Separate Amenities Act example essay topic
413 words
Introduction Throughout this essay I plan to analyse and discuss how apartheid changed in South Africa between the Sharp ville massacre in 1960 and when F. W de Kl erk became President of South Africa in 1989. In 1948, Dr Malan won the South African general election and introduced his Apartheid policies. Dr Malan initiated nine apartheid policies between 1949 and 1959. These were the Mixed Marriages Act in 1949, the Immorality Act in 1950, the Population Registration Act in 1950, the Group Areas Act of 1950 and the Suppression of Communism Act, also in 1950. There were also the Native Law Amendment Act and the New Passes Law, both of 1952 and the Bantu Education Act and Separate Amenities Act in 1953. These Acts were made so that the government could concentrate the white race. It meant that there was total segregation of blacks and whites so that the white race would have a far better lifestyle than the blacks. The Group Areas Act meant that the whites would have the best quality and largest houses, whilst blacks would be allowed to live in the worst, smallest housing with terrible living conditions. The Bantu Education Act meant that there were separate schools to prepare natives and whites for their different roles in society. White's schools were far better equipped than those of natives.
Also, the Separate Amenities Act totally segregated the races. In all public places such as buses, beaches etc, blacks and whites were separated so that the whites got the best of everything. The blacks were very opposed to this unfair treatment, and many protests were held by groups of natives. For example, when women as well as men were ordered to carry passes in 1952, 26,000 women united to peacefully protest outside Government Buildings in Pretoria. A not so peaceful protest was held in 1955 by the Bus Boycotts. When the Africans, Coloured's and Indians were moved out of cities into special reserves in 1950, their travel expenses became more expensive.
When the bus companies tried to put up fares, these people simply boycotted the buses. Many violent clashes occurred (such as in Eaton where nine people were killed). These clashes were between the boy cotters who tried to stop others from using the buses, and the guards hired by the bus companies. Order was only resolved by police force..
