What do you know about South Africa? Can its history be considered a crime against humanity?
Few people are interested in the history of South Africa which is maybe the cause of its present social condition in the world. People from other parts of Africa arrived in South Africa about 2000 years ago. Dutch people arrived in 1652 and they imported slaves from Asia to work on their farms. Later, other white people came from France, Germany and Britain. The white people fought the African people and each other, and the region became part of the British Empire. In 1931, South Africa became an independent country under white control.
Then, in 1948, the South African government introduced apartheid and the population was separated into four races: whites, blacks, As
ian and coloured. Blacks, the largest group, had no power at all and they were not allowed to move freely. The races were completely separated in schools, transport, public places, hospitals.
But would there be a road to freedom? Many black people opposed apartheid and thousands of people were killed in protests. In 1962, the government arrested one of the main black leaders, Nelson Mandela. Many countries criticized South Africa and they boycotted all trading, cultural and sporting contact with the country. After years and years of pressure, the government finally agreed to end apartheid and talk with black leaders. In 1990, Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years in prison. Four years later, South Africa held its first election in which everybody could vote. Mandela’s party, the African National Congress, won and he became the first black president of South Africa.
How is South Africa today? The system of apartheid has ended but many problems remain. Most of the black population is still very poor and has a very low level of education. There have also been a lot of problems between different tribes. But, after years of suffering the crime of apartheid, South Africa now has a future even if it has one of the highest rates of income inequality in the world. Consecutive growth rates in the last ten years are helping lower unemployment; however, daunting economic problems remain together with such problems as crime, corruption, and HIV/AIDS.
A Harsh Destiny written by Cristina Nuta for FamousWhy.com
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by Cristina Nuta -