What was the policy in South Africa designed to separate racial groups?

The policy designed to separate racial groups in South Africa is known as apartheid. This system was formally instituted in 1948 and enforced racial segregation in all aspects of life, including education, healthcare, and residence. Under apartheid, the rights of the majority black inhabitants were severely restricted, while the minority white population maintained privileges and power.

Apartheid created a structured social system that categorized South African citizens into racial groups, with laws that dictated where people could live, work, and go to school, based solely on their race. The impact of this policy was profound, leading to widespread social inequality and unrest.

While segregation refers to the separation of groups, it is a broader concept that can apply to various situations, and it does not specifically refer to the comprehensive legal framework implemented in South Africa. Integration, on the other hand, implies the mixing of different racial groups, which directly contradicts the principles of apartheid. Colonialism involves the control of a country by a foreign power, which is not the primary focus when discussing the internal policies of South Africa regarding its racial divisions. Therefore, apartheid accurately encapsulates the specific legal and social system that aimed to maintain and enforce racial separation in South Africa.