Year 12 Modern History:
Essay:
What was the system of apartheid and why did it exist in South Africa?
(1) What was the system of apartheid?
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Apartheid – apartness
Replaced policy of segregation in 1930s and 1940s
Laws kept blacks, coloureds and Indians separate Geographically: The Group Areas Act (1950), The Native Laws Amendment Act (1952)
Educationally: The Bantu Education Act (1953)
Socially: Prohibition of mixed marriages (1949); Immorality Act (1950)
Politically: The Separate Registration of Voters Act (1956) – this is the most
damaging as nothing else can change if they can’t vote
(2) What was the ideology behind apartheid?
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Afrikaner discontent
 Scientific Racism
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Fear – influx control
(3) Political, Economic and Social Context of 1960s
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Politically – the government was determined to defend and develop
apartheid; used as an incentive to become a Republic (unite to keep South
Africa white); fearful of the rise of the ANC so banned it and sent it
underground.
Economically – economy boomed; mining, minerals and black labour;
apartheid kept Afrikaners wealthy
Socially –Social division through Group Areas Act kept whites comfortable
and prosperous
Apartheid allowed the whites to have political economic and social control.
The system of apartheid existed in South Africa due to the need of Afrikaners for power.
Apartheid was the formal government policy of South Africa that kept whites and blacks
apart. The ideology behind apartheid was fuelled by white fear of blacks and the theory of
scientific racism that kept blacks inferior to whites. Apartheid allowed whites to have
political, economic and social control.
The system of apartheid was used to separate the whites and the blacks from the 1930s, it
means apartness. These laws kept the blacks, coloureds and Indians geographically,
educationally, socially and politically separated from the whites. They were kept
geographically separate through the Group Areas Acts (1950) and the Native Laws
Amendment Act (1952). They were kept educationally separate by the Bantu Education Act
(1953). They were kept socially separate as they were prohibited to marry whites, or have
relations with them (1949 and 1950). Finally, they were kept politically separate through the
Separate Registration of voters act (1956). This was the most damaging as nothing could
change if they could not vote.
The idea behind apartheid was to keep whites, blacks and Indians apart. The Afrikaners
were discontent in South Africa in the early 1900s because the British and Africans had more
than them. They needed to disempower the Africans. The theory of scientific racism is that
white people are more civilised than black people, more complete humans. This theory was
believed in the 1900s by the Afrikaners. The Afrikaners also believed in apartheid as they
were fearful of the population of the Africans. They needed to exercise influx control.
Apartheid existed in South Africa because of the political, economic and social context of
the 1960s. Politically, the government used apartheid to defend and develop the Republic of
South Africa, they used the slogan “Unite to Keep South Africa White.” The government
were fearful of the African National Congress, they banned it and sent it underground. The
economy was booming because of the mining of minerals and the cheap black labour.
Apartheid was keeping the Afrikaners wealthy. Social division through the Group Areas Act
kept whites comfortable and prosperous. Apartheid allowed the white people to have
political, economic and social control.
The system of apartheid was the official policy of the South African government, designed to
keep the whites, blacks, coloureds and Indians separate. The Afrikaner fear of the blacks and
scientific racism underpinned apartheid. Apartheid allowed the whites to gain and maintain
political, economic and social control in South Africa.