Built on earlier South African laws and customs, apartheid classified every South African by race as either (1) black, (2) white, (3) Colored (mixed race), or (4) Asian. Apartheid required segregation in housing, education, employment, public accommodations, and transportation. It segregated not only almost all whites from nonwhites but also major nonwhite groups from each other. It also limited the rights of nonwhites to own and occupy land, and to enter white neighborhoods."

"The South African government tried to justify apartheid by claiming that peaceful coexistence of the races was possible only if the races were separated from one another. However, white South Africans

South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, formed to uncover past events without further polarizing society, released its final report on human rights abuses under apartheid in 1998. Its conclusions were attacked by all of the country's main political parties, none of which escaped criticism in the report.

Revolution is What is Happening in South Africa. The New York Times, page 26, April 5, 1985

The country's first universal suffrage elections are held, and blacks are given their first opportunity to vote.

In 1951, the Bantu Authorities Act established a basis for ethnic government in African reserves, known as ``homelands.'' These homelands were independent states to which each African was assigned by the government according to the record of origin (which was frequently inaccurate). All political rights, including voting, held by an African were restricted to the designated homeland. The idea was that they would be citizens of the homeland, losing their citizenship in South Africa and any right of involvement with the South African Parliament which held complete hegemony over the homelands. From 1976 to 1981, four of these homelands were created, denationalizing nine million South Africans. The homeland administrations refused the nominal independence, maintaining pressure for political rights within the country as a whole. Nevertheless, Africans living in the homelands needed passports to enter South Africa: aliens in their own country.

De Klerk lifts restrictions on 33 opposition groups, most of which had been banned for their antiapartheid activities.

Some common words found in the essay are:
South African, South Africa, National Party, South Africa's, South Africans, Mandela ANC, Amendment Act, Asians Classification, Freedom Party, De Klerk, south africa, south african, file print edition, file print, print edition, de klerk, south africans, south africa's, sanctions south africa, sanctions south, national congress, national party, african national congress, economic sanctions south, south african government,
Approximate Word count = 2433
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)