South African Segregation in the Early 20th Century

South African Segregation in the Early Twentieth Century The first half of the twentieth century was a time of segregation and oppression in South Africa. As more and more European and white settlers began to flock to South Africa in hopes of making their fortune in diamonds, segregation problems arose. The British and the Dutch were the two main European groups with a strong influence in South Africa. Success in mining led to whites settlers having complete economic control in South Africa. Though the British and the Dutch did not get along well with each other, they were able to agree on one important idea; white superiority. The newly wealthy white settlers believed themselves to be superior to the original African inhabitants. Their economic success along with their ideas of white superiority led to the policy of segregation. The first half of the twentieth century yielded many features of segregation, established by whites, to maintain their superiority over Africans. The policy of segregation greatly impacted the daily lives of Africans in both rural and urban areas. To quote Nancy Clark and William Worger’s book, South Africa: The Rise and Fall of Apartheid, “the policy of segregation generally separated races to the benefit of those of European descent and to the detriment of those of African descent.” Settlers of British and Dutch descent tried to keep their economic dominance over the Africans through segregation policies. Though white settlers accounted for less than twenty percent of South Africa’s population, they were in control of almost all economic resources. The way they were able to gain and continue their dominance was through the use of African labor at very low wages, and under extremely strict control. One of the first segregation policies was the Mines and Works Act of 1911. This act excluded Africans from most skilled categories of work in mines. By limiting Africans to unskilled jobs and positions in the mines, whites were able