Permanent historical factsheet

Reform of Racial Laws

South Africa · Government / Government of South Africa. Chronological records rendered directly from the World History Database.

9Records
1937–1991Date range
6Named people
2Places

Chronological records

1937

James Hertzog1937

Pretoria · Government / Government of South Africa

The Native Laws Amenment Act extends segregation & control

1946

Henry Fagan1946

Government / Government of South Africa

Henry Fagan is appointed a Commission Chairman to consider reforming the Pass Laws

Jan Christian Smuts1946

Government / Government of South Africa

Judge Fagan is appointed a Commission Chairman to consider reforming the Pass Laws

1962

Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd1962

Transkei · Government / Government of South Africa

Announces self-Government for Transkei, to show races can have self-development. The Government tries out its policy of "separate development"

1984

Pieter Botha1984

Pretoria · Government / Government of South Africa

Separate Asian, coloured & white assemblies are created

1985

Pieter Botha15 April 1985

Pretoria · Government / Government of South Africa

South Africa pledges to abolish bans on mixed-race sex

Pieter Botha1985

Pretoria · Government / Government of South Africa

The ban on Inter Racial Marriage is lifted

1990

Frederik Willem de Klerk1990

Pretoria · Government / Government of South Africa

Passes legislation which abolishes Apartheid

1991

Frederik Willem de Klerk1991

Government / Government of South Africa

The pass laws are abolished. No longer statutory for every citizen to be classified into one of nine racial groups

Names involved

Frederik Willem de KlerkHendrik Frensch VerwoerdHenry FaganJames HertzogJan Christian SmutsPieter Botha

Provenance

This factsheet is generated from stored World History Database records matching the country, broad category, detailed category and exact Event value shown above. Duplicate display records are collapsed; database wording is otherwise preserved. Source provenance varies by record, so formal academic citation should be checked against the relevant primary source, archive or specialist historical reference.