What’s Apartheid? Apartheid (the Afrikaans word for apartness) was the system of racial segregation in South Africa which was repealed in the early 1990s. The purpose of apartheid was separation of the races: not only of whites from nonwhites, but also of nonwhites from each other.

While racial segregation had been traditionally accepted in South Africa prior to 1948, the government officially initiated the policy of apartheid in that year. The Separate Development Policy and the Group Areas Act were instituted so that each African group could become a nation with its own homeland, where each tribe could live together and rule themselves. Movement between homelands and other parts of the country was strictly regulated, and Africans were not allowed to vote or own land.

History Lesson
In 1961, South Africa separated itself from British rule and became a republic. The United Nations instituted sanctions against South Africa as a means of protesting the governmental policy of apartheid.

In the early 1970s, increasing numbers of white South Africans protested apartheid. Additionally, African workers staged strikes and violent revolts. Rioting spread throughout the large cities, causing the government to declare a state of emergency in 1985.

In 1989, President F.W. de Klerk began relaxing apartheid restrictions and in 1990, freed Nelson Mandela after 27 years of imprisonment. In late 1991, the government began efforts to negotiate a new constitution and a transition to a multiracial democracy with majority rule. The interim constitution was completed in 1993, ending nearly three centuries of white rule in South Africa.

April 1994 brought the first multiracial election. The ANC (African National Congress) won and Nelson Mandela became president. South Africa rejoined the British Commonwealth in 1994 and the United Nations reversed the sanctions against the country. Throughout 1994-1996, the last vestiges of apartheid were dismantled and a new national constitution was approved and adopted.

Nelson Mandela - South Africa’s hero

Nelson Mandela, born in 1918, was the first President of South Africa to be elected in fully-representative democratic elections. Before his presidency he was a prominent anti-apartheid activist committed to non-violence, but later became involved in the planning of underground armed resistance activities for which he was arrested. Mandela’s 27-year imprisonment (much of which was spent on Robben Island, off the coast of Cape Town), became one of the most widely publicized examples of the opposition to apartheid.

Even today, pacifists and other groups have criticized Mandela for using violence and terrorist tactics. Nevertheless, the switch in policy to that of reconciliation, which Mandela pursued upon his release from prison in 1990, facilitated a peaceful transition to democracy in South Africa. He continues to voice his opinion as a revered statesman, striving for peace and reconciliation. Mandela is widely respected and loved, graciously called Madiba (an honorary and endearing title) throughout the nation.

The New South Africa
Post-apartheid South Africa has been called “the new South Africa”. The country has miraculously transitioned peacefully into the new majority-rule government. Unfortunately the pendulum seems to have swung to the other extreme. South Africa now experiences a form of reverse apartheid, with whites not receiving equal treatment in regards to taxation, employment, schooling, job placement, and government assistance.

Although remarkable progress has been made since 1994, South Africa continues to face enormous challenges. South Africa is one of the most unequal societies in the world, with poverty being one of the largest obstacles to stability and growth in the country. Nearly half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line, set at an income of R353 (approximately $60) per month. Three out of every four South African children live in poverty.

Despite a very pro-poor government housing policy, almost 10 million South Africans live in poverty housing; unemployment rates are extremely high nationwide. The economic inequality found in South Africa is among the highest in the world.

Qwa Qwa, a former self-governing homeland, now experiences more unemployment and poverty than it had under the apartheid regime, which has left many older people frustrated with, and disappointed in, the new government.

However, the new South Africa is truly a “rainbow nation” (the term coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu), with many racial groups having come together in harmony. While the country still faces many challenges, the future for South Africa is bright and hopeful.