D. F. Malan

Malan led the National Party to victory in the 1948 general election, defeating Jan Smuts' United Party. He became Prime Minister and began implementing the apartheid system, which institutionalized racial segregation and white supremacy.

Malan's government passed the Population Registration Act, which required all South Africans to be classified by race: White, Black, or Coloured (later including Indian/Asian). This classification determined every aspect of a person's life under apartheid.

Malan's government passed the Group Areas Act, which designated separate residential and business areas for different racial groups. This led to forced removals of non-whites from areas designated for whites, destroying communities.

Malan's government passed the Suppression of Communism Act, which broadly defined communism and allowed the government to ban any organization or individual deemed communist. It was used to silence anti-apartheid activists and organizations.

Malan retired as Prime Minister and was succeeded by J.G. Strijdom. His tenure had established the legal and administrative framework of apartheid, which would be further entrenched by his successors.