Klerksdorp (House of Assembly of South Africa constituency)

Last updated
Klerksdorp
Former constituency
for the South African House of Assembly
SA-1981-Klerksdorp.png
Location of Klerksdorp within South Africa (1981)
Province Transvaal
Electorate29,661 (1989)
Former constituency
Created 1915
Abolished 1994
Number of members1
Last MHA  Amie Venter (NP)
Replaced by North West

Klerksdorp was a constituency in the Transvaal Province of South Africa, which existed from 1915 to 1994. It covered a part of the western Transvaal centred on the town of Klerksdorp. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Transvaal Provincial Council.

Contents

Franchise notes

When the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, the electoral qualifications in use in each pre-existing colony were kept in place. In the Transvaal Colony, and its predecessor the South African Republic, the vote was restricted to white men, and as such, elections in the Transvaal Province were held on a whites-only franchise from the beginning. The franchise was also restricted by property and education qualifications until the 1933 general election, following the passage of the Women's Enfranchisement Act, 1930 and the Franchise Laws Amendment Act, 1931. From then on, the franchise was given to all white citizens aged 21 or over. Non-whites remained disenfranchised until the end of apartheid and the introduction of universal suffrage in 1994. [1]

History

Like most of the rural Transvaal, Klerksdorp had a largely Afrikaans-speaking electorate. For most of its history, it was a safe seat for the National Party, which took it for the first time in 1920 and held it until its abolition with the exception of the 1934-40 period. During these years, the nascent United Party, led by J. B. M. Hertzog and then Jan Smuts, dominated Transvaal politics, and Klerksdorp was no exception. However, when Hertzog left the party in protest at South Africa joining the Second World War, Klerksdorp MP Jan Wilkens followed him back into the Herenigde Nasionale Party. From then until the end of apartheid, Klerksdorp was represented by only three MPs: Wilkens until 1953, then Petrus Cornelius Pelser until 1974, and finally Amie Venter for the last twenty years. Pelser and Venter both served in cabinet, the former under John Vorster and the latter under P. W. Botha and F. W. de Klerk.

Members

ElectionMemberParty
1915 J. A. Nesser South African
1920 J. S. Smit National
1921
1924
1925 byP. C. de Villiers
1929
1933
1934 United
1937 byJan Wilkens
1938
1940 HNP
1943
1948
1953 P. C. Pelser National
1958
1961
1966
1970
1974 Amie Venter
1977
1981
1987
1989
1994 Constituency abolished

[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Detailed results

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1915: Klerksdorp
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
South African J. A. Nesser 1,247 54.1 +5.5
National J. S. Smit1,05945.9New
Majority 1888.2N/A
Turnout 2,30682.6N/A
South African win (new seat)

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1920: Klerksdorp
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National J. S. Smit 1,355 53.9 +8.0
South African J. A. Nesser1,16046.1−8.0
Majority 1957.8N/A
Turnout 2,51580.5−2.1
National gain from South African Swing +8.0
General election 1921: Klerksdorp
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National J. S. Smit 1,408 53.2 −0.7
South African J. A. Nesser1,23946.8+0.7
Majority 1696.4−1.4
Turnout 2,64777.7−2.8
National hold Swing -0.7

References

  1. "EISA South Africa: Historical franchise arrangements". Eisa.org.za. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  2. Schoeman, B.M. (1977). Parlementêre verkiesings in Suid-Afrika 1910-1976. Pretoria: Aktuele Publikasies.
  3. Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa (1972). "House of Assembly" (vol. 5, pp. 617–636). Cape Town: Nasionale Opvoedkundige Uitgewery (Nasou).
  4. South Africa 1980/81: Official Yearbook of the Republic of South Africa. Johannesburg: Chris van Rensburg Publications.
  5. South Africa 1983: Official Yearbook of the Republic of South Africa. Johannesburg: Chris van Rensburg Publications.
  6. Government Gazette of South Africa, No. 10751. 22 May 1987. Pretoria: Government of South Africa.
  7. Government Gazette of South Africa, No. 12109. 20 September 1989. Pretoria: Government of South Africa.