Minor Index Update – 24 October 2023
Counting error corrected. Number of racial Acts of Parliament operative as of 25 November 2022 is 141 rather than 132.
Clarification added about the repeal of the Licences Act (44 of 1962).
Racial Acts of Parliament
Total: 324 | Operative: 145
Racial Acts of Parliament
Total: 324 | Operative: 145
Counting error corrected. Number of racial Acts of Parliament operative as of 25 November 2022 is 141 rather than 132.
Clarification added about the repeal of the Licences Act (44 of 1962).
One race law added. The Deeds Registries Amendment Act (20 of 2024) was signed into law in December 2024, which racialised the hitherto non-racial Deeds Registries Act (47 of 1937). Total race laws therefore revised from 316 to 317, and pre-democratic era race laws revised from 199 to 200. The operative number of race laws…
Martin van Staden, Deputy Head of Policy Research at the Institute of Race Relations and editor of Race Law, appeared on Chai FM to discuss the idea behind, and initial findings, of the Index of Race Law. Listen to the interview here:
In part utilising the Index of Race Law, the civil rights group AfriForum has published a new report authored by attorney Johan van der Merwe, ‘Racialised legislation in South Africa’, which provides an overview of the race law landscape in South Africa. Read the report here.
Three race law status updates. The National Small Enterprises Act (102 of 1996), the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (57 of 2003), and the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (59 of 2008) were previously indicated as originally Racial. However, after receiving information from Kaitlyn Rawson, it was found that in fact these acts were…
Reconciliation Month: Institute of Race Relations launches ‘Index of Race Law’
Five race laws added (explained in turn below), of which three are operative and two are uncommenced. The number of operative race laws therefore revised from 142 to 145, and total race laws revised from 319 to 324. Minor methodological change. Racial Acts of Parliament that have been adopted onto the Statute Book (that is,…