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Natives Land Act/ Black Land Act No 27
Prohibited Africans from owning or renting land outside their designated native reserves, which totaled to approximately 7% of the land area in South Africa. Designated land was unwanted and not economically profitable, forcing Africans to seek jobs in mines and cities to support themselves and their families. -
Natives (Black) Urban Areas Act
Made each local authority responsible for the blacks in its area. 'Native advisory boards' removed 'surplus' people and regulated the amount of people entering the city. They divided the country into prescribed (cities) and non-prescribed areas, and declared that urban areas were for the use of Whites only. Blacks were not allowed to enter cities unless they were employed, thus restricting their movement outside of reserves. -
Industrial Conciliation Act
Legal registration of white unions. Blacks were restricted from joining registered trade unions, and prohibited from registering black unions. The prevention of black membership and black unions meant Africans could not protect their rights or interests as workers. They were treated much worse than white workers, especially under white-owned businesses. -
Representative Natives Act/ Representation of Blacks Act
Removed black voters in the Cape from the common roll and placed them on a separate roll. Blacks throughout the Union were represented by four white senators. Africans had no rights or authentic representation in government. Without proper representatives, blacks were unable to demand changes, forever keeping them in poverty. -
Native Trust and Land Act
Extension of Native Reserves from 7% of land area to 13%; however, also enhanced eviction powers. Authorized the Department of Bantu Administration and Development to eliminate black spots. Allowed for forced removal of Blacks from cities and "White-only" areas. -
Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act
Prohibited interracial marriage, specifically marriages between whites and members of other racial groups. Extended segregation to married life by preventing people from marrying outside of their race. Illustrates how extensive apartheid legislation was in separating all aspects of life based on skin color. -
Population Registration Act No 30
Created a National Population Registry and required people to be identified and registered to one racial group (White, Coloured, Bantu). Because Whites had obvious economic and political advantages, many sought to be classified as White. This act was essential to Apartheid philosophy, as it was more rigid and divided/classified racial groups in South Africa. -
Group Areas Act No 41
Provided for areas to be declared for exclusive use by one racial group, specifically that the cities were only for whites. It became compulsory for Africans to live in reserves or townships. The South African government argued that public amenities for non-Whites was unnecessary because they weren't allowed to be in cities anyway. -
Bantu Authorities Act
Created tribal, regional and territorial authorities in reserves and eliminated the Natives Representative Council (small segment of parliament reserved to represent the people of color in South Africa). By reestablishing tribal organization among Black Africans, the process of implementing Bantustans began. -
Blacks (Abolition of Passes and Co-ordination of Documents) Act No 67 AKA Pass Laws Act
Replaced traditional passes (established in a previous act) with comprehensive documents that all Africans had to carry. Passes physically restricted the movement of blacks, as they were not allowed to enter cities and other areas without permits. The act gave the government literal control over African's movements, and also allowed employers to watch and keep workers. -
Bantu Education Act
Segregated education and schools, requiring schools to admit students from one racial group only. Separate school boards were created, with a separate curriculum for black and white education. Blacks were taught only basic levels of literacy and numeracy, giving them no opportunity to escape poverty. -
Reservation of Separate Amenities Act
Separation of public facilities and transportation based on race. Allowed for amenities to be reserved for particular racial groups, such as buses, restrooms, hospitals, parks, beaches, etc. Non-whites risked arrest and imprisonment if they used amenities reserved for Whites. -
Natives (Black) Resettlement Act
Established a Resettlement Board designed to remove "black spots" in cities. This law and the Group Areas Development Act (1955) authorized the destruction of Sophiatown. Blacks were forcefully removed from their homes in cities and had to live in resettlement areas, which became very crowded as a result of these forced removals. -
Bantu Self-Governing Act
Provided for the transformation of reserves into fully fledged independent Bantustans, dividing the African population into eight (later ten) distinct groups. Each group was assigned a White Commissioner General to assist them in becoming a full self-government. With the implementation of this act, the government could now argue that Blacks were not their political responsibility.
