The purpose of this report is to investigate how the apartheid system was created and what it meant to the people in South Africa. I will also analyze how this has affected todays society in South Africa

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List of contents

1 Introduction

1.1 Aim

1.3 Material and Method

1.4 Limitations

2 South Africa

3 Background

3.1 Colonization

3.2 The End of Slavery

4 Apartheid

4.1 One People - Two Colors

4.3 The Apartheid System

4.4 The Sharpeville-Massacre

4.5 Fighting for Freedom

5 The End of Apartheid

5.1 The First Democratic Election

5.2 Aftermaths

6 Conclusion

7 Summary

1 Introduction

1.1 Aim

The purpose of this report is to investigate how the apartheid system was created and what it meant to the people in South Africa. I will also analyze how this has affected todays society in South Africa and how they are developing as a nation after the end of Apartheid.

1.2 Issue

Why was the apartheid system introduced?

How has it affected life and development in South Africa today?

1.3 Material and Method

I have chosen to write my essay in a descriptive way and my sources are few due to a lack of useful English printed books on the subject of Apartheid. I have used and compared the sources I have to find what I deem to be valid information that gives justice to both sides of the story. My sources consist of books and magazine articles in both English and Swedish. I started out with many different sources but chose to only work from three different ones because they held the most valuable and usable information.

1.4 Limitations

In my essay I have decided not to explain the rules of the apartheid system in detail because I do not find it important for the aim of the investigation. I also have only written about one attack, the Sharpeville-massacre, and that is because naming more would only cause confusion.

2 South Africa

South Africa is a country going through many changes. They are swiftly developing their economy and exports and they work hard to improve the situation for their citizens. The country has been one of the most powerful countries in Africa since 1994 when the ANC party, led by Nelson Mandela, won the first election where the black citizens could vote.
     Sadly South Africa's history is not nearly as bright as the countries situation today. The political party the African National Congress, the ANC, has dominated the political influence and has been the ruling party ever since 1994 until today. Before their victory in the election in 1994, their struggle has been both long and hard and filled with violence and discriminating and inhumane actions from the white Boers.[1]

3 Background

3.1 Colonization

In the 1650's Dutch ships built camps along the coast of today's South Africa. They were heading to the East Indies, just like many other countries from the west. The camps grew bigger and became established bases on the way to the East Indies. Their purpose was to provide water and food for the long journey.



It was a lucrative business and the soon the bases had evolved into colonies with a large amount of Africans working as slaves.
     The white men had guns and went on well organized excursions to find more tribes of native Africans to enslave. 20 years after the white men came to South Africa there was 1779 white people and 1107 black slaves. Another weapon the white men brought with them was smallpox that was a lethal disease for the natives whose immune system had never faced a virus like it before.[2]
     The colonies grew with great speed and by the end of the eighteenth century the white men, now known as the Boers, had expanded their business to an area twice the size of England. The number of slaves grew and as did the Boers who took all rights away from the black natives who could not do much else than obey their white lords.[3]

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3.2 The End of Slavery

As war raged in Europe, Britain was able to conquer the Dutch colonies in 1806 and when they ended slavery in England, they also ended slavery in South Africa. This upset the Boers who believed they had birth-right to their African land and also to their black slaves and therefore wanted to keep their independence. Discontent grew among the Boers and they prepared to strike back against the British and their outrageous decision.
     During the coming decades the British and the Boers faced each other in battle many times which led to Boers being forced ...

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