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In Part I, I alluded to the Nationalist Party’s policies laying the foundations for South African sport to develop along racial lines.  Understanding the development of apartheid policies provides some key insights into why South African sport has developed into what it is today.  Granted, South African sport has come a long way since the mid 20th century.  But delving into the complex journey of sport in South Africa, particularly football’s journey and its seemingly odd dynamics to outsiders, offers vivid insights into the South African experience and the countless challenges that have led South Africa to where it is today.

Eduardo Galeano, a Uruguayan journalist, writer, novelist and football savant, once wrote, “Tell me how you play and I will tell you who you are.”  If I could tweak his profound words to apply to the South African context, I would write, “Tell me what and where you play and I will tell you who you are.”

And with that, here’s Part Deux.

Several pieces of legislation from the 1940s and 50s set the tone for institutionalized separate development in South Africa.  Under the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1949, marriages between whites and members of other races were banned.  In 1950, the Immorality Amendment Act outlawed extra-marital sexual relations between the races.  The Population Registration Act of 1950 made it mandatory for all South African citizens to register and be classified into one of four racial groups that were defined by the government – White, Bantu (black African), Indian, or Coloured.  You might ask, “What about people of mixed background? What about people who don’t conceivably fall under one of these categories?”  If you are starting to ask these questions, you are starting to see some of the inherent problems associated with racial categorization, many of which are the same types of problems that faced other countries that instituted similar policies in the past.

Decisions on racial categorization were based on physical appearance.  Therefore, there was a possibility that family members could be split into different racial categories.  This was not an uncommon occurrence.  In fact, these often arbitrary categorizations caused serious problems in many families.  The Population Registration Act together with acts legislating marital and sexual relations were keys to ensuring that racial groups identify with their own and shy away from combining forces as oppressed peoples.  In short, the Nationalist government was keenly aware that social segregation would naturally follow from enforced racial identification.

While the aforementioned pieces of legislation were integral in institutionalizing social segregation, the Group Areas Act (1950) was the centerpiece of maintaining spatial separation amongst the races in towns.  Cities and towns were divided into areas for specific racial groups.  In general, the best land and facilities were reserved for whites.  People who found themselves living or owning property in a zone created for another race were given a period of time by the Minister of the Interior to evacuate the premises.  A Group Areas Board allocated permits for members of different racial groups to operate in areas for other racial groups.  As you can imagine, these permits weren’t the easiest to obtain.

These early pieces of social and spatial legislation start to lay out the foundation for the development of sport in apartheid South Africa.  As we move forward, my goal is to provide you with enough background to begin to fully appreciate the significance of South Africa hosting the 2010 World Cup.  Hopefully, once you can grasp South Africa’s unique historical landscape and social complexities, you will be able to understand what a monumental moment this is for South Africa, and particularly what a monumental moment this is for South African football, a traditionally Black sport in South Africa that has emerged from decades of legislated isolation.

Till next time …

The South Africa Series:  Part  I | … | III |  IV