South Africa from apartheid to democracy

Diversity would definitely be a key feature in a country with 11 official languages. And it is. South Africa is a country where, as the BBC points out, erstwhile exiles, rabbis, rugby players and local chieftains enter the political arena as “leaders”; it is also a country where mud-huts rub shoulders with sprawling bungalows.

It is a country of paradoxes – even as surveys indicate that the country's economy is booming, the poor struggle for one square meal. The country's purchasing power parity places it among the world's 50 wealthiest nations.

Much of this diversity or paradox can be better understood in the light of South Africa's history of a bloody past– a past that denied basic human and civil rights to the majority of the country's population.

The roots of apartheid

South Africa was colonised by the Dutch and the English in the 17th century. The English domination of Dutch descendents (called Afrikaners or Boers) led to the establishment of the Dutch Colonies of Transvaal and Orange Free State. When diamonds were discovered in these areas in 1900, the English stepped in to lay their claims, resulting in the Boer War.

In the aftermath of the war, a power-sharing system was followed between the two groups. In 1940 however, the Afrikaner National Party gained outstanding majority. They invented apartheid as a means of territorial separation.

Life under the apartheid regime

Literally, the word apartheid in the Afrikaans language means "apartness". The original intent of the system is understood by what has now been classified as "grand apartheid"– partitioning South Africa geographically into different states along the lines of race. The segregationist aspect of "petty apartheid" soon followed.

New legislation in 1948 institutionalized racial discrimination, classifying inhabitants into one of three racial groups "black", "white", and "coloured". By 1958, the blacks were stripped of their citizenship and disenfranchised. Resistance met with brute force.
Every black was assigned to one of the ten tribal-based bantustans (self-governing homelands) based on inaccurate records. This often meant separation of families. Education and medical care too were segregated, with whites being provided superior services.
Non-compliance with the racial laws was dealt with harshly. Blacks had to carry "pass books'' with identity proof (fingerprints, photo and information) to access non-black areas, making them outsiders in their own country.

Important laws and acts of apartheid

1949— Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act: Prohibited marriage between persons of different races.

1950— Immorality Act: Criminalized cases of sexual relations with a person of different race.

1950— Population Registration Act: Formalized racial classification; identity cards were introduced for all persons above eighteen years of age, specifying their racial group.

1950—The Group Areas Act: Partitioned the country by allocating areas to different racial groups.

1951—The Bantu Authorities Act: Created separate government for blacks and supported the government's plan to develop the Bantustans separately.

1953— The Separate Amenities Act: Allowed municipal grounds to be reserved for a particular race. Separate beaches, buses, hospitals, schools and universities were created for blacks and whites. Signboards saying "whites only" applied to restaurants, theatres and other public areas, including park benches.

1956— Racial discrimination in employment formalized.

1958—Promotion of Black Self-Government Act: Established the National Party's policy of so-called "independent homelands" for black people. Nominal "self–governing Bantu units" with devolved administrative powers and future promises of autonomy and self-government were proposed.

Forced removals

In the 1960s, 70s and early 80s, the South African government implemented a 'resettlement' policy, compelling people to re-settle in their allocated "group areas". It is estimated that more than three and a half million people were resettled forcefully during this time.

The final years

In the early 90s, after a long struggle for democratic and equal rights, and under immense pressure from the United States and Great Britain, the apartheid system ended under the presidency of F.W. de Klerk. In 1994, Nelson Mandela, one of the most vociferous leaders in the struggle against apartheid, was released and the South African constitution was rewritten. In the first democratic election held, Nelson Mandela was unanimously elected the first black president.
Both Mandela and de Klerk received the Nobel Peace prize for their leadership in transitioning smoothly from apartheid to democracy without a civil war.

Post apartheid

The last fifteen years have brought major changes in providing basic necessities like housing, water and electricity. To a large extent the country also has sound political stability and international support. However, as former president Thabo Mbeki pointed out: "South Africa is still a country of "two nations", one mostly white and rich, and one mostly black and poor."

In spite of these shortcomings, South Africa’s new democracy and national constitution are considered inclusive and progressive. Besides providing racial equality, it includes language rights, environmental rights, and access to food, water and health care.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), headed by the Nobel Prize Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, has played a phenomenal role in uniting different races by addressing the country's collective memory by understanding and accepting apartheid history. By emphasising the fact that both sides had and have valid grievances that can be only be redressed through mutual forgiveness and understanding, the commission hopes to rewrite history education for the generations ahead.

Today, its gory history notwithstanding, South Africa is widely regarded as one of the world's leading players. Multinational investors who had steered clear of the racist regime are now ready to invest again. The inclusion of the black majority in the economy of the nation has helped increase the purchasing power of the people and the country's GDP ranking.

South Africa is ready and ripe to get up, shake off the dust, forget the scars, grow new skin and get going!