How far are the problems that exist in South Africa today a product of the past?

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Cherralyn Elliot.

How far are the problems that exist in South Africa

today a product of the past?

This essay is about the problems that are existent in South Africa today and how they are influenced by the past. I am going to look into whether hatreds are still as strong today or if they have changed. I am going to see if it is in fact the legacy of apartheid that has led to problems in South Africa today. The legacy of apartheid includes the deeply ingrained racism that has been seemed to be present in the white population over many years. People can still remember how differently whites and non-whites lived as a result of the apartheid rule. They can also remember the laws that there were to ensure the non-whites knew their role in society which basically meant white domination.        

        The current situation in South Africa can to a certain extent be explained by reference to the past. The establishment of Apartheid in 1948 was the birth child of Dr Malan, he wanted people to have rights only in their prearranged own areas accordingly to their skin colour. Dr Malan intended to put his policies into practise, ruthlessly and comprehensively. With this sort of superior attitude there ways of separation in all walks of life. Pass laws and forced removals led to current problems due to the separate townships and how depending on the different colours education and other areas were funded differently and in the favour of the whites. In 1949 the 'Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act' came into force meaning that not only blacks and whites couldn't marry, but blacks and whites who were already married had to split.

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There was a prejudice towards all non-whites but in particular those who were black. Blacks were seen to be inferior this could be evident in the way pass laws affected them. Blacks had to use separate amenities from the whites and other examples of this was separate schools for natives to prepare them for an inferior position in society.

Internal opposition had an affect also on the currant situation by the different groups such as Nelson Mandela’s ANC and others. Mandela wanted blacks to be treated just as fairly as whites. He wanted to be as equal as the ...

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