Introduction
South Africa was colonized by the Dutch and English in the 17th
century. Over the following centuries, the white settlers used force to take
control of the land and establish a system of domination over Africans who
originally inhabited the region. When the country gained independence from Britain,
the new constitution put political control in the hands of the white minority
and institutionalized discrimination against Africans. The system of apartheid
literary, “apartness “enforced the separation of the South Africa’s white from
whites from blacks, Asians and people of mixed races. This discriminatory
system had its effects on the South African people in the following aspects of social,
political, economic and psychological .
Economic effects of
apartheid in South Africa
The separatist and racist apartheid legislation s ensured that
the blacks remained at the margins of the major economic activity. On the other
hand, the enacted coterie of pass legislations made it hard for the “blacks”,
majority to have access to the income generating opportunities as well as
well-paid jobs in the white zones. A statement by jean (1989) reveals that the
apartheid regime made it nearly impossible and difficult for the blacks to be
involved in any economic activity. Here
are some of the effects of apartheid on the South African economy.
Sanctions
The imposition of international sanctions on the country
resulted in economic pressure which leads to the unraveling of apartheid. There
were oil sanctions but South Africa continued to be able to buy oil on
international markets. Not only did the sanctions fail to lower the South
African trade flow from their previous levels, but GNP growth actually
accelerated after the European community and the United States of America
imposed sanctions.
Supply of African labor
White workers feared the large supply of Africa labor as the
low priced competition that it was. Hence, white tradesmen and government officials,
including police, regularly harassed African workers to discourage them from
travelling to mines and competing for permanent positions.
Human capital
Each restriction undercut the ability of the blacks to fully
establish them in the capitalist economy, hence to compete with white workers
on equal terms. Confined to temporary status, blacks were robbed of any
realistic chance to build up the human capital to challenge their white bosses
directly in the labor market.
White unemployment
By 1948 the first signs of white unemployment sent a shock wave through the white electorate. Fears that, “poor whites” would be
passed by upwardly mobile by black workers, excited a radical response: the
National party was elected to implement apartheid, a newly comprehensive social
policy of, “separated development “.
SOCIAL EFFECTS OF
APARTHEID
Apartheid affected most people in South
Africa in some way. For most whites, privilege was made more secure, but for
most South Africans, apartheid meant great hardship. The group areas act
affected the lives of thousands of people, in that many people were forcibly
removed from their homes because they were living in mixed race areas that the
government had allocated to other races, usually whites.
Whole communities were transported by
the police to new areas far away from their old homes, which were often
bulldozed to the ground. In rural areas any blacks who farmed in white areas
were removed, to reduce the competition to white farmers. This had a profound impact on traditional society,
which was often based on land ownership and the possession of cattle.
Families were broken down by the Pass
law, which made it impossible for a man to bring his family with him when he
went to work in town. Men lived in hostels in the townships, while their
families stayed at home in poverty in the rural areas, because poverty was so widespread,
most young men weren’t even able to pay a bride price.
All of these events and more had
irreversible effects in the South Africa but the system of apartheid couldn’t
last forever. Inevitably it would fall and in 1990 the African National
Congress took power with Nelson Mandela as president. For the first time, South
Africa was liberated and equal nation, and for the first time the history of South
Africa was acknowledged
Schools under apartheid
The Apartheid system
created educational inequalities through overt racist policies it was also
evident in funding. The Bantu Education
Act created separate Departments of Education by race, and it gave less money to
Black schools while giving most to Whites.
Since funding determines the amount and quality of learning materials,
facilities, and teachers, disproportionate funding clearly created disparities
in learning environments.
Women under apartheid
Colonialism and apartheid had a major
impact on women since they suffered both racial and gender discrimination. Jobs
were often hard to find but many black and colored women worked as agricultural
or domestic workers though wages were extremely low, if existent children
suffered from diseases caused by malnutrition and sanitation problems and
mortality rates were therefore high. The controlled movement of black and
colored workers within the country through the Natives Urban Areas Acct of 1923
and the pass laws separated family members from one another as men usually
worked in urban centers, while women were forced to stay in rural areas.
Marriage law and births were also controlled by the government and the
pro-apartheid Dutch Reformed Church, which tried to restrict black and colored
birth rates.
Conservatism
Alongside apartheid the National
Party government implemented a program of social conservatism. Pornography,
gambling and other such “vices” were banned. Cinemas, shops selling alcohol and
most other businesses were forbidden from operating on Sundays Abortion
homosexuality and sex education were also restricted; abortion was legal only
in cases of rape or if the mother’s life was threatened.
Television was not introduced until
1976 because the government viewed English programming as a threat to the
Afrikaans language. Television was run on apartheid lines –TVI broadcast in
Afrikaans and English (geared to a white audience), TV2 in Zulu and Xhosa and TV3 in Sotho, Tswana and Pedi
(both geared to a black audience), and TV4 mostly showed programs for an
urban-black audience. Earlier on TV
programs were not allowed because the white government thought the black people
“minority” would use the media as a medium for expressing their thoughts and
philosophies which would later on influence other countries to support
them. It was later that they decided to
allow TV stations in South Africa.
Political effects
When the Afrikaner -backed National Party came to power in
South Africa in 1948, it implemented its campaign promises in the form of high
apartheid. This allowed the National Party to enact such legislation as the
Population Registration Act, which enforced classification into four racial
categories: white, colored, Asiatic.
The next high apartheid landmark was the group Areas Act of
1950, this act enforced, the separate areas of residence by race across the
country. It would be this act that eventually led to promotion of Bantu Self-
Government Act of 1959 that transferred Africans’ Political rights to this
state, which allowed the South African government to treat natives as
foreigners and allow them no political representation in the South African
government.
The National Party government treated non-whites as second
class citizens and in the case of African s to the “homelands” of Bantustans ,
the National Party was able to justify stripping away any basic right s
Africans had in the country of South Africa . The international community
refused to organize these homelands, and pressure eventually began to build
from all sides to allow equal rights for all residents of South Africa.
In response to this oppression by the white minority
government, the anti-apartheid struggle by South Africans began soon after the
implementation of apartheid in 1948. The movement went global and was heavily
influenced by the organizations and networks of South Africans that operated
inside the nation.
Nelson Mandela, the first president in post-apartheid South
Africa, believed the results from the anti-apartheid movement sanctions, was
effective. On the side that believes the anti-apartheid movement had no
discernable impact on the dismantling of apartheid is the former South African
president, F.W. de Klerk. Eventually a negotiated peace was agreed upon and the
first elect ions for all South Africans took place in 1994, resulting to an
electoral victory for the ANC (African National Congress).
Psychological effects
of Apartheid in South Africa
The notorious governmental policy of Apartheid affects the
people of that country psychologically. It did so in a various ways, including:
the humiliating effects on blacks and arrogance inducing effects on whites; the
disruption of family-life by the enforced migrant labor system; the stunted
brain-development and behavioral effects that result from the inexcusably
widespread childhood malnutrition in that wealthy country, the distortions and
alienations in personality development, on racial lines; the mental breakdowns
and suicides that result from the physical and mental torture that unchanged
security-police detainees were subjected to while under interrogation. Other effects have been listed below and
discussed thoroughly.
Violence against women and children is widespread and
reflects male attitudes related to "emasculation" of black men under
apartheid. Children are psychologically more at risk than adults
through violent experiences.
A stressful event is any event which threatens our lives or
our health. Children living in South African townships are no strangers to
stress. The most common violent crimes in South African society are the sexual
crimes - rape, sexual assault, incest. Women and children are the most common
victims of sexual crime.
Infectious
diseases, such as HIV/AIDS The virus has infected as many as 30 per cent of pregnant women in rural
areas, creating "a local nightmare."
Deaths of parents from HIV take a huge toll on
children and families. Apartheid stoked the disease by dissolving families and
allowing tuberculosis and other diseases to spread unchecked.
Poverty
and unemployment. South Africa's wealth distribution is still hugely skewed,
given that 10 per cent of people--mostly whites--control 80 per cent of the
riches. As a result, many blacks continue to experience homelessness, degraded neighborhoods and unemployment. A third of the population is unemployed, and
many more people are underemployed and undereducated.
Racism. Racial tension continues to plague South Africa
as tension builds over strained resources. Many whites relate such programs as
affirmative action and school desegregation, and many blacks think that whites
retain most of the wealth.
A large number of
whites have not come to grips with the way that apartheid hurt people.
Displacement. Many people were forcibly
removed from their homes because they were living in mixed race areas that the
government had allocated to other races, usually whites.
Automatically displaced people have no choice than to start their lives
all over again, especially if their livelihoods and businesses depended on
where they used to be. When they are unable to get enough capital to start all
over again, they tend to wallow in poverty.
A good standard of living will be
way out of the question. Families will not be able to take care of their
children, which might lead to school dropouts; child delinquency such as teen
pregnancy, prostitution, robbery and illegal economic activities.
Degradation,
separation and trauma
Families were broken down by the Pass laws, which made
it impossible for a man to bring his family with him when he went to work in
town.
Men lived in hostels in the townships, while their
families stayed at home in poverty in the rural areas. Because poverty was so
widespread, most young men weren't even able to pay a bride price.
Psychologically, this influenced the men to believe
that familial relationships were of little value, and fostered insecurity and
anxiety within the psyche in regards to the stability of their family unit.
Conclusion
Racial segregation in South Africa began in colonial times
but as an official policy was introduced following the general election of
1948. New legislation classified inhabitants into racial groups; black, white,
colored, and Indian. Some people may say that the apartheid of South Africa was
a good thing is because it gave Africans an education, better jobs, there was
low crime rate and corruption cases there was also a form of government. Others
may say that the apartheid of South Africa was a bad thing because it didn’t teach
Africans about their legacy and ripped them off their culture and pride. All in
all everything has a good side and a bad side .
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Butler, Anthony. (1998). Democracy and Apartheid. Great Britain;
Macmillan Press, Ltd. Gilemette,
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Town: Oxford University Press.
Craig,
Albert M. (2003) .The Heritage of
World Civilizations. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
De
Klerk, F.W. (1999). The Last Trek-A
New Beginning. New York; St. Martin’s Press. [Primary].
Windhoek,
(1991). The Challenges of
Post-Apartheid South Africa. Conclusions and
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