During apartheid, what was the ultimate goal of the separate development policy?

The ultimate goal of the separate development policy during apartheid was to achieve complete racial segregation. This policy, implemented by the South African government, was designed to maintain white minority rule by promoting the idea that different racial groups should live separately and be governed by their own structures.

The separate development policy aimed to create distinct, self-governing areas for different racial groups, particularly for black South Africans, thereby institutionalizing racial divides. It sought to legitimize the oppression of non-white citizens by claiming that each racial group was entitled to its own cultural, social, and political development in designated areas, which in reality often meant relegating blacks to impoverished and under-resourced regions.

While some alternatives might suggest goals like political representation for all or African political independence, these ideas stand in stark contrast to the core of the separate development policy, which sought to entrench inequality and division rather than foster inclusion or autonomy for the majority population.