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Under Smuts' leadership, social policies were largely segregationist, favouring the white minority over the black majority.
Jan Christiaan Smuts, a prominent South African statesman, served as the Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 to 1924 and again from 1939 to 1948. His social policies were largely influenced by his belief in segregation and the superiority of the white race, which was reflected in the laws and regulations implemented during his tenure.
One of the most significant policies under Smuts' leadership was the Natives Land Act of 1913. This Act restricted the ownership of land by black South Africans to certain designated areas, amounting to only about 7% of the country's total land area. This policy effectively dispossessed the black majority of their land and resources, leading to widespread poverty and inequality.
In addition to land segregation, Smuts also implemented policies that restricted the political rights of black South Africans. The Native Administration Act of 1927, for example, gave the government the power to control and manage all aspects of life for black South Africans, including their movement, employment, and education. This Act effectively stripped black South Africans of their political rights and freedoms, further entrenching the system of racial segregation.
Smuts' social policies also extended to education. The Bantu Education Act of 1953, although implemented after Smuts' tenure, was a continuation of his policy of segregation in education. This Act established separate and unequal education systems for white and black South Africans, with the latter receiving an inferior education designed to prepare them for roles as labourers in the white-dominated economy.
Overall, Smuts' social policies were characterised by a firm belief in white supremacy and a commitment to maintaining the economic and political dominance of the white minority. These policies laid the groundwork for the formalised system of apartheid that would be implemented in South Africa in the years following Smuts' leadership.
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