Political strategists in the National Party invented apartheid as a means of reinforcing their control over the economic and social system in South Africa. Initially, the objective of apartheid was to maintain white dominance while extending racial partition. Starting in the 1960's, a plan of "Grand Apartheid'' was executed, emphasizing territorial separation and strict police control. .
So, with the enactment of apartheid laws in 1948, racial discrimination was institutionalized in the South African government. Racially-biased laws touched every aspect of social life, including a prohibition of marriage between non-whites and whites, and the sanctioning of ``white-only'' jobs. In 1950, the Population Registration Act required that all South Africans be racially grouped into one of three categories: white, black (African), or colored (of mixed decent). The colored category included major subgroups of Indians and Asians. Classification into these categories was based on appearance, social acknowledgment, and ancestry. A person could not be considered white if one of his or her parents were non-white. The label that a person was ``obviously white'' would take into account his habits, education, speech, and demeanor. A black person would be of or accepted as a member of an African tribe or race, and a colored person is one that is not black or white. The Department of Home Affairs was responsible for the cataloging of the population during this period. And, rebellion against the race laws was dealt with severely. All black citizens were required to constantly carry passbooks containing fingerprints, a photograph and information on access to non-black areas. .
In 1951, the Bantu Authorities Act established a foundation 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.
