The system of apartheid that was instituted in South Africa had the effect of making the majority African population completely insignificant. For this reason, it is difficult to choose a couple of characteristics that had the most dramatic effect on dehumanizing Africans. The 1950 Population Registration Act would be a very good place to start, though.
The Population Registration Act placed a definition of race on every person in South Africa. By law, every citizen would be categorized by race and then would be forced to carry cards that eventually were called "reference books." Those caught without the books would be fined or imprisoned. The act of categorizing races is dehumanizing in and of itself and carrying the books was an inconvenience for sure. Despite these inherent negatives, the greatest dehumanizing impact was how the books were used to suppress the Africans. Being black in South Africa had a very negative impact. The entire society was segregated and this reference book was a constant reminder of this fact and was used to enforce segregation. Laws were made to prevent relationships between the races and interracial marriage was strictly prohibited. Africans could not hold jobs that paid well and went to schools that were inferior to the minority white population. The Population Registration Act is the piece of apartheid legislation that had the most dehumanizing impact in that it allowed for complete dominance over the majority African population.
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