South Africa: The Rise And Fall Of Apartheid -

: Non-whites were required to carry "passes" (internal passports) to enter or work in white-only areas; failure to produce one resulted in immediate arrest.

Apartheid (meaning "apartness" in Afrikaans ) was a formal system of institutionalized racial segregation and white minority rule in South Africa that lasted from . While racial discrimination existed in South Africa for centuries under Dutch and British colonial rule, the 1948 election of the National Party (NP) codified these practices into rigid, all-encompassing laws. The Rise of Apartheid (1948–1960s)

: In 1990, President F.W. de Klerk unbanned opposition parties and released Nelson Mandela. After four years of tense negotiations, the first multiracial elections were held on April 27, 1994 , resulting in Mandela becoming the country’s first Black president. Enduring Legacy South Africa: The Rise and Fall of Apartheid

By the late 1980s, the system was becoming unsustainable due to a combination of factors:

: Nelson Mandela and other top ANC leaders were sentenced to life in prison in 1964. : Non-whites were required to carry "passes" (internal

: Thousands of students protested the mandatory use of Afrikaans in schools. The brutal police response, which killed hundreds, drew intense international condemnation and sparked a new wave of internal militancy. The Fall of Apartheid (1980s–1994)

: Global boycotts, trade embargoes, and economic sanctions from countries like the U.S. and UK crippled the South African economy. The Rise of Apartheid (1948–1960s) : In 1990,

The system was designed to ensure the political, social, and economic dominance of the white minority. Key architects like D.F. Malan and later Hendrik Verwoerd implemented laws that touched every aspect of life.