How did apartheid end in South Africa?

Apartheid was a system of racial segregation enforced by the government of South Africa from 1948 to 1994. The system was designed to maintain white minority rule and suppress the rights of the black majority population. Apartheid laws dictated where people could live, work, and go to school, and even who they could marry.

The end of apartheid in South Africa was a long and complex process that involved political negotiation, international pressure, and a grassroots movement for change. One of the key figures in the movement was Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison for his activism before being released in 1990.

Mandela and other anti-apartheid leaders negotiated with the government to create a new, democratic constitution and to end discriminatory laws. In 1994, South Africa held its first free and fair elections, in which all races were allowed to vote. Mandela was elected as the country's first black president.

The end of apartheid in South Africa was a major milestone in the struggle for civil rights and racial justice around the world. While the country still faces many challenges, including poverty, inequality, and crime, the end of apartheid marked the beginning of a new era of hope and progress.