Elections in South Africa (1910-1994)

The elections in South Africa between 1910 and 1994 concerned quasi exclusively only the members of the white minority (1/5e of the population) which was the only one to profit from the guarantees of any democratic system.

Until 1956, in the the Cape Province, the mongrels profited from a certain electoral representation which was removed within the framework of the application of the Apartheid by the gouvernemnt of the national Parti Afrikaner.

In 1984, the constitution was reformed introducing a presidential system and the principle of a separate Parlement tricaméral in three rooms distinct, white, mongrel and Indian.

1994 will have to be awaited so that the blacks (2/3 of the population) obtain the same right to vote whose the white bénéficaient since 1910.

Elections of the September 15th 1910

The coalition carried out by the party " Het Volk" of Louis Botha carries the majority with 67 seats (out of 130) against 37 seats with unionistic of Leander Starr Jameson and 26 seats with the other small parts.

Elections of October 1915

In 1914, James Barry Hertzog is one of the founders of the national Parti intended to promote the interests afrikaner S and to defend the ideals of the old republics Boer S.

With the elections of October 1915, the South-African Parti Louis Botha carries 54 seats against 40 with unionistic, 27 seats with the National Party, 4 seats with the Workers party of South Africa and six seats distributed between small formations.

Elections of the March 20th 1920

The National Party obtains 44 deputies and the relative majority vis-a-vis the Party South-African (41 deputies) of Jan Smuts and to unionistic (25). The members of the Labor Party obtain 20 deputies.

Nevertheless, the nationalists do not have any strategy of alliance. The first outgoing minister Jan Smuts obtains the support of Unionistic to form a new government under the aegis of the South-African Party. A few months later, the Unionistic ones agree to rejoin the party of Smuts and of the anticipated elections are organized.

Elections of February 1921

With the anticipated elections of February 1921, the South-African party (which englobre henceforth the unionistic ones) obtains 79 deputies against 45 with the National Party and 6 with the members of the Labor Party.

The National Party is then isolated whereas the Members of the Labor Party support the government.

The working strikes of 1922 in the Witwatersrand followed by their repression will move away the members of the Labor Party from Smuts whereas the National Party, via Tielman Roos, galvanized the workmen of the Transvaal and gave its support for their social and racial claims. Roos will negotiate a pact with Frederic Creswell, the Labor leader, in order to form a government in the event of victory with the next general elections.

Elections of the June 19th 1924

Victoire of the forces of the " Pacte" combining the National Party (63 seats) and the Workers party of Frederic Creswell (18 seats) against 53 seats with the South-African Party. Jan Smuts is not re-elected. James Barry Hertzog becomes the new Prime Minister.

Elections of 1929

The relationship between Members of the Labor Party and Nationalists worsened. Tielman Roos, the craftsman of the Pact, itself had been put in minority within the national party by the leader of the Cape, Daniel Malan whereas the members of the Labor Party were summoned to give up their ideology Socialiste.

With the elections of 1929, the fate of the pact is compromised. Roos, patient, do not represent themselves. The national party gains 41% of the votes and 78 seats is the absolute majority what releases it from any alliance. The South-African Party is majority in voice with 47% of the votes but minority in seat (61 elected officials). The members of the Labor Party preserve 8 elected officials but Creswell and Sampson remain nevertheless with the government.

Elections of May 1933

The economic crisis and the inopportune declarations of Tielman Roos, in rupture of party, on the abandonment of the gold standard lead to a political upheaval. The call to the national unit by and behind Tielman Roos answer the national union negotiated between the National Party and the South-African Party. The old adversaries of yesterday are ready with compromises.

With the elections of May 1933, the national union between the National Party and the South-African Party bring to them a crushing victory of 136 deputies over a total of 150. The other elected officials are distributed between two deputies of the " Party of Center" of Tielman Roos, Members of the Labor Party, nationalists and conservatives.

The National union will give rise to the Plain Parti South Africa (UP) in 1934.

Very quickly, of the internal dissensions lead to the scission of some deputies. Seventeen members of Parliament do not join the UP but gather in a " National party purifié" under the crook of Daniel Malan. Others form the party of the Dominion (anglophile) or join the Conservatives of the Native one.

Elections of May 1938

The Plain Parti confirms its domination (114 seats) but loses seats vis-a-vis the Purified National Party (27 seats) of Daniel Malan.

The other formations (Labor, Preserving, Dominions) emergent little and make the supplement of the Plain Party.

Into 1939, the Plain Party was divided between partisans of the Hertzog Prime Minister and those of Jan Smuts. This scission is caused by the attitude to adopt towards the Great Britain and the Nazi Germany after the declaration of war. The partisans of neutrality gathered behind Hertzog while those favorable to Great Britain were placed under the crook of Jan Smuts. At final, Hertzog is put in minority and must leave its place of Prime Minister with Smuts. Hertzog and several members of Parliament then left the party linked to join the partisans of Malan in transitory a " National party Reconstitué". Several partisans of Hertzog, to start with the former minister Nicolaas Havenga, hostile with the authoritarianism and the nationalist ideology of Malan, left the party to found the Parti Afrikaner.

In same time, the National Party had to face the dissidences of right-hand side gathered around in particular of Oswald Pirow and sound " Nouveau" order; with the program pro Nazi.

Elections of the July 7th 1943

The Plain Party leaves victorious (105 seats) against the Purified National Party (43 seats and 36% of the votes). The partisans of Pirow do not obtain any elected official whereas the small part Afrikaner d' Havenga emerges.

The members of the Labor Party (2 seats), the Party of the Dominion and the Conservatives of Native still make the supplement of the majority of the UP.

Elections of the May 26th 1948

In 1945, the government of Jan Smuts elected a commission concerning the racial reforms necessary to carry out in South Africa. The report/ratio of this commission recommended a liberalization of the system while starting with the abolition of the ethnic reserves as well as the end of the rigorous control of migrant worker. Hostile with these recommendations, the National Party elected its own commission (the Sauer commission) which recommended contrary hardening to the segregationist laws.

It is in this context that the elections of the May 26th 1948 were profiled. The Plain Party was always carried out by Jan Smuts but it was not made mystery that the liberal progressist Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr would succeed to him quickly. However, Smuts doubted the capacity of Hofmeyr to federate the South-African white and was wary of its racial matter liberalism. On its side, the National Party went to the combat under the banner of Daniel Malan, combined with the Afikaner Party directed by Nicolaas Havenga.

At the evening of the elections, the Plain Party obtains the majority of the votes but against any waiting, the majority of the seats vis-a-vis the nationalist coalition loses. Thus with 42% of the votes, the nationalist coalition carries 80 seats (71 elected officials for the purified National Party and 9 elected officials with the Afrikaner Party) that is to say 53% of the seats of the Parliament. Opposite, the Plain Party (49% of the votes) reaches a maximum with 65 seats whereas their allies of the members of the Labor Party save only 6 elected officials (4% of the votes).

All other political trainings fail to make elect their representatives and disappear.

At the beginning of June, Daniel Malan settles with the Union Buildings to follow his policy of Apartheid.

Elections of April 1953

The National Party (formed of the Afrikaner Party and the Purified National Party) obtains 94 seats against 57 seats with the Plain Party and 6 with the members of the Labor Party.

Elections of April 1958

The National Party carried out by the Prime Minister Johannes Strijdom carries 103 of the 156 seats of the National Assembly and the majority of the votes for the first time. The members of the Labor Party disappear whereas the UP continues to collapse (53 deputies).

In 1959, a wing of left of the UP forms the left progressist.

Referendum main road on the republic (October 1960)

The October 5th 1960, the Republic is approved by 52,29% of the voters against 47,71%. The Transvaal and the free State of Orange voted by plebiscite the republic whereas the Natal remained faithful to the British Crown.

Elections of the October 8th 1961

The National Party carried out by the Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd carries 105 seats against 53 with the UP, 1 only with the Party Progressist (Helen Suzman) and 1 seat with the transitory National union.

Elections of the March 30th 1966

The National Party, always under the crook of Hendrik Verwoerd, carries 58% of the votes and 126 seats out of 166. The Plain Party consolidates 39 seats whereas Helen Suzman only remains elected of PP.

Elections of the April 22nd 1970

With John Vorster, the National Party obtains 54,4% of the votes and loses 9 seats (117 deputies) competed with by the dissidence of Albert Hertzog and sound " National party Réformé" - HNP (3,5% of the voices, any elected official). The Party Linked with 37,2% of the votes gains 8 deputies with 47 seats. Helen Suzman only remains elected of PP (3,4%).

Elections of the April 29th 1974

The National Party gains 122 seats (+ 5). The Party Linked with 41 survivors (- 6) undergoes the competition of the PP which carries 7 seats (+ 6).

Elections of the November 30th 1977

The country is then in full period of internal tensions and international following the riots of Soweto. An U.N. embargo on the sales of weapons was issued against South Africa. The Scandale of information bursts at that time implying the minister Connie Mulder.

The white opposition is then in full boiling following the dissolution of the Plain Party. A " New Republican party " he succeed but has evil to retain its elected officials and its militants who join the National Party or the Party Progressist.

It is in this context that the elections proceed in November 1977. The National Party carries 64,8% of the votes and 134 deputies leaving far behind the Parti federal Progressist become his new official opposition (16,7% of the voices and 17 deputies). The " New Républicain" Party; collect 12,1% of the votes and 10 elected officials whereas the Extreme-right-hand side of the HNP with 3,3% of the voices does not obtain any elected official contrary to small South African Party (1,6% and 3 elected officials).

Elections of the June 29th 1981

It is the first election with Pieter Botha with the government orders and a Pational Party in strong crisis, divided between moderate and hard of the right wing.

The National Party undergoes full whip the scandals of the end of the Vorster era and its internal dissensions. With 53,3% of the votes and 131 seats (- 3), the points which it gains in the anglophone electorate do not compensate by its losses in the Afrikaner electorate. The HNP carried out by Jaap Marais flies away with 13,1% of the voices but once again fails to obtain the least appointed by the direct suffrage. The party federal progressist (18,2%) gains 9 deputies (27 seats) whereas the New Republican party (6,4%) loses half of its voters but limit its losses by the direct suffrage (8 deputies).

On its side, the party national-conservative of Connie Mulder collects only 1,3% of the votes and any elected official.

Little time afterwards, Botha proposed a new constitution associating the mongrels and the Indians. This constitutional face lift brought to a new scission within the National Party. Put in minority, Andries Treurnicht and 17 other members of Parliament created the March 20th 1982 the Conservative party of South Africa which receives the rallying of Mulder immédiatment but fails to obtain that of the HNP.

Referendum of the November 2nd 1983

The voters approve by 66,29% of the voices the constitutional reform resulting in founding a Parlement tricaméral and with présidentialiser the executive.

Elections of the May 6th 1987

The National Party obtained 52,29% of the votes and 124 elected officials (- 7).

The Conservative party (26,62% of the voices and 22 seats) carries the statute of official opposition to the place of the liberals of the Party progressist (14,03% and 19 elected officials) who lose 8 seats.

The New Republican party disappears almost with 1 only elected official and 1,97% from the voices. The extreme-right-hand side of the HNP (2,99%) undergoes the competition of the Conservative party and loses the 3/4 of its voters of 1981.

Result of the elections of the September 6th 1989

The white Parliament renewed its majority with the National Party (- 26 seats) of the president Frederik de Klerk whereas the conservative party gained 17 seats. The former members of the New Republican party (Plain ex-Party) disappeared having joined in their majority the National Party in 1988.

Referendum of the March 17th 1992

Called by the president Frederik de Klerk, this last election " white only" takes the form of a Référendum on the approval of the constitutional negotiations aiming at dismantling apartheid. The vote " Oui" 68,73% of the votes compared with 31,27% of " obtain; Non". This last carried it only in only one area, that of North-Transvaal.

External bond

Result of the elections in Southern Africa

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