South Africa & Apartheid

Cultures Clash Afrikaners The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle in South Africa. They set up a trade station near the Cape of Good Hope. The Europeans who settled in South Africa called themselves Afrikaners. Eventually, the British took control of most of South Africa.

Cultures Clash The British and the Afrikaners (also known as the Boers) fought each other for control of South Africa. The British also fought with the Zulu tribe. The British eventually defeated the Afrikaners and Zulus and declared South Africa an independent country in 1910.

The Birth of Apartheid They created a system called APARTHEID, which was designed to separate South African society into groups based on race: whites, blacks, Coloureds, and Asians. The white-controlled government of South Africa created laws to keep land and wealth in the hands of whites.

Apartheid Takes Hold

The Impact of Apartheid It forced blacks to move to poor rural areas called HOMELANDS. Blacks could not vote. Blacks were kept in low-paying jobs. Blacks were put in poor schools. Blacks had to carry identification. Separate schools, restaurants, and hospitals were created for whites and blacks.

The Impact of Apartheid

The Impact of Apartheid Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, Act No 55 of 1949 prohibited marriages between white people and people of other races. Population Registration Act, Act No 30 of 1950 led to the creation of a national register in which every person's race was recorded. Group Areas Act, Act No 41 of 1950 forced physical separation between races by creating different residential areas for different races Extension of University Education Act, Act 45 of 1959 put an end to black students attending white universities

The Struggle to Defeat Apartheid After many years of protests from black South Africans and pressure from foreign countries, APARTHEID was finally ended by President F.W. de Klerk. In 1994, Nelson Mandela, who had spent 28 years in prison for fighting APARTHEID, was elected president of South Africa during the country’s first multiracial election.

The Challenge of Building a New Nation Although some whites supported the ending of legal DISCRIMINATION in South Africa, many whites resisted the change. Nelson Mandela and the new leaders of South Africa have worked hard to create a new South Africa based on equality and peace.

The End of Apartheid

Issues Facing South Africa Today Although South Africa has a stable government and one of the strongest economies in Africa, it still faces many issues: economic inequality (whites still control most of wealth) fear of change HIV/AIDS