Population Registration Act

Population Registration Act

The Population Registration Act of 1950 required that each inhabitant of South Africa be classified and registered in accordance with their "racial characteristics" as part of the system of apartheidhttp://www.doh.gov.za/facts/1998/sadhs98/chapter1.pdf] [cite web |url=http://www.transformation.und.ac.za/issue%2047/47%20posel1.pdf |title= What’s in a name? Racial categorisations under apartheid and their afterlife|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060623202921/http://www.transformation.und.ac.za/issue+47/47+posel1.pdf |archivedate=2006-06-23] [ [http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/pr/91/910610Arc1324.html South African activist teacher gets education doctorate] ] . Social rights, political rights, educational opportunities, and economic status were largely determined by which group an individual belonged. There were three basic racial classifications under the law: Black, White and Coloured (Mixed). Indian (that is, South Asians from the former British India) was later added as a separate classification as they were seen as having "no historical right to the country".

An "Office for Race Classification" was set up to overview the classification process. Classification into groups was carried out using criteria such as outer appearance, general acceptance and social standing. For example, it defined a "white person" as one who "in appearance is obviously a white person who is generally not accepted as a colored person; or is generally accepted as a white person and is not in appearance obviously a white person." Due to the fact that some aspects of the profile were of a social nature, reclassifications were not uncommon, and a board was established to conduct that process. For example, the following criteria was used for separating the coloured from the whites:

# Charasteristics of the person's head hair
# Charasteristics of the person's other hair
# Skin color
# Facial features
# Home language and especially the knowledge of Afrikans
# Area where the person lives, his friends and acquaintances
# Employment
# Socioeconomic status
# Eating and drinking habits

This law worked in tandem with other laws passed as part of the apartheid system. Under the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1948, marrying a person of a different race was illegal. With the enactment of the Immorality Amendment Act (Immorality Act) of 1957, it also became a crime to display intent or interest in conducting a relationship with a member of a different race.

The South African Parliament repealed the act on June 17, 1991.

References

ee also

*Pencil test
*Urban apartheid


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Population Registration Act — Personenzertifikat nach dem Population Registration Act mit der eingetragenen Bevölkerungsgruppe white Der Population Registration Act, Act No 30 / 1950 (deutsch etwa: Bevölkerungsregistrierungsgesetz) war ein 1950 erlassenes Gesetz der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Population Registration Act — Le Population Registration Act (littéralement « Loi de classification de la population ») est l une des premières et principales lois d Apartheid, instaurée en Afrique du Sud le 22 juin 1950, et qui requerrait que chaque… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Population registration in Sweden — Population registration in Swedencite web|title=Population registration in Sweden, SKV 717B Edition 4|publisher=Swedish Tax Agency|url=http://www.skatteverket.se/download/18.19b9f599116a9e8ef3680004590/717b04.pdf|date=December… …   Wikipedia

  • Registration acts (comics) — Registration acts A faux advertisement for the Mutant Registration Act (featuring Franklin Richards labeled Mutie ) which ran in various Marvel Comics cover dated November 1987. Art by Jon Bogdanove. Publication information …   Wikipedia

  • Bantu Homelands Citizenship Act, 1970 — Apartheid legislation in South Africa  Precursors Hut tax Franchise and Ballot Act (1892) Natal Legislative Assembly Bill (1894) General Pass Regulations Bill (1905) Asiatic Registration Act (1906) South Africa Act (1909) Natives Land Act… …   Wikipedia

  • Suppression of Communism Act, 1950 — Apartheid legislation in South Africa  Precursors Hut tax Franchise and Ballot Act (1892) Natal Legislative Assembly Bill (1894) General Pass Regulations Bill (1905) Asiatic Registration Act (1906) South Africa Act (1909) Natives Land Act… …   Wikipedia

  • Native Labour (Settlement of Disputes) Act, 1953 — Apartheid legislation in South Africa  Precursors Hut tax Franchise and Ballot Act (1892) Natal Legislative Assembly Bill (1894) General Pass Regulations Bill (1905) Asiatic Registration Act (1906) South Africa Act (1909) Natives Land Act… …   Wikipedia

  • Natives Land Act, 1913 — Apartheid legislation in South Africa  Precursors Hut tax Franchise and Ballot Act (1892) Natal Legislative Assembly Bill (1894) General Pass Regulations Bill (1905) Asiatic Registration Act (1906) South Africa Act (1909) Natives Land Act… …   Wikipedia

  • Group Areas Development Act, 1955 — Apartheid legislation in South Africa  Precursors Hut tax Franchise and Ballot Act (1892) Natal Legislative Assembly Bill (1894) General Pass Regulations Bill (1905) Asiatic Registration Act (1906) South Africa Act (1909) Natives Land Act… …   Wikipedia

  • Native Building Workers Act, 1951 — Apartheid legislation in South Africa  Precursors Hut tax Franchise and Ballot Act (1892) Natal Legislative Assembly Bill (1894) General Pass Regulations Bill (1905) Asiatic Registration Act (1906) South Africa Act (1909) Natives Land Act… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”