Population Registration Act

E34484

The Population Registration Act was a cornerstone apartheid law in South Africa that classified citizens by race to enforce systematic segregation and discrimination.


Statements (52)
Predicate Object
instanceOf South African statute
apartheid law
actNumber Act No. 30 of 1950
cameIntoForce 1950
classifiedAs crime of apartheid under international law (in its effects)
condemnedBy United Nations
controversial yes
country South Africa
dateEnacted 1950
dateRepealed 1991
definedCategory Asian
Coloured
Indian
Native
White
effect denial of political rights to non‑white populations
institutionalised white supremacy
segregation of education and public services
systematic racial discrimination
enactedBy Parliament of South Africa
historicalPeriod apartheid era in South Africa
implementedBy Department of Home Affairs of South Africa
jurisdiction Republic of South Africa
Union of South Africa
languageOfDocument Afrikaans
English
legacy long‑term racial inequalities in South Africa
legalBasisFor Group Areas Act
employment restrictions by race
marriage and sexual relationship restrictions across racial lines
pass laws
residential segregation
opposedBy African National Congress
South African Communist Party
anti‑apartheid movement
international human rights organizations
partOf apartheid legal framework
purpose enforcement of apartheid
legal basis for racial segregation
racial classification of the population
relatedTo Bantu Education Act
Group Areas Act
Immorality Act
Pass Laws Act
repealed yes
repealedBy Population Registration Act Repeal Act, 1991
required issuance of identity documents reflecting racial classification
registration of every South African in a racial category
shortTitle Population Registration Act, 1950
status repealed
yearEnacted 1950
yearRepealed 1991

Referenced by (5)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
National Party (South Africa)
implementedPolicy
National Party
introduced
Group Areas Act
relatedLaw
Population Registration Act ("Population Registration Act Repeal Act, 1991")
repealedBy
Population Registration Act ("Population Registration Act, 1950")
shortTitle

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