On April 27th, 1994, Nelson Mandela cast his vote in the first free and Democratic elections in South Africa, marking the official end to racial oppression and apartheid rule. Apartheid, a term we've heard before, but what exactly is it? The word itself stems from the South African dialect of Dutch, Afrikaans, and literally means apartness. But for millions in South Africa, it held a much darker reality it was a system put in place by the Afrikaner National Party in 1948, which allowed for lawful segregation using racial divides. When you intensify your present policy of racial segregation? the policy of what you mean by intensify? whether any further measures are to come. It's impossible for me to say at the moment I do not know of any. The policy governed South Africa for nearly 50 years. But racial segregation existed long before apartheid even began. In 1913, the government passed the Natives Land Act, limiting black African land ownership to 7% and restricting them from buying or occupying land except as employees of a white master. More than three decades later, the practice of systematic racial segregation was given the name Apartheid and was extended under the government led by the National Party. The party's goal was to separate South Africa's white minority from its nonwhite majority. In addition to separating non-whites from each other. They did this by putting in place hundreds of race laws, touching every aspect of life, preventing equal opportunities for basic human rights to people of color, including dictating where they could live, work, go to school, all based on their race. Interracial relationships and marriages were illegal. And perhaps most importantly, non-whites did not have a right to vote. All these laws after 1948 had one purpose in mind, and that was to ensure that the 4 million whites in South Africa had all the resources, the wealth, the jobs, the minds concentrated in their hands. The Race Classification Act put people in four different categories white at the top, followed by Indian colored or of mixed descent and black at the bottom. And within those groups were subgroups further segregating ethnic and tribal groups. A number of pseudoscientific tests were used to classify individuals suspected of not being European. For example, the pencil test. This involved putting a pencil in an individual's hair. If the pencil fell to the floor, they passed the test and were considered white. If it stayed put, they were considered colored. Black South Africans were forced to carry ID at all times known as a passbook. Resistance to apartheid laws came in the form of mostly nonviolent political protests. Together, freedom fighters like Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu and Ahmed Kathrada started to play an important role for both the African and Indian National Congress parties. In 1952, they began a defiance campaign calling on people to purposely break apartheid laws in order to get arrested. People of color got onto white busses, used white toilets, and entered white areas. Their hope was that the high number of prisoners would cause the system to collapse, but it did not. Thousands ended up in jail, and in 1953, the public Safety Act and Criminal Law Amendment Act were passed to impose even more severe penalties for demonstrating against the law. On March 21st, 1960, a protest against the use of past books turned violent in the black township of Sharpeville when police opened fire on unarmed protesters, leaving nearly 70 dead and 180 wounded, including children. A state of emergency was declared nationwide and opposition political parties, including the ANC, were banned, forcing many to move their fight underground. There are many people who feel that it is useless and futile for us to continue talking peace and nonviolence against a government whose reply is only savage attacks on an unarmed and defenseless people. By 1964, most resistant leaders, including Mandela, were sentenced to life imprisonment following the infamous Rivonia Trials, which drew international attention. Eventually, a tide of global pressures put the government in a difficult position. The world was changing. The Soviet Union had collapsed, and that was a major movement. There was increased calls for the divestment of companies from South Africa. There was a global movement to boycott South Africa, coupled with unrest within the country and the continued armed struggle. Negotiations began between the ANC and the National Party. Slowly, apartheid began to dismantle. In 1990, at the age of 71, Nelson Mandela was released from prison. I stand here for you. Not as a prophet, but as a humble servant. of you, the people. elections were held four years later, with the ANC winning 62% of the vote and Nelson Mandela becoming president. The people of South Africa won their country back and apartheid was abolished. Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will entertain the oppression of one another. Thanks for watching. Global News. If you enjoyed what you saw like the video, you can also hit the subscribe button for all the latest international news and trending videos.