Apartheid

The decolonization movement in Africa was delayed for South Africa due to opposition from white settelers. The Dutch Boers have long opposed outside control of their society, esspecialy limits to white supremacy, such as the abolition of slavery in Africa. Every Boer movement in the past was centered on maintaining white supremacy, and the controlling settlers in South Africa werent about to let that down. The setteler minority in South Africa wanted to hold on to their power and established //apartheid,// a policy of racial separation. By law, whites held the most productive tracts of land, industrial, mining, and commercial enterprises, and government. Mixed/Asian, "non-whites" were subject to segregated jobs and housing, whereas the 74% of the population composed of indigenous Africans were subject to far stricter limitations, such as passbooks. Aparthied was very similar to American Jim Crowe laws and civil rights violations, only in many cases, more strict. Apartheid established "Bantustans," or nations set aside for indigenous Africans; although these "nations" were nations in name only, as they could not sustain themselves economically and were not recognized by any country other than South Africa. Aparthied laws were some of the last major infringements on civil rights and were horrible to face as an African. The opposition to apartheid was led by the African National Congress (ANC), formed in 1912. Peaceful protests were banned in 1960 after police fired on protestors in the town of Sharpeville, and as a result, African lawyer Nelson Mandela led a guerilla resistance which failed and Mandela was sentenced to life in prison. In 1976, violence broke out in Soweto and sent South Africa into turmoil. In the 1990's Prime Minister F. W. de Klerk opened negotiations with Mandela and apartheid began to end. Apartheid is officially over and no laws currently exist in South Africa restricting the rights of Indigenous Africans, although resentment most likely still exists; much like resentment still exists in the United States to some degree over the civil war and the end of white supremacy. Apartheid was the last major legal system that denied civil rights to people based on ethnicity, as well as the most vicious. It is absurd to think that a minority can successfully, or justly, opress or control a majority.

This sign is an example of apartheid segregation laws and shows the absurdity of racial segregation in law. The ocean is the most open space on the planet, and to not allow certain people in certain areas is absurd. What is the point? It seems completely unnecesary to segregate, but this is an example of the racism that exists in the modern world. It is an example of the creulty of apartheid. media type="youtube" key="eHamAKmTNIM" height="344" width="425"This video shows the problems of creating a successful government after centuries of oppression. This shows that leaders need to keep their values until the end, not just until you achieve power. Absolute power corrupts absolutely; the ones who once fought oppression are now the oppressors. It is so difficult to create a successful government after opposing a successful, although oppressive, government for so long. Plans must always be long term in politics.