Rondebosch | |
---|---|
Former constituency for the South African House of Assembly | |
Province | Cape of Good Hope |
Electorate | 14,275 (1977) |
Former constituency | |
Created | 1915 |
Abolished | 1981 |
Number of members | 1 |
Last MHA | Frederik van Zyl Slabbert (PFP) |
Created from | Liesbeek |
Replaced by | Western Cape |
Rondebosch was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1915 to 1929 and again from 1933 to 1981. It covered parts of Cape Town's southern suburbs, centred on its namesake suburb of Rondebosch. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
When the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, the electoral qualifications in use in each pre-existing colony were kept in place. The Cape Colony had implemented a "colour-blind" franchise known as the Cape Qualified Franchise, which included all adult literate men owning more than £75 worth of property (controversially raised from £25 in 1892), and this initially remained in effect after the colony became the Cape Province. As of 1908, 22,784 out of 152,221 electors in the Cape Colony were "Native or Coloured". Eligibility to serve in Parliament and the Provincial Council, however, was restricted to whites from 1910 onward.
The first challenge to the Cape Qualified Franchise came with the Women's Enfranchisement Act, 1930 and the Franchise Laws Amendment Act, 1931, which extended the vote to women and removed property qualifications for the white population only – non-white voters remained subject to the earlier restrictions. In 1936, the Representation of Natives Act removed all black voters from the common electoral roll and introduced three "Native Representative Members", white MPs elected by the black voters of the province and meant to represent their interests in particular. A similar provision was made for Coloured voters with the Separate Representation of Voters Act, 1951, and although this law was challenged by the courts, it went into effect in time for the 1958 general election, which was thus held with all-white voter rolls for the first time in South African history. The all-white franchise would continue until the end of apartheid and the introduction of universal suffrage in 1994. [1]
Rondebosch was first created in 1915, out of what had been the urban parts of the Liesbeek constituency. Throughout its existence, it was located entirely within the southern suburbs of Cape Town, and like the rest of that region, its electorate was largely English-speaking, affluent and liberal. Its first MP, Ralph William Close, was elected as a member of the Unionist Party, and joined the South African Party (SAP) when the Unionists merged with them in 1921. He represented Rondebosch throughout the seat's first period of existence, and on its abolition in 1929 moved to the new seat of Mowbray.
Rondebosch was recreated just four years later, however, and once again contained a similar area with similar political leanings. It elected United Party MPs for much of its existence, usually unopposed or by wide margins, and its last MP for the area was De Villiers Graaff, leader of the UP, who had been defeated in Hottentots-Holland in the 1958 election and moved to the much safer seat of Rondebosch in 1961. When the new constituency of Groote Schuur was created in 1974, Graaff moved there, and the open seat in Rondebosch was won by the Progressive Party’s Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, who was the sitting Leader of the Opposition when his seat was abolished in 1981. Rondebosch was largely replaced by the recreated Claremont seat, which Slabbert stood for and won unopposed in the 1981 election.
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1915 | Ralph William Close | Unionist | |
1920 | |||
1921 | South African | ||
1924 | |||
1929 | constituency abolished | ||
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1933 | J. Chalmers | South African | |
1934 | United | ||
1938 | A. M. Moll | ||
1943 | |||
1948 | R. D. Pilkington-Jordan | ||
1953 | |||
1958 | |||
1961 | De Villiers Graaff | ||
1966 | |||
1970 | |||
1974 | Frederik van Zyl Slabbert | Progressive | |
1977 | PFP | ||
1981 | constituency abolished | ||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | R. W. Close | 1,286 | 57.9 | New | |
Independent | A. Palmer | 895 | 40.3 | New | |
Labour | I. Carver | 41 | 1.8 | New | |
Majority | 391 | 17.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 2,222 | 61.2 | N/A | ||
Unionist win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | R. W. Close | 1,241 | 65.0 | −18.3 | |
Labour | J. Seddon | 668 | 35.0 | +18.3 | |
Majority | 573 | 30.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,909 | 46.6 | −14.6 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
South African | R. W. Close | 1,637 | 79.1 | +14.1 | |
Labour | J. Seddon | 433 | 20.9 | −14.1 | |
Majority | 1,204 | 58.2 | +28.2 | ||
Turnout | 2,070 | 50.0 | +3.4 | ||
South African hold | Swing | +14.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
South African | R. W. Close | 1,610 | 58.6 | −20.5 | |
Labour | J. Lomax | 1,138 | 41.4 | +20.5 | |
Majority | 472 | 17.2 | −41.0 | ||
Turnout | 2,748 | 75.7 | +25.7 | ||
South African hold | Swing | -20.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
South African | J. Chalmers | Unopposed | |||
South African hold |
Durban Point was a constituency in the Natal Province of South Africa, which existed from 1910 to 1994. Named for the Point area of central Durban, it initially covered the eastern part of the CBD, but later expanded to cover much of Durban’s northern waterfront. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly.
Albany was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1910 to 1994. It was named after the district of Albany, which covered parts of today's Eastern Cape province, and its main population centre was Grahamstown. Throughout this time it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Cape Town Gardens was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1910 to 1994. Named after the suburb of Gardens, and by extension the Company's Garden, it covered the southern parts of the City Bowl of Cape Town. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Algoa was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1966 to 1994. Named after Algoa Bay, which forms the natural harbour of Port Elizabeth, it covered Port Elizabeth's northwestern suburbs. Despite its name, the constituency was landlocked for most of its existence, with the actual Algoa Bay coastline mostly forming part of the neighbouring seat of Port Elizabeth North. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Port Elizabeth North was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1929 to 1994. As the name indicates, the seat covered the northern suburbs of Port Elizabeth. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Walmer was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1966 to 1994. It covered the southern suburbs of Port Elizabeth, centred on its namesake suburb of Walmer. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Port Elizabeth Central was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1910 to 1994. As the name indicates, the seat covered the central area of Port Elizabeth. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Bellville was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1933 to 1938 and again from 1953 to 1994. It was centred on the railway junction of Bellville, and covered various areas of Cape Town’s eastern suburbs. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Claremont was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1933 to 1953 and again from 1981 to 1994. It covered parts of Cape Town’s southern suburbs, centred on its namesake suburb of Claremont. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Constantia was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1953 to 1994. Named after the suburb of Constantia, and by extension the Groot Constantia winery, it covered parts of Cape Town’s southern suburbs. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Durbanville was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1974 to 1994. Centred on the suburb of the same name, the seat covered the outermost northeastern suburbs of Cape Town as well as a rural area around Klipheuwel. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
False Bay was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1953 to 1994. Centred on the town of Strand, it covered an area to the southeast of Cape Town, along the shore of the namesake bay. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Green Point was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1943 to 1994. It covered parts of the Cape Town seashore, including its namesake suburb as well as parts of the CBD. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Groote Schuur was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1974 to 1994. Named for the then-Prime Ministerial residence and former estate of Cecil Rhodes, the seat covered parts of the inner southern suburbs of Cape Town around the University of Cape Town campus. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Parow was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1948 to 1953 and again from 1958 to 1994. It was centred on the suburb of Parow, and covered a relatively compact area of Cape Town’s eastern suburbs. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Pinelands was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1953 to 1994. It covered parts of the inner southern and eastern suburbs of Cape Town, centred on its namesake suburb. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Sea Point was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1929 to 1994. It covered parts of the Cape Town seashore, centred on its namesake suburb of Sea Point. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Tygervallei was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1966 to 1994. It covered parts of the eastern suburbs of Cape Town, including much of the Cape Flats. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Vasco was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1943 to 1994. It covered various areas of Cape Town’s northern suburbs, centred on its namesake suburb of Vasco. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.
Wynberg was a constituency in the Cape Province of South Africa, which existed from 1938 to 1994. It covered parts of the southern suburbs of Cape Town, centred on its namesake suburb of Wynberg. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Cape Provincial Council.