What was the purpose of the Pass Laws in South Africa?

The Pass Laws in South Africa were primarily designed to segregate the population, particularly to control the movement and residency of black South Africans and other non-white groups. Implemented during the apartheid era, these laws required black individuals to carry passbooks at all times, which contained personal information and the conditions of their residency in certain areas.

The core aim was to maintain white supremacy and control over urban spaces by restricting where black people could live and work, thereby enforcing racial division. The law thus served to institutionalize racial discrimination and uphold the apartheid government's goals of racial segregation. Understanding the role of the Pass Laws helps to illustrate the broader system of oppression under apartheid, where such legislation reinforced social hierarchies and restricted the rights and freedoms of the majority of the population.