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Black Land Act No. 27
This law prohibited blacks from owning or renting land outside their designated reserves (these reserves made up approximately 7% of the land in the country). It was the first major act of segregation legislation passed by the government of South Africa. -
Black (Native) Administration Act No. 38
This act allowed the minister of South Africa to forcefully remove any tribe or black person from one place to another in South Africa. It also prohibited feelings of hostility and hate between blacks and whites (which usually referred to black feelings against whites). -
Representation of Blacks Act No. 12
This law removed black voters in the Cape from the common voting roll, placing them on a different one. Meanwhile in the Union, blacks were represented by 4 white senators. Blacks were also prohibited from running for office. -
Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act No. 55
Marriages between whites and members of other racial groups were banned. South Africans had to register as one of four racial groups, and therefore those who weren't white could not be married to whites. -
Group Areas Act No. 41
This act said that specific areas were for the exclusive use of one racial group. It was made mandatory to live in your designated area. City centers were declared for whites only. This law prevented nonwhites from even being in the same space as a white person, and it significantly decreased the chances for whites and blacks to cultivate friendships. -
Internal Security Act (Suppression of Communism Act) No. 44
This prohibited certain organizations and people from promoting communism. This was furthered by the Suppression of Communism Amendment Act No. 50 in 1951 which spread this act to situations were people wanted to overthrow the government or concealed others who conspired to commit acts of terrorism against the state. -
Black (Native) Law Amendment Act No. 54
All black persons over sixteen years old were required to carry passes with them at all times. This law also specified that no black person was allowed to stay in urban areas longer than 72 hours without permission. Authority powers were also increased so they could remove blacks deemed 'idle or undesirable' even if they were lawfully in an urban area. -
Public Safety Act No. 3
Because of the ANC's civil disobedience campaign led by Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, this act allowed for a state of emergency to be declared, the first one in 1960. Under the state of emergency, a minister, commissioner, magistrate, or officer could detain anyone under the clause of public safety without trial or appeal. A magistrate could also ban meetings and gatherings under the law. -
Reservation of Separate Amenities Act No. 49
This allowed for public facilities and amenities to be reserved for specific racial groups; the nicer facilities were always reserved for whites while blacks and other races had little or no accommodation. Blacks risked imprisonment if they used white only facilities. This act was seen as the epitome of petty apartheid. -
Black Education Act No. 47
The Black Education Act formalized the complete segregation of education of blacks and laid the foundations for Bantu Education. It enforced racially segregated academic facilities. The idea of one education board was tossed, and two education boards were created, one for whites and one for coloured people. This act linked Petty and Grand Apartheid as it was designed by Verwoerd to prepare blacks for lives and futures of servitude for white personal gain. -
Black Labour Relations Regulation Act (Black Labour and Settlement of Disputes Act) No. 48
This regulation act changed the definition of an 'employee' so that blacks could be excluded. And since blacks were not classified as employees, they could no longer be members of registered unions. This law also included a war measure that prohibited strikes by black workers. -
Indemnity Act No. 61
This Act was brought up to protect the government and the authorities from legal repercussions because of the Sharpeville massacre (67 people were killed and 186 injured during a PAC anti-pass law demonstration) along with many other deadly acts committed by police. The government and its officers were indemnified in acts committed "for the prevention or suppression of internal disorder or public safety." -
General Law Amendment Act No. 37
Under the General Law Amendment Act, any officer could detain any person they suspect of a political crime, without a warrant, for 90 days without access to a lawyer. In fact, people could be released after 90 days only to be detained immediately after for another 90 day time period. The Sobukwe clause was also introduced, which allowed for a political criminal to be detained for 12 months. The State President could declare any organization unlawful (mainly aimed at Umkhonto we Sizwe and Poqo)
