When did apartheid begin and end in South Africa?
Apartheid existed in South Africa and South West Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid legislation was repealed on the 17th of June 1991, and non-racial elections were held in April 1994.
Questions about Apartheid
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What does the word apartheid mean?
Apartheid is an Afrikaans word meaning "separateness" or "the state of being apart", literally "apart-hood" (from the Afrikaans suffix -heid). Its first recorded use was in 1929.
How many people were forcibly removed under apartheid in South Africa?
Between 1960 and 1983, 3.5 million black Africans were removed from their homes and forced into segregated neighbourhoods in some of the largest mass evictions in modern history. Nearly 600,000 Coloured, Indian, and Chinese people were also moved under the Group Areas Act of 1950.
Who was Steve Biko and what happened to him under apartheid?
Steve Biko was the leader of the Black Consciousness Movement, which built black pride and challenged the feelings of inadequacy instilled by apartheid. He was taken into custody on the 18th of August 1977 and was beaten to death in detention.
What was the Sharpeville massacre during apartheid?
The Sharpeville massacre occurred on the 21st of March 1960, when police opened fire on a demonstration against pass books in the township of Sharpeville, killing 69 people. In its wake, the government declared a state of emergency and arrested more than 18,000 people, and both the ANC and PAC were banned.
How did apartheid affect South Africa's international standing in sport?
South Africa was barred from the 1964 and 1968 Olympic Games. The International Table Tennis Federation severed ties with the all-white South African body in 1956. In a 1977 survey, white South Africans ranked the loss of international sport among the three most damaging consequences of apartheid. FIFA only welcomed South Africa back on the 3rd of July 1992.