Racial separation in South African universities was legally enforced when the government adopted a new policy mandating the segregation of students based on race. This action was part of a broader context where the apartheid regime sought to institutionalize racial divisions in all sectors of society, particularly in education, which was seen as a pivotal arena for shaping future generations. The government believed that separate education systems would preserve white cultural dominance and prevent black students from attaining the same educational opportunities as their white peers.

The policy marked a continuation of a series of legislative measures earlier enacted, including the Bantu Education Act of 1953, which had already established a bifurcated educational framework. Under this system, universities were differentiated by race, with a clear focus on providing inferior educational options for black students compared to those available to whites. The defense of this policy rested on the conviction that different races required distinct types of education, ignoring the global trend towards inclusivity and equal education.

The decisions taken in this climate not only reinforced existing societal norms of segregation but also sparked resistance among students and anti-apartheid activists. The imposition of racial separation in universities fueled protests and heightened tensions, playing a role in the increasing mobilization against apartheid. This era of heightened racial tension laid the groundwork for broader civil rights movements that would challenge systemic inequity and injustice in South Africa in the subsequent decades.