened
African opposition, as it was adequate.
• Forced removals from white only living areas to fenced-off locations, limited facilities. E.g.
Location at Orlando was next to main power station for Johannesburg: resident had only
candles.
• Control of Bantustans (homelands reserved for tribes). Designated as separate nations
within South Africa, crucial in separate development policy.
• Think tanks - promoted ideas on how to promote/implement apartheid. E.g. South African
Bureau of Racial Affairs (SABRA), close ties to the Broerderbund, published Journal of
Racial Affairs.
• Usually recommended strengthening of grand apartheid, education of Afrikaners to support
apartheid, sometimes accepted, sometimes rejected.
• In short: Apartheid, a complex project, involved academics, politicians - all professional
classes - but NAD was main enforcer.
Implementation of Apartheid
• Divide and rule, with the intention of keeping races as separate as possible, including
different African tribes - with Africans divided, whites were not a minority.
• Townships divided into tribal areas, homelands were exclusively for tribal groups - all unity
between African groups was disencouraged.
• Africanism was greatly feared/disliked.
Prohibition of Marriages Act (1949) and Immorality Amendment Act (1950)
Nature and Characteristics of Discrimination
1. “Petty Apartheid” and “Grand Apartheid” legislation
Petty Apartheid:
• Day to day segregation
• Similar to “Jim Crow Laws” in the USA but actually imbedded into legislature
Grand Apartheid
• Overall policy that kept races separated
• eg. Living in different areas (townships)
2. “Division and “classification”; segregation of populations and amenities;
creation of townships/forced removals; segregation of education; Bantustan
system; impact on individuals
National Party Government 1948-53
• May 1948, Malan said "Today South Africa belongs to us once more. South Africa is our
own…may God grant that it will always remain our own." (referred to British-Afrikaner, not
black-white).
• Some referred to it as final victory of Boer War.
• Two main aims:
1. Impose white supremacy, apartheid to embrace all aspects of life.
2. End political ties with Britain, become a republic.
• NP won every election until 1994, support grew from 1948-1964.
• Had it's own majority in 1953 - Malan retired, replaced by J.G. Strijdom, died 1958,
replaced by H.Verwoerd
,Apartheid in Practise
• Based on four principles:
• South Africa comprised of 4 racial groups, each with its own separate culture
• Whites were the 'civilised' race and were entitled to absolute power over interests of all
other groups
• White race was a single entity, despite being made of Afrikaners and English speakers
• Black Africans were made up of different tribes (implied Africans were different, therefore
should be separate, so each tribe could maintain its own culture. Whites could therefore call
themselves majority).
• Facilities provided for "inferior" races were inferior - no need for separate but equal.
• Soon after election of National Party in 1948, laws were enacted defining racial groups, and
hence one's life experience.
• White South Africans had majority of wealth, white-collar jobs, while Africans laboured in
mined and farms for little/no money and suffered discrimination.
• Grand Apartheid: Overall policy that kept races separated (e.g. living in different areas).
• Petty Apartheid: Day-to-day segregation (separate facilities).
• Segregation existed pre-1948, National Party win allowed full legislation securing white
superiority/survival - developed unimaginably quickly.
The Department of Native Affairs
• After National Party win in 1948, race relations became key focus of government - all
decisions made with it in mind, security and administration for implementing apartheid/
fighting opposition developed.
• Heart of administration was Native Affairs Department (NAD)
• Low profile before 1950: minister for native affairs in 1949 not effective: suggested
property-owning rights of black people should be improved, in October 1950 became
governor general.
• Hendrik Verwoerd replaced him - committed to apartheid centrilsation and control.
• Born in Netherlands, moved to South Africa at age 2, 1904, had an accent (wanted to prove
himself as having Afrikaner values), was professor of psychology, editor of Die Transvaler.
Thought it was important to protect Africans from West, let them evolve within own cultures.
• Grand Apartheid: to protect the Africans.
, The work of the bureaucracy
• Normalised apartheid, weakened opposition in 50s, gained support of tribal leaders and
urban tenants who gained better accomodation.
• Staff: NAD grew significantly through apartheid - new staff (often Afrikaners), meant many
relied on apartheid for livelihoods, wanted to maintain it.
• Budget, vacancies and amount of staff grew significantly each year. In 1962, there were
5675 employees - 2989 were African, mainly lowly positions.
• Main Responsibilities:
• Implemented apartheid through legislation, 3 key responsibilities:
• The Labour Bureaux - introduced 1952, designed to give African workers specific jobs in
specific places, controlling their mobility.
• Segregated "locations" or townships on edge of urban areas. The department prioritised
shortage of housing units in 50s - provided cheap, mass-produced housing lessened
African opposition, as it was adequate.
• Forced removals from white only living areas to fenced-off locations, limited facilities. E.g.
Location at Orlando was next to main power station for Johannesburg: resident had only
candles.
• Control of Bantustans (homelands reserved for tribes). Designated as separate nations
within South Africa, crucial in separate development policy.
• Think tanks - promoted ideas on how to promote/implement apartheid. E.g. South African
Bureau of Racial Affairs (SABRA), close ties to the Broerderbund, published Journal of
Racial Affairs.
• Usually recommended strengthening of grand apartheid, education of Afrikaners to support
apartheid, sometimes accepted, sometimes rejected.
• In short: Apartheid, a complex project, involved academics, politicians - all professional
classes - but NAD was main enforcer.
Implementation of Apartheid
• Divide and rule, with the intention of keeping races as separate as possible, including
different African tribes - with Africans divided, whites were not a minority.
• Townships divided into tribal areas, homelands were exclusively for tribal groups - all unity
between African groups was disencouraged.
• Africanism was greatly feared/disliked.
Prohibition of Marriages Act (1949) and Immorality Amendment Act (1950)
