Potchefstroom (House of Assembly of South Africa constituency)

Last updated
Potchefstroom
Former constituency
for the South African House of Assembly
SA-1981-Potchefstroom.png
Location of Potchefstroom within South Africa (1981)
Province Transvaal
Electorate23,083 (1992 by)
Former constituency
Created 1910
Abolished 1994
Number of members1
Last MHA  A. S. Beyers (CP)
Replaced by North West

Potchefstroom was a constituency in the Transvaal Province of South Africa, which existed from 1910 to 1994. It covered a part of the western Transvaal centred on the town of Potchefstroom. 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, Potchefstroom had a largely Afrikaans-speaking electorate. In its early days, it was a marginal seat, seeing tight contests between the National and South African parties, before going through a brief period of United Party dominance in the 1930s and 40s. In 1948, it was captured by Johan Heinrich Steyn of the Afrikaner Party, who soon joined the governing National Party - from then on, it became a safe seat for the NP. Its longest-serving MP, Louis le Grange, was first elected in 1966, and served as a cabinet minister under John Vorster and P. W. Botha before being made Speaker of the House of Assembly in 1987. He died in office in 1991, and the resulting by-election was won by the Conservative Party - coming shortly before the referendum on ending apartheid, this was seen as a major setback for the governing party.

Members

ElectionMemberParty
1910 J. A. Neser Het Volk
1915 G. W. Holl South African
1915 by N. J. de Wet
1920
1921 J. G. Obermeyer National
1924 M. L. Fick
1929
1933
1934 United
1938 Hubert van der Merwe
1943
1948 J. H. Steyn Afrikaner
1953 National
1958
1961
1966 Louis le Grange
1970
1974
1977
1981
1987
1989
1992 byA. S. Beyers Conservative
1994 Constituency abolished

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

Detailed results

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1910: Potchefstroom
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Het Volk J. A. Neser 1,260 73.3 New
Unionist R. J. E. Orpen45826.7New
Majority 80246.6N/A
Het Volk win (new seat)
General election 1915: Potchefstroom
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
South African G. W. Holl 1,043 56.8 −16.5
National W. J. de Klerk79443.2New
Majority 24913.6N/A
Turnout 1,83782.5N/A
South African hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1920: Potchefstroom
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
South African N. J. de Wet 1,127 51.2 −5.6
National J. G. Obermeyer1,07448.8+5.6
Majority 532.4−11.2
Turnout 2,20169.8−12.7
South African hold Swing -5.6
General election 1921: Potchefstroom
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National J. G. Obermeyer 1,319 51.0 +2.2
South African N. J. de Wet 1,26949.0−2.2
Majority 502.0N/A
Turnout 2,58873.6+3.8
National gain from South African Swing +2.2

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.