Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, 1949

Background Mixed races relationships occurred in South Africa as far back as 1669, and often took place between Dutch colonisers and indigenous South African women. While mixed marriages did not become completely taboo until the rise of the National Party in 1948, in the years immediately preceding the passing of this Act, mixed marriages accounted for just a small fraction of all marriages in South Africa, and occurred almost evenly between the four defined racial groups (Black, Coloured, White, and Asiatic). Implementation In July 1949, the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, Act No 55 of 1949 that prohibited marriage or a sexual relationship between White people and people of other race groups in South Africa was passed. Enforcement of the act was left to the police, who often followed people to their homes to ensure they were not in violation and raided the homes of those believed to be in a mixed marriage. The act applied to all mixed marriages between South Africans, so even marriages which took place in another country were not recognised within South Africa. The punishment for people found to be in a mixed marriage involved arrest and a jail sentence. Anyone who knowingly officiated a marriage that violated the act was also subject to a punishment: a fine was imposed not exceeding 50 pounds. In 1982, Prime Minister P.W. Botha gave Ian Whiteley, a white man, and his Indian wife, Sherrin, his blessing for the couple to live at the edge of an Indian township in Pietersburg. ==See also==