Who was the first prime minister of apartheid in South Africa?

The first prime minister of apartheid in South Africa was Daniel François Malan. He served as prime minister from 1948 to 1954, a period during which the National Party, led by Malan, instituted apartheid as formal policy. This system aimed to maintain white dominance in all aspects of South African life, including economic, social, and political spheres, through legislation that enforced racial segregation and discrimination.

Malan's government laid the groundwork for the apartheid framework that would be deeply entrenched in South African society for decades. His premiership marked the beginning of a significant shift in South African politics, where systemic discrimination was codified through laws such as the Population Registration Act and the Group Areas Act. These laws classified citizens by race and allocated rights based on these classifications, formally instituting a society divided along racial lines.

In contrast, the other figures listed played different roles in South Africa's political landscape. For example, Hendrik Verwoerd, who later became a prime minister, is often referred to as the architect of apartheid but served after Malan. P.W. Botha was another later prime minister who attempted to reform apartheid in the 1980s but still operated within the apartheid framework. Nelson Mandela, in direct opposition to apartheid