POPULATION REGISTRATION ACT Meaning and
Definition
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The Population Registration Act refers to a legislative measure implemented in South Africa during the apartheid era, specifically enacted in 1950. The act formed a crucial part of the apartheid regime's systematic racial segregation and discrimination policies.
This act was designed to classify and categorize the entire South African population by race and ethnicity, primarily to enforce racial segregation and maintain the white minority's dominance and control over the country. It mandated all individuals, irrespective of their citizenship or residency status, to register their racial classification with the government authorities, based on the subjective assessment of officials. Racial categories were primarily divided into four main groups: White, Black, Coloured, and Indian.
The Population Registration Act created a bureaucratic system intended to ensure the enforcement of apartheid policies across all aspects of daily life, including education, housing, employment, and social and political rights. The act allowed the government to implement and perpetuate racial segregation as individuals had to carry identification documents marked with their specified racial classification, which determined their access to certain privileges and fundamental rights. The enforcement of this act severely limited the freedom and opportunities of Black, Coloured, and Indian populations, leading to severe inequality and discrimination for the majority of South Africans throughout the apartheid era.
The act was later repealed in 1991 as part of the broader dismantling of apartheid legislation during the negotiations for democratic change in South Africa.
