The history and legacy of apartheid in South Africa is full of complexities and stories reflecting the struggle for progress and liberation — and its a heavy task Xolisa Guzula and Athambile Masola, authors and lecturers at University of Cape Town, have taken on with their new book “Together Apart: The Story of Living in Apartheid.”

Apartheid, an Afrikaans term meaning “apartness,” was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination enforced by the National Party government in South Africa from 1948 until the early 1990s. This policy aimed to maintain white supremacy and control over the majority non-white population, profoundly affecting the social, political, and economic landscape of the country.

The roots of apartheid can be traced back to colonial rule, where racial segregation was already prevalent. The apartheid regime enforced a system of “grand apartheid,” which involved the physical separation of races, and “petty apartheid,” which regulated daily interactions. Non-white South Africans faced severe restrictions, including the prohibition of interracial marriages and the requirement to carry passbooks to enter certain areas. Educational opportunities were also segregated, with the Bantu Education Act of 1953 establishing inferior schooling for Black children.

The economic ramifications were equally dire, as non-whites were systematically denied access to skilled jobs and fair wages. The majority of the population lived in poverty, while the white minority enjoyed substantial wealth and privilege.

And although aprtheid has been dismantled, culminating in the first democratic elections in 1994, where Nelson Mandela was elected as the first Black president of South Africa, there are many wounds and divisions that still exist today that can be a barrier to educating the young students.

Together Apart tells stories reflecting the experiences of Black people living through the era of apartheid, focusing not only on the tragedies that shaped the lives of South Africans, but the encouraging stories about progress and resilience in spite of the hardships and adversities many Black South Africans have lived through.

Together Apart: The Story of Living in Apartheid is currently available and can be found at Jacana Media. Professor Xolisa Guzula at University of Cape Town can be followed on Instagram, and Professor Athambile Masola at University of Cape Town can be found on Instagram.

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