Apartheid was a dark period in the history of South Africa. The African National Congress played a major role in ending apartheid. Nelson Mandela played a vital role in establishing democracy in 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. it had on the country. Apartheid was a form of legally enforced segregation in South Africa. The system was in effect from 1948 to 1993. During this time, the predominantly black, non-white population was 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 dividing the population into different racial groups. Since 1970, members of the black population have had their citizenship revoked by new written laws. 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, health care and many other public services. The white population benefited from much better services and care than the majority of the population. Apartheid gave rise to numerous 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. From the 1950s, resistance and protests began. The government treated these movements very cruelly in p...... middle of paper ...... the new democratic South Africa. [2] After his election, Mandela worked hard to remove all laws and the damage caused by apartheid. Mandela's fight had dramatic consequences on the country. Trade bans on the country were lifted and the South African economy recovered. New jobs were created and were accessible to the entire population. South Africa was also able to write sporting history. Last year, South Africa became the first African nation to host the FIFA World Cup, a monumental event across the globe. The world has significantly improved South Africa's image and increased its level of tourism. As explained previously, apartheid was a very dark period in the country's history. I believe that if the country did not have the African National Congress and the charisma of Nelson Mandela, South Africa would still be a third world country under apartheid...