ABSTRACT
With its remarkably diverse population, South Africa must exemplify an almost unique situation in terms of multiculturalism. The separation of people on the basis of ethnicity in South African civil society has existed for a long time, but it became entrenched in law with the promulgation of various acts of parliament during the apartheid era. The informal apartheid before 1948 and the formal apartheid policies from that date saw the implementation of active programs of social engineering by a White parliament that had as their principal focus the separation of people into racial groups in every facet of society’s structures: residential areas and sporting, cultural, recreational, and employment opportunities. This grand design for ensuring the privileged position of Whites was accompanied by the shameless discrimination and humiliation of all other South Africans.
