Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, former Chairperson of the African Union Commission, has described apartheid as the “worst form of colonialism,” recalling the brutal and deeply entrenched racial segregation imposed on Black South Africans.

In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Channel One TV’s Face to Face on Tuesday, November 25, Dr. Dlamini-Zuma reflected on the daily indignities, restrictions, and systemic discrimination that defined life under apartheid — experiences that helped shape her activism and political journey.

“It was worse. There was a separation in all aspects. The Whites and the Africans were separated from living together in the same suburb. The Africans were not allowed to attend the same school as the Whites or even seek medical care at the same health facilities. Whites’ infrastructure was abandoned.

“Africans had to be at the top of the double-decker buses, even if the buses were not filled to capacity with Whites at the bottom deck.

“Africans were not allowed to play on the beaches. Even in some shops, Africans were not allowed inside. There were two queues at the banks. Black women were treated as minors,” she recalled.

Dr. Dlamini-Zuma also revealed that she fled South Africa to avoid arrest during the apartheid era.

“I ran away because they wanted to arrest me, so I escaped when I was a medical student,” she said.