How were White South Africans able to establish an Apartheid system when they were just a tiny minority?

Question

In America, segregation only worked because Blacks were/are a small minority. In South Africa, Whites are even smaller minority. How did they establish an apartheid? I would imagine at least 70 to 80 percent of their police force were Blacks. Why would they be complicit with it? Why didn't the majority just revolve and kick them all out? 

Answer 1

Favorite Answer

Organizing is hard. People are cautious, or cowardly, or suspicious, or lazy, or skeptical, or indifferent, or beholden to those in power, etc, etc. Convincing people that you have a plan that could work, and instilling the necessary discipline to carry it out is a very hard task. And if there's an informant or snitch the people in power can snuff out an uprising before it even gets started. In Europe the nobles were able to keep the serfs down for centuries. The same thing is happening in North Korea and dictatorships around the world right now. An organized, disciplined minority can absolutely keep the majority down. It's been that way since the dawn of civilization.

Answer 2

Guns Tank Aircraft

Answer 3

they had the most guns at the time

Answer 4

Brown Bess and arrogance conquered the world 

Answer 5

The whites had superior weapons, and armies to use those weapons to enforce their rule.