apartheid

Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination enforced by the National Party government of South Africa from 1948 to 1994. The term "apartheid" is Afrikaans for "separateness." The apartheid regime was based on the idea of separate development for different racial groups, with the white minority holding power and privilege.

Under apartheid, the government enforced strict segregation laws, including the requirement that people of different racial categories live in separate areas, use separate public facilities, and attend separate schools. People were classified into four main racial categories: white, black, colored (persons of mixed ancestry), and Indian. Each category was subject to different laws and treatment by the government.

Apartheid laws restricted the rights and freedoms of non-whites, including their right to vote, own property, and access education and employment. The regime was also notorious for its use of violence and torture against anti-apartheid activists and protesters. Many South Africans were forced to live in poverty-stricken townships, known as bantustans, which were created by the government to restrict the movement of black people.

The international community widely condemned apartheid as a human rights violation. In response, numerous sanctions were imposed on South Africa, and many countries boycotted the country's foreign relations. The internal resistance movement, led by organizations such as the African National Congress (ANC) and the Pan African Congress (PAC), also used armed struggle and civil disobedience to resist apartheid laws.

In the 1990s, ongoing diplomatic pressure, economic sanctions, and armed resistance led to the eventual dismantling of apartheid laws, and in 1994, South Africa held its first multiracial democratic election, marking the end of apartheid rule.