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 apartheid.[1][2][3]
Act to make provision for the compilation of a Register of the Population of the Union; for the issue of Identity Cards to persons whose names are included in the Register; and for matters incidental thereto.
Race classification certificate issued in terms of the Population Registration Act
Explanation of South African identity numbers in an identity document during apartheid in terms of official White, Coloured and Indian population subgroups
Social rights, political rights, educational opportunities, and economic status were largely determined by the group to which an individual belonged. There were three basic racial classifications under the law: Black, White and Coloured (mixed). Indians (that is, South Asians from the former British India, and their descendants) were 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 coloured person, or is generally accepted as a white person and is not in appearance obviously a white person." Because some aspects of the profile were of a social nature,[2] reclassification was not uncommon, and a board was established to conduct that process. The following criteria were used for separating the coloured people from the white people:[2]
Characteristics of the person's head hair
Characteristics of the person's other hair
Skin colour
Facial features
Home language and especially the knowledge of Afrikaans
Area where the person lives, the person's 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 1949, it was illegal for a white person to marry a person of another race. With the enactment of the Immorality Amendment Act of 1950, it also became a crime for a white person and a person of another race to have sexual intercourse.
Under the act, as amended, Coloureds and Indians were formally classified into various subgroups, including Cape Coloured, Malay, Griqua, Chinese, Indian, Other Asian and Other Coloured.[4][5]
^(PDF). Department of Health. 1998. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
^ abcPosel, Deborah (2001). "What's in a name? Racial categorisations under apartheid and their afterlife" (PDF). Michigan State University. (PDF) from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
^Valentine, Sue. . Sunday Times Heritage Project. The Times. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
^Leach, Graham (1986). South Africa : no easy path to peace (1. publ. ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 70. ISBN0710208480. Population Registration Act, 1959 cape coloured.
^Rondganger, Lee (6 June 2006). "Being an African makes me who I am". IOL. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
^du Preez, Max (9 March 2011). "Are we all 'coloured'?". News24. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
^ abPosel, Deborah (2001). (PDF). Transformation: 50–74. ISSN 0258-7696. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 November 2006.
^Pillay, Kathryn (2019). "Indian Identity in South Africa". The Palgrave Handbook of Ethnicity. pp. 77–92. doi:10.1007/978-981-13-2898-5_9. ISBN978-981-13-2897-8.
^Lehohla, Pali (5 May 2005). . Business Report. Archived from the original on 14 August 2007. Retrieved 25 August 2013. Others pointed out that the repeal of the Population Registration Act in 1991 removed any legal basis for specifying 'race'. The Identification Act of 1997 makes no mention of race. On the other hand, the Employment Equity Act speaks of 'designated groups' being 'black people, women and people with disabilities'. The Act defines 'black' as referring to 'Africans, coloureds and Indians'. Apartheid and the racial identification which underpinned it explicitly linked race with differential access to resources and power. If the post-apartheid order was committed to remedying this, race would have to be included in surveys and censuses, so that progress in eradicating the consequences of apartheid could be measured and monitored. This was the reasoning that led to a 'self-identifying' question about 'race' or 'population group' in both the 1996 and 2001 population censuses, and in Statistics SA's household survey programme.
^Davis, Rebecca (25 November 2013). "DA: We're not over race, but united we stand". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
External links
The full text of Population Registration Act, 1950 at Wikisource
March 09, 2023
population, registration, 1950, this, article, need, reorganization, comply, with, wikipedia, layout, guidelines, please, help, editing, article, make, improvements, overall, structure, 2017, learn, when, remove, this, template, message, population, registrati. This article may be in need of reorganization to comply with Wikipedia s layout guidelines Please help by editing the article to make improvements to the overall structure May 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message 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 apartheid 1 2 3 Population Registration Act 1950Parliament of South AfricaLong title Act to make provision for the compilation of a Register of the Population of the Union for the issue of Identity Cards to persons whose names are included in the Register and for matters incidental thereto CitationAct No 30 of 1950Enacted byParliament of South AfricaRoyal assent22 June 1950Commenced7 July 1950Repealed28 June 1991Administered byMinister of the InteriorRepealed byPopulation Registration Act Repeal Act 1991Status Repealed Race classification certificate issued in terms of the Population Registration Act Explanation of South African identity numbers in an identity document during apartheid in terms of official White Coloured and Indian population subgroups Social rights political rights educational opportunities and economic status were largely determined by the group to which an individual belonged There were three basic racial classifications under the law Black White and Coloured mixed Indians that is South Asians from the former British India and their descendants were 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 coloured person or is generally accepted as a white person and is not in appearance obviously a white person Because some aspects of the profile were of a social nature 2 reclassification was not uncommon and a board was established to conduct that process The following criteria were used for separating the coloured people from the white people 2 Characteristics of the person s head hair Characteristics of the person s other hair Skin colour Facial features Home language and especially the knowledge of Afrikaans Area where the person lives the person s friends and acquaintances Employment Socioeconomic status Eating and drinking habitsThis law worked in tandem with other laws passed as part of the apartheid system Under the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1949 it was illegal for a white person to marry a person of another race With the enactment of the Immorality Amendment Act of 1950 it also became a crime for a white person and a person of another race to have sexual intercourse Under the act as amended Coloureds and Indians were formally classified into various subgroups including Cape Coloured Malay Griqua Chinese Indian Other Asian and Other Coloured 4 5 The South African Parliament repealed the act on 17 June 1991 However the racial categories defined in the act remain ingrained in South African culture 6 7 8 9 and they still form the basis of some official policies and statistics aimed at redressing past economic imbalances Black Economic Empowerment and Employment Equity 8 10 11 See also EditDemographics of South Africa Pencil test Urban apartheidReferences Edit South African Demographic Health Survey PDF Department of Health 1998 Archived from the original PDF on 26 July 2011 Retrieved 9 March 2013 a b c Posel Deborah 2001 What s in a name Racial categorisations under apartheid and their afterlife PDF Michigan State University Archived PDF from the original on 5 March 2016 Retrieved 4 April 2018 South African activist teacher gets education doctorate Stanford News Service 1991 Retrieved 9 March 2013 Valentine Sue An appalling science Sunday Times Heritage Project The Times Archived from the original on 23 April 2012 Retrieved 9 March 2013 Leach Graham 1986 South Africa no easy path to peace 1 publ ed London Routledge amp Kegan Paul pp 70 ISBN 0710208480 Population Registration Act 1959 cape coloured Rondganger Lee 6 June 2006 Being an African makes me who I am IOL Retrieved 9 March 2013 du Preez Max 9 March 2011 Are we all coloured News24 Retrieved 9 March 2013 a b Posel Deborah 2001 What s in a name Racial categorisations under apartheid and their afterlife PDF Transformation 50 74 ISSN 0258 7696 Archived from the original PDF on 8 November 2006 Pillay Kathryn 2019 Indian Identity in South Africa The Palgrave Handbook of Ethnicity pp 77 92 doi 10 1007 978 981 13 2898 5 9 ISBN 978 981 13 2897 8 Lehohla Pali 5 May 2005 Debate over race and censuses not peculiar to SA Business Report Archived from the original on 14 August 2007 Retrieved 25 August 2013 Others pointed out that the repeal of the Population Registration Act in 1991 removed any legal basis for specifying race The Identification Act of 1997 makes no mention of race On the other hand the Employment Equity Act speaks of designated groups being black people women and people with disabilities The Act defines black as referring to Africans coloureds and Indians Apartheid and the racial identification which underpinned it explicitly linked race with differential access to resources and power If the post apartheid order was committed to remedying this race would have to be included in surveys and censuses so that progress in eradicating the consequences of apartheid could be measured and monitored This was the reasoning that led to a self identifying question about race or population group in both the 1996 and 2001 population censuses and in Statistics SA s household survey programme Davis Rebecca 25 November 2013 DA We re not over race but united we stand Daily Maverick Retrieved 25 November 2013 External links Edit The full text of Population Registration Act 1950 at Wikisource Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Population Registration Act 1950 amp oldid 1127250620, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
