1974 South African general election

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1974 South African general election
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg
  1970 24 April 1974 1977  

169 of the 171 seats in the House of Assembly
86 seats needed for a majority
Registered2,232,623
Turnout51.87% (Decrease2.svg 22.48pp)
 First partySecond partyThird party
  John Vorster.jpg Sir De Villiers Graaff 1960.jpg Colin Eglin (cropped).jpg
Leader John Vorster De Villiers Graaff Colin Eglin
Party National United Progressive
Last election54.89%, 118 seats36.94%, 47 seats3.43%, 1 seat
Seats won122416
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 4Decrease2.svg 6Increase2.svg 5
Popular vote638,424363,47872,479
Percentage56.14%31.96%6.37%
SwingIncrease2.svg 1.25ppDecrease2.svg 4.98ppIncrease2.svg 2.94pp

South Africa Election 1974.png
Results by province

Prime Minister before election

John Vorster
National

Elected Prime Minister

John Vorster
National

General elections were held in South Africa on 24 April 1974. They were called one year earlier than scheduled by Prime Minister John Vorster on 4 February. The House of Assembly was increased in size from 166 to 171 members. The election was once again won by the National Party, with a slightly increased parliamentary majority. [1]

Contents

The Progressive Party made a major advance, however. In addition to Helen Suzman, re-elected for Houghton, five other members won seats including the party leader Colin Eglin. A seventh member of the caucus was elected at a by-election soon after. The United Party won 41 seats. The election also saw Harry Schwarz, leader of the United Party in the Transvaal, enter Parliament. Schwartz would soon lead a break away from the United Party and would become one of the Apartheid's more prominent opponents in Parliament, first forming the Reform Party and then joining with the Progressive Party to form the Progressive Reform Party in 1975, under the leadership of Colin Eglin.

Nominations

Nominations closed on 18 March. A total of 334 candidates were nominated for 171 seats: National Party 137, United Party 110, Herstigte Nasionale Party 46, Progressive Party 23, Democratic Party 7 and others 11. [2] 46 seats were won unopposed, 32 for the National Party and 14 for the United Party.

Results

House of Assembly

The members of the House of Assembly were elected in single-member constituencies via first-past-the-post voting. 125 of the 171 seats were contested. [3] Voting did not take place in two constituencies, Pinelands and Wonderboom, where by-elections were later held; Pinelands was won by the Progressive Party and Wonderboom by the National Party. [4]

South Africa House of Assembly, 1974.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
National Party 638,42456.14122+4
United Party 363,47831.9641–6
Progressive Party 72,4796.376+5
Herstigte Nasionale Party 44,7173.9300
Democratic Party 10,0500.880New
Others5,4710.4800
Independents2,5320.2200
Vacant2
Total1,137,151100.00171+5
Valid votes1,137,15198.19
Invalid/blank votes20,9231.81
Total votes1,158,074100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,232,62351.87
Source: [5] [6]

By province

ProvinceNationalUnitedProgressiveTotal
Transvaal 6211476
Cape 3715356
Natal 515020
Orange Free State 140014
South-West Africa 5005
Total123417171
Source: Stadler [7]

Senate

The elections for the Senate were held on 30 May 1974 by an electoral college made up of members of the Assembly and various others. The National Party gained one seat at the expense of the United Party, winning 32 of the 44 seats (the United Party held 12 seats).

PartySeats+/–
National Party 32+1
United Party 12–1
Total440

References

  1. "Vorstwer widens margin in South Africa". The New York Times. 26 April 1974.
  2. "General South African History Timeline: 1970s". South African History Online. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  3. "South Africa" (PDF). Inter-Parliamentary Union.
  4. Terry Eksteen (1982). The Decline of the United Party 1970–1977 (PDF).
  5. "General Election of Members of the House of Assembly". Government Gazette . 107 (4279): 8. 17 May 1974.
  6. South Africa: Official Yearbook of the Republic of South Africa. 1985. pp. 180–182.
  7. Stadler, A. W. (1975), "The 1974 General Election in South Africa" (PDF), African Affairs, 74 (295): 209–218, doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a096587, JSTOR   721184