Apartheid, that's the name for the racial- segregation policy of the South African government between 1948 and 1990. The word itself means “being apart” and the idea was that every race has its own identity. The government wanted to make South Africa a country of only white people, so the different groups had to be separated

1867 Discovery of diamonds in Kimberley

Time Line

1886 Discovery of gold in Transvaal1910 The Union of South Africa is

formed which consists of Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal. From the beginning this independent country is in the hands of the whites.

1912 The African National Congress (ANC) is founded. Its a multi- racialnational organization with the aim of getting the right to vote for all people living in South Africa and of stopping the racial discrimination.

1948 The National Party wins the elections (for white people only). This is the official beginning of the policy of

apartheid. 1960 The Sharpeville Massacre: Demonstrators surround the

policy station and burn their Black- passports; 69 of them are killed. The ANC and the PAC (Pan African Congress) are forbidden.

1969 Steve Biko founds The South African Student’s Organization. It’s the beginning of the Black Consciousness Movement.

1977 August 18th: Steve Biko is arrested and beaten up very badly. The police doesn’t get him a doctor. September 12th: Steve Biko dies in his prison cell.

1994 April 27th: The first non- racial elections are won by the ANC. May 10th: Nelson Mandela becomes State President.

1995 Archbishop Desmond Tutu establishes The Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

1999 The ANC is the winner of the second general elections.

Apartheid consists of numerous laws that allowed the white minority in South Africa to segregate, exploit and terrorize the black majority which consists of mostly Africans but also Asians and Coloureds (people of mixed race). It’s divided into two aspects:

Apartheid - racism made in law

1.) Small Apartheid, also called Petty- ApartheidIt consists of the racial separation in the service sector. That means separate toilets for Whites and Non-whites, separate beaches; hospitals, banks, restaurants etc. have got two different entrees or are only for the white population.

2.) Big ApartheidIt consists of the Segregation- and Homeland policy. The population is divided into Whites, couloureds, Blacks and Asians.

- separate living areas in every city and village- separate schools with different qualified teachers- the right to vote only for the white population

The homeland policy is a human catastrophe. The living conditions are very bad: There’s not enough food and land for everybody. Men who works in the city never saw their family again. The blacks have to do jobs which nobody else wants to do.

The end of the ApartheidThe apartheid system began to fall apart in the 1980s. Two million unemployed blacks, a shrinking white minority, continued black resistance, and an economy suffering from international sanctions finally convinced many South Africans that something had to change. F.W. De Klerk was elected in 1989 and promised to seek a compromise between the majority and the minority. De Klerk starts to change the system, because he sees no future for apartheid. Finally in 1990, De Klerk unbanned the ANC and released Nelson Mandela from prison. Mandela had served 28 years. The crowds were jubilant. Mandela worked with De Klerk for a peaceful transition to a multiracial South Africa.In 1994 the first free multiracial elections were held. Millions of new voters chose from The Afrikaner National Party, the black supremist Inkatha Freedom Party, and the moderate ANC. The ANC received the most votes and Nelson Mandela was elected President by the new Parliament. Apartheid was over.