Apartheid Laws

Natives Land Act

Jun 19, 1913

This act prohibited black Africans from buying land from whites, and whites from buying land from black Africans. Blacks had to buy land in designated areas. It also banned sharecropping. This created a way to deprive many black South Africans from owning land, which majorly affected them socioeconomically.

Representation of Natives Act

Apr 20, 1936

This Act forcibly removed blacks from the common voting roll, and forced them to use a separate roll. It also restricted them the right to run for office. Black Africans were represented through four white senators. This act strongly decreased African rights by denying them political influence.

Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act

Jul 1, 1949

This piece of legislation restricted all marriages between race lines. This worked in coordination with the the Population Registration Act, which classified separate races. This act also prohibited all forms of sexual actions between races. This was one of the first laws passed after the National Party gained power. This is significant, as it placed a large restriction on the rights of black Africans, while further separating them from other races within South Africa.

Group Areas Act

Jul 7, 1950

This act gave assigned races to different sections of South Africa. This law essentially banned non-whites from being able to live with whites. Many non-whites were forced to move from their homes, and either had to find new jobs or face long commutes. Whites were designated to important areas, such as city centers. This legislation led to massive suffering, loss of homes, and loss of income for non-whites.

Population Registration Act

Jul 7, 1950

This law identified four racial classes: black, white, colored, and later, Indian. It created a classification system based on one's characteristics to identify to which of these groups they belong. These classifications were very subjective; there were no strict identifications. This law was significant, as it worked with other laws to enforce restrictions based on race. Additionally, as the classifications were subjective, many people could be classified in ways that the police saw fit.

Prevention of Illegal Squatting Act

Jul 6, 1951

This act forced the removal of squatting communities. It allowed squatters homes to be evicted and destroyed. Additionally, black Africans were required to have legal reason to enter land or property. They were required to have the owner's permission to remain there. This severely restricted black African rights, and made it extremely difficult for them to find areas to live in.

Natives Abolition of Passes and Coordination of Documents Act of 1952

1952

This act, also known as the Pass Laws Act, was a form of internal identification for black Africans. They were forced to carry a large, detailed booklet which identified all of their past records. This was used to replace traditional passes, and to strongly limit the travel of black Africans. Police regularly checked these. This is significant, as it gave the police the ability to constantly watch black Africans, who frequently got arrested because of this.

Reservation of Separate Amenities Act

Oct 5, 1953

This act separated all public features based on race. Most public facilities (parks, hotels, beaches, etc.) were closed for black Africans. This law was significant, as it further influenced segregation and divide between black Africans and whites. This law was a major part of the system of "petty apartheid."

Bantu Education Act

Jan 1, 1954

This act forced the racial segregation of schools. It increased government funding to schools, but white schools were funded much more than other schools. Additionally, the curriculum were different for each of these schools; black schools had vastly inferior education. The black schools also tended to lack basic amenities, such as running water, electricity, and plumbing. This act severely restricted opportunities for blacks, due to worse education. It also increased separation between races.

Terrorism Act

Jun 21, 1967

This act allowed for any person to be detained for a renewable period of 60 days without trial if they were suspected of terrorism. They were able to be detained without trial if it was under the authority of a senior police officer. This Act gave the police to give jail time to anyone, typically black Africans, based on a loosely defined definition of terrorism and a small suspicion.