Understanding Apartheid and the Treatment of Blacks in South

Subject : Social Science

Question:

What do you understand by apartheid? How were the Blacks treated under the system of apartheid in South Africa?

Expert Verified Solution:

Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination that was implemented in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. The term “apartheid” comes from the Afrikaans word meaning “separateness,” reflecting the strict racial divisions enforced under this policy. Under apartheid, the white minority government enacted laws that systematically oppressed non-white populations, particularly Black South Africans. Blacks were denied basic rights, such as the right to vote, freedom of movement, and access to quality education, healthcare, and employment. They were forced to live in separate areas, often in impoverished conditions, and faced severe restrictions on where they could work, travel, and socialize. The government also used brutal force to suppress resistance, leading to widespread injustice and inequality until the system was dismantled through international pressure and internal resistance.