Mental Health Care During Apartheid in South Africa: An Illustration of How “Science” Can be Abused

The Eugenic Underpinnings of Apartheid South Africa, and its Influence on the South African School System

“…This seemed to give him the credentials necessary to speak about the mental capacities of different races. He also studied in Leipzig for a year, where he came into contact with thinkers like Fisher, Binding and Hoche, who all believed in eugenic ideas and racial hygiene, and this seemed to have an influence on his own ideas of race (Burke 2006). Fisher in particular was concerned with racial mixing and studied the Rehoboth Basters of Namibia, children of Khoikhoi mothers and white fathers, and his study provided the template for thinking about the cultural and biological consequences of miscegenation (Robin 2020).…”

“…We see these ideas echoed in Verwoerd's thinking. He became South Africa's Minister of Native Affairs, and then Prime Minister in 1958, and with him came new laws aimed at separating the races, such as the law against the marriage of black and white individuals to one another (Burke 2006). With regards to education Verwoerd stated: 'There is no place for him (the black individual) in the European community above the level of certain forms of labour .…”

An exploration of mental health in post-colonial times: perspectives from a selected sample of community members within iLembe District in KwaZulu-Natal.

“…As mentioned briefly in the previous section, that during the Apartheid regime mental health care for marginalised people was filled with gross human rights violations and mistreatments of patients in the guise of mental health care (World Health Organization, 1977). During Apartheid the regime utilised the mental health care act as a way to eliminate unpleasant components from public, and for people from marginalised communities that needed professional assistance they were either refused treatment or subjected to below par treatments (Burke, 2006).…”

“…The treatment facilities became known as 'asylums' or 'institutions', became places where political opposition, members that were not deemed desirable and anyone that opposed the regime were sent even if they did not have any mental disorder or illness (Burke, 2006). The use of 'electric shocks' and other inhumane treatments were administered to patients without proper care (Burke, 2006).…”

“…The treatment facilities became known as 'asylums' or 'institutions', became places where political opposition, members that were not deemed desirable and anyone that opposed the regime were sent even if they did not have any mental disorder or illness (Burke, 2006). The use of 'electric shocks' and other inhumane treatments were administered to patients without proper care (Burke, 2006). With this as a background of what was happening around the country during the Apartheid regime, the use of how the mental health care services were during Apartheid in Eastern Cape will be discussed in detail; as this will form part of a content analysis in terms of how Mental Health Care services was during Apartheid.…”