Apartheid was a system of institutional racial segregation and discrimination that was implemented by the National Party government in South Africa from 1948 until the early 1990s. Apartheid laws were designed to enforce and maintain the dominance of the white minority in South Africa and to deny basic rights and freedoms to the black majority.
Two examples of apartheid policies in South Africa's history are:
The Group Areas Act: This law, passed in 1950, divided South African cities into different residential areas based on race. Each racial group was allocated specific areas in which to live, work and own property. The law forced thousands of black people to leave their homes and move to designated areas known as townships. This resulted in the forced removal of people from their homes and the destruction of communities.
The Pass Laws: These laws required all black South Africans to carry a passbook or identity document that specified their racial classification and permitted them to travel to certain areas of the country. The pass laws were used to control the movement of black people, and those found without the necessary documentation were arrested and punished. This law was widely criticized for its discriminatory nature and was a source of great resentment among black South Africans.