Changing patterns of group-area proclamations in South Africa, 1950–1989

Abstract

The Group Areas Act in South Africa has been one of the most controversial pieces of legislation of the second half of the 20th century. Since its initial enactment in 1950 all the towns of the country have been subject to the process of drawing group areas for the exclusive ownership and occupation of various legally-defined racial groups with the object of establishing completely segregated cities. The rate of proclamation has been subject to marked variations as the priorities of the government have changed. However, despite the rhetoric of reform, new group areas are still being established or old ones modified. The White population has benefitted most markedly in the initial process, although since the early 1980s greater attention has been directed towards the needs of the Asian and Coloured communities as a result of constitutional changes. The disparity between the provision of land for Whites on the one hand and other communities on the other remains remarkably wide.