The apartheid system in South Africa was a legally sanctioned form of racial segregation that lasted from 1948 until the early 1990s. Although racial discrimination existed before, apartheid institutionalized it, creating a rigid social and political order based on race. The system was formally introduced by the National Party after it came to power in 1948. It classified the population into racial groups—White, Black, Coloured, and Indian—and imposed severe restrictions on non-white South Africans in every aspect of life, including education, employment, housing, and political representation. Under apartheid, non-white South Africans were denied basic rights such as voting in national elections, owning land in certain areas, and accessing equal education or health facilities. The government forcibly removed people from their homes and relocated them to designated homelands or townships based on their racial classification. The infamous Pass Laws required Black South Africans