Final answer:
Before 1994, South Africa's apartheid system legally classified individuals into racial categories and institutionalized racial discrimination. The white minority, mainly of European descent, exercised control over nonwhite populations, who were segregated, repressed politically, and economically exploited. Apartheid was dismantled beginning with negotiations in the early 1990s, leading to a new constitution in 1996.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before 1994, South Africa had a legally institutionalized system known as apartheid which classified people into racial categories of white, black, colored (mixed race), and Asian or Indian. This system of racial discrimination deeply affected the socio-political and economic aspects of South African society. Whites, predominantly consisting of European heritage, held the majority of political and economic power. Meanwhile, black South Africans and other nonwhite people faced severe restrictions, including being forced to live in designated areas known as 'homelands,' limited movement through the passbook system, and exclusion from voting in national elections. These laws institutionalized racial segregation and ensured control of the white minority over the majority of the population.
In 1948, the National Party formalized these segregations under the policy of apartheid, aiming to consolidate a united white identity between British and Dutch descendants while further dividing nonwhite groups. Over the years, this led to massive forced removals to homelands, political repression, and economic exploitation, particularly in labor-intensive industries like mining. Apartheid policies were enforced through a series of legislation that not only segregated residential and work areas but also outlawed political resistance movements such as the African National Congress (ANC).
The legacy of apartheid was eventually dismantled through a series of negotiations leading to a new framework for the country. With Nelson Mandela's release in 1990 and his subsequent election as President of South Africa in 1994, the country began a process of transformation, including rewriting its provincial boundaries and adopting a new constitution that enshrined human rights in 1996.