Apartheid

Navigating the Legacy: South Africa’s Black Empowerment Laws and the Echoes of Apartheid

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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — In the wake of apartheid, South Africa has made notable strides towards economic equity through its Black empowerment laws. These measures aim to address the historic injustices of racial segregation that have lingering effects on the nation’s socio-economic landscape. The struggle against apartheid officially ended in 1994, yet its impact continues to shape South African society. The government has since implemented various policies designed to promote the economic participation of Black South Africans, who often remain marginalized in the business sector. This remains crucial as disparities in wealth and opportunity persist … Read more

Decades After Apartheid, South African Woman Battles to Reclaim Family Home Lost Due to Gender-Biased Property Laws

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Johannesburg, South Africa – At age 74, Johanna Motlhamme finds herself battling a decades-long struggle to reclaim her family home in Soweto, after a legal oversight linked to apartheid-era laws allowed her ex-husband to sell the property, stripping her and her four children of their inheritance. This plight underscores a systemic issue faced by numerous Black families amid South Africa’s complex history of racially skewed property laws. During apartheid, harsh laws barred Black individuals from owning land, a restriction that lingered symbolically into the dawn of democracy. Although the post-apartheid era brought about reform aimed … Read more