What was the main focus of the Population Registration Act?

The Population Registration Act, enacted in 1950, was primarily focused on the classification of individuals into racial categories. This legislation was a cornerstone of the Apartheid system in South Africa, as it laid the groundwork for the official racial classification that determined every aspect of people’s lives, including where they could live, the jobs they could hold, and the education they could receive. By categorizing individuals as white, colored, Indian, or black, the government institutionalized racial segregation, allowing for systematic discrimination.

This classification system was pivotal in enforcing the wider Apartheid policies, which sought to maintain white dominance and control over the non-white population. The implications of this classification were profound, as it not only affected social and economic relations but also stripped rights and freedoms from those classified as non-white.

The other options, while relevant to the broader context of Apartheid, do not encapsulate the primary purpose of the Population Registration Act specifically. For instance, while the control of urban migration and restrictions on political activities were significant elements of the overall Apartheid regime, they stemmed from the racial classifications imposed by the Population Registration Act. Similarly, the distribution of educational resources relates to the consequences of this classification rather than the act’s central focus.