What system of governance was characterized by legal discrimination and segregation based on race in South Africa?

Apartheid was a formal system of governance in South Africa that enforced legal discrimination and segregation based on race. This political framework was established in 1948 and lasted until the early 1990s. Under apartheid, the rights of the majority black inhabitants were severely restricted, while a minority of white South Africans held significant power and privileges. Laws were created that dictated where individuals could live, work, and go to school, and mixed relationships were outlawed. This systematic inequality was not only a social reality but was codified through legislation, making apartheid a distinct and oppressive regime dedicated to maintaining racial supremacy.

In this context, the other options represent distinctly different systems or ideologies. Colonialism generally refers to the practice of acquiring full or partial control over another country, often involving the settlement of colonizers in the new territory, but does not specifically highlight the racial segregation aspect that apartheid did. Socialism and capitalism are economic systems that deal with the organization of economies and distribution of resources rather than directly addressing the issue of racial discrimination in governance. Therefore, apartheid is the only term that specifically encapsulates the legal and institutionalized racial divide that characterized governance in South Africa.