Why did white South -Africans pass the apartheid laws?

White South Africans passed the apartheid laws to institutionalize racial segregation and maintain political and economic control over the country's majority black population. These laws aimed to entrench white supremacy, limiting the rights of non-white citizens in various aspects of life, including education, employment, and housing. By creating a legal framework for discrimination, the apartheid regime sought to preserve the privileges of the white minority and suppress any challenges to their authority. Ultimately, these laws were driven by a combination of fear, ideology, and a desire to uphold the existing social order.