Apartheid was a dark period in South Africa's history. The African National Congress played an important role in the breaking of apartheid. Nelson Mandela played a vital role in bringing democracy to South Africa. This article will show how the African National Congress was involved in the anti-apartheid movement and how the African National Congress and Nelson Mandela changed the country as a whole. To understand how South Africa has changed, you need to know the history of apartheid and its effects. had on the country. Apartheid was a form of segregation imposed by law in South Africa. The system was in place from 1948 to 1993. During this time the majority black population and other non-whites were unfairly discriminated against. Segregation in South Africa began during the country's colonial period. Apartheid began as a political movement after the 1948 elections. The government began writing laws that divided the population into different racial groups. Since 1970, newly written laws have stripped members of the black population of citizenship. They were classified into many different tribal groups that governed themselves. The tribes were called bantustans. [1]The government separated everything it could. It separated education, healthcare and many other public services. The white population received much better services and care than the majority of the population. Apartheid unleashed many resistance groups in the country and violence became increasingly frequent. As countries around the world became more democratic, they imposed an international trade embargo against South Africa. Resistance and protest began in the 1950s. The government has treated these movements very cruelly, p...... middle of paper ...... new democratic South Africa. [2]After his election, Mandela worked hard to remove all the laws and damage caused by apartheid. Mandela's struggle dramatically affected the country. Trade bans imposed on the country were lifted and South Africa's economy recovered. New jobs were created and available to the entire population. South Africa also managed to write sporting history. Last year, South Africa became the first African nation to host the FIFA World Cup, a monumental event worldwide. The world has significantly strengthened South Africa's image and increased its level of tourism. As explained above, apartheid was a very dark period in the country's history. I believe that if the country had not had the African National Congress and the charisma of Nelson Mandela, South Africa would still be a third world country under the rule of apartheid..