Langlaagte (House of Assembly of South Africa constituency)

Last updated
Langlaagte
Former constituency
for the South African House of Assembly
Rand-1981-Langlaagte.png
Location of Langlaagte within the Witwatersrand (1981)
Province Transvaal
Electorate19,586 (1989)
Former constituency
Created 1910
Abolished 1994
Number of members1
Last MHA  J. J. Vilonel (NP)
Replaced by Gauteng

Langlaagte was a constituency in the Transvaal Province of South Africa, which existed from 1910 to 1994. It covered a part of the inner western suburbs of Johannesburg, centred on the suburb of Langlaagte. 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

Langlaagte was a largely working-class constituency, and followed the general trend of such areas across South Africa's major cities. In its early years, it was a marginal seat, with John Christie of the Labour Party and William Bawden of the South African Party fighting a number of spirited contests. Bawden went on to hold the seat throughout the 1930s, switching to the United Party on that party's formation, and the UP held it until 1953, at which point it fell to the governing National Party. Over time it became more and more of a safe seat for the NP, which held it until the end of apartheid in spite of challenges from the Conservative Party in its later years.

Members

ElectionMemberParty
1910 Willie Rockey Unionist
1915
1920
1921 John Christie Labour
1924
1929 byWilliam Bawden South African
1929 John Christie Labour
1933 William Bawden South African
1934 United
1938
1943
1947 byA. E. P. Robinson
1948
1953 P. J. Coetzee National
1958
1961
1966 A. L. Raubenheimer
1970 P. Z. J. van Vuuren
1974 S. D. Barnard
1977
1981
1987 J. J. Vilonel
1989
1994 Constituency abolished

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

Detailed results

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1910: Langlaagte
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Willie Rockey 945 56.8 New
Labour W. J. Wybergh71843.2New
Majority 22713.6N/A
Unionist win (new seat)
General election 1915: Langlaagte
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Willie Rockey 794 47.0 −9.8
National D. S. H. Pollock56033.1New
Labour C. S. Raath26015.4−27.8
Independent J. A. Clark774.6New
Majority 23413.9N/A
Turnout 1,69173.5N/A
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1920: Langlaagte
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Willie Rockey 752 40.0 −7.0
Labour C. S. Raath64934.5+19.1
National D. S. H. Pollock47925.5−7.6
Majority 1035.5N/A
Turnout 1,88061.7−11.8
Unionist hold Swing N/A
General election 1921: Langlaagte
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour John Christie 1,036 52.4 +17.9
South African Willie Rockey94047.6+7.6
Majority 964.8N/A
Turnout 1,97662.6+0.9
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +5.2

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.