However, different rulers and governments dealt with the different groups in a compartmentalised manner.
Various situtatutional and political changes have taken place over the past three and half centuries.
This tendency resulted in deeply embedded fragmented South African society which became even more prominent in the period 1948 until the new commencement of the new Constitution on May 10 1994.
South Africa is a racially divided society since the first European settlers arrived in 1652.