SA beaches are opened to all racial groups

Updated: 30 Sep 2019

President F.W de Klerk announced that South African beaches would be opened to all people across the racial lines. The decision to open the beaches was made after a number of protest multiracial swim-ins by anti-apartheid activists. He further promised the scrapping of the Separate Amenities Act of 1953, which prevented the sharing of public facilities such as toilets, parks and buses. This meant that in future all South Africans, irrespective of race, would use the same amenities.

How we know this

01Wallis, F. (2000). Nuusdagboek: feite en fratse oor 1000 jaar, Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau. Keesing's Record of World Events, News Digest for November, 1989, p. 37033.

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). SA beaches are opened to all racial groups. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012842

South African History Online (2011) 'SA beaches are opened to all racial groups', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012842 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

South African History Online, SA beaches are opened to all racial groups [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012842, (accessed 6 November 2026).

"SA beaches are opened to all racial groups." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012842. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

South African History Online. "SA beaches are opened to all racial groups." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012842.