-
Black Land Act No. 27
Blacks were prohibited from owning or renting land outside of designated reserves (approximately 7% of land in the country) Significance: Blacks could only 'own' what is given for them -
Native (Black) Urban Areas Act No 21
Made each local authority responsible for the blacks in its area. 'Native advisory boards' regulated influx control and removed 'surplus' people, those who weren't employed. Country was divided into prescribed (urban) and un-prescribed areas, movement between the two were strictly controlled. Significance: People were forcibly removed -
Industrial Collection Act No. 11
It provided job reservation, meaning that blacks were excluded from membership of registered trade unions. Black trade unions were also prohibited for registration. Significance: Blacks were limited with the selection of jobs (they couldn't access the higher paying and better jobs). -
Mines and Works Amendment Act No. 25
This was a re-enactment of the 1911 Mines and Works Act, which permitted the granting of certificates of competency for a number of skilled mining occupations to whites and coloreds only. Significance: Blacks were at the bottom of the chain. Even colored people were on a higher standing than blacks. -
Immorality Act No. 5
Extra-marital intercourse between blacks and whites were prohibited. Significance: Racial segregation was key. -
Black (Native) Administration Act No. 38
Section 29(1) prohibited the fomenting of feelings of hostility between blacks and whites, extending to all racial groups. All reported cases concerned charges of inciting hostility among blacks towards the white section of the community (ignoring the whites who incensed the hostility). Significance: The act was used often to carry out forced removals. -
Representation of Blacks Act No. 12
It removed black voters in the Cape from the common roll and placed them on a separate roll. Blacks throughout the Union were then represented by four senators. Significance: Blacks had limited and restricted representation. -
Development Trust and Land Act No. 18
It expanded the reserves of 13. Six percent of the land in South Africa and authorized the Department of Bantu Administration and Development to eliminate "black spots" (black-owned land that was surrounded by white-owned land) Significance: Restricted the land that blacks could own -
Natives (Urban Areas) Consolidation
It introduced influx control (applicable to black males only)--only people who were deemed to be leading or dissolute lives or who have committed certain specified offences could be removed from a certain area. Significance: Forced removals -
Population Registration Act No. 30
It required people to be identified and registered from birth as belonging to one of four distinct racial groups; this act was more rigid than previous race classification laws). Significance: Pass laws were mandatory. -
Group Areas Act No. 41
Provided for areas to be declared for exclusive use of one particular racial group. It became compulsory for people to live in an area designated for their classification group. Significance: Enforced racial segregation -
Prevention of Illegal Squatting Act No. 52
Prohibited persons from entering land or a building without lawful reason or remaining there without the owner's permission. Magistrates were granted powers to order squatters out of urban areas, demolish their dwellings and move them to a place as might be determined Significance: Forced removal -
Black (Native) Laws Amendment Act No. 54
The 1945 Urban Areas Consolidation Act was amended to specify that all black persons, men and women, over the age of 16 were to carry passes and that no black person was allowed to stay in the urban areas longer than seventy-two hours unless they had permission. Significance: Pass laws -
Black Education Act No. 47
Formalized segregation of black education and laid the foundations for Bantu Education Significance: Blacks earned an education, but it was most likely very limited (and manipulated) and heavily censored so that the blacks won't be too educated. -
Riotous Assemblies and Suppression of Communism Amendment Act No. 15
The Minister of Justice was ‘empowered to prohibit listed persons from being members of specific organizations or from attending gatherings of any description without giving them the opportunity of making representations in their defense or furnishing reasons’. The Minister was also ‘authorized to prohibit any particular gathering or all gatherings, in any public place for specified periods’. Significance: It restricted possibly important meetings and blacklisted people. -
Blacks Resettlement Act No. 19
Established a Resettlement Board which would remove blacks from townships (authorized Sophiatown and other removals) Significance: Forced removal -
Bantu (Black) Administration Amendment Act No. 42
Amended the 1927 Black Administration Act so that a person being banished in terms of 2 5(1)(b) could no longer present her or his case to the Governor-General Significance: No representation.
