-
Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1949
Prohibited marriages between people of different races; one of the first pieces of Apartheid legislation passed following the National Party’s rise to power -
Population Registration Act of 1950
Created a national population registry, classifying all individuals into categories - they were either, white, colored, or Bantu - with tests of 'whiteness' (ie linguistic proficiency, skull measurements) -
Reservation of Separate Amenities Act of 1950
o Seen as the epitome of petty Apartheid, this law segregated all public amenities by race – whites-only signs became a ubiquitous and notorious feature of the South African civil landscape -
Group Areas Act of 1950
Declared the city centers to be for whites only; had limiting effect of educational and cultural horizons of Africans as they had no access to civic spaces like theaters and libraries -
Immorality Act of 1950
All extra-marital affairs / sexual relations between white and non-white people forbidden as the government was concerned about the ‘purity’ of the white race; the law was enforced, and people would react to a tip -
Bantu Authorities Act of 1951
Undertaken by the Malan government, this law eliminated the Natives Representative Council, the small segment of Parliament reserved for the representation of various people of color -
Pass Laws Act of 1952
While technically abolishing traditional passes, it in reality replaced them with more comprehensive documents that black South Africans were required to carry at all times. -
Bantu Education Act of 1953
Made it illegal for schools to admit students from more than one race, created separate school boards/educational models for each race, with separate curriculums. The ‘black’ curriculum focused on rudimentary technical skills -
Natives Resettlement Act of 1954
Gave the authority to clear out the ‘black spots’ in cities. For example, the razing of Sophiatown and deportation of its former inhabitants -
Bantu Self-Governing Act of 1959
Divided black African population into 8 distinct groups; each assigned a white Commissioner-General. By 1970, all black South Africans declared citizens of their homeland/Bantustan, not South Africa, where they were considered foreigners, and could be deported
