Apartheid in Republic of South Africa

The Republic of South Africa occupies the southern portion of the African continent and includes the former colonies of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. It has an area of 472,359 square miles. Apartheid, which means separateness, was the name given by the Government of South Africa to its system of racial segregation. This policy of racial segregation had been followed since the Dutch-speaking Afrikaners and the English-speaking elements joined to form the Union of South Africa under the Act of 1909. In 1948, Apartheid became an official state policy when the National Party took power. Every person in South Africa was classified by race and is entered into the population register according to this classification. Apartheid was an official policy in South Africa until negotiations started to end it in 1990. In 1994 the first democratic elections were held, resulting in Nelson Mandela becoming the first black president of South Africa and formally marking the end of apartheid as a system of government.

Africans, Asians and "Cape Coloureds" often lived in identically constructed houses built in rows by the South African Government. Outside Port Elisabeth, this "location" was set aside for "Cape Coloureds" only.

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