Repeal of Population Registration Act

South Africa President F.W. de Klerk spoke before the South African Parliament on the repeal of apartheid laws in South Africa. He spoke specifically on the occasion of the repeal of the population registration act, which had required all births in South Africa to be classified by race. Other apartheid laws repealed in the previous year were the land acts, which disqualified blacks from owning most of the land in South Africa, and the group areas act, which segregated neighborhood areas. In addition, opposition political organizations were legalized and the state of emergency was lifted. President de Klerk said the final step in the reform process in South Africa would be the creation of a new constitution, which he said would take place within a few years. He criticized the conservative groups in South Africa for attempting to block the rights of the majority of the population of South Africa. On July 10, U.S. President Bush announced the U.S. would lift economic sanctions against Sou close