Smithfield (House of Assembly of South Africa constituency)

Last updated
Smithfield
Former constituency
for the South African House of Assembly
SA-1981-Smithfield.png
Location of Smithfield within South Africa (1981)
Province Orange Free State
Electorate13,130 (1989)
Former constituency
Created 1910
Abolished 1994
Number of members1
Last MHA  (CP)
Replaced by Free State

Smithfield (known for part of its history as Smithfield-Rouxville) was a constituency in the Orange Free State Province of South Africa, which existed from 1910 to 1994. Named after the town of Smithfield, the seat covered a large rural area in the south of the province, bordering the Cape Province as well as Lesotho. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly.

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 Orange River Colony, and its predecessor the Orange Free State, the vote was restricted to white men, and as such, elections in the Orange Free State 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

Smithfield, like most of the Orange Free State, was a highly conservative seat throughout its existence and had a largely Afrikaans-speaking electorate. Its most notable MP was J. B. M. Hertzog, who represented the seat from 1910 until his retirement from politics in 1939. It was then captured by the National Party, who held it until its fall (along with several other rural Free State seats) to the Conservative Party in the 1989 general election, the last held under apartheid.

Members

ElectionMemberParty
1910 J. B. M. Hertzog South African
1915 National Party
1920
1921
1924
1929
1933
1934 United Party
1938
1939 HNP
1943 member unknown
1948 National Party
1953
1958
1961
1966
1970
1974
1977 C. H. W. Simkin
1981
1987 H. J. Smith
1989 A. P. Oosthuizen Conservative Party

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

Detailed results

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1910: Smithfield [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
South African J. B. M. Hertzog Unopposed
South African win (new seat)
General election 1915: Smithfield [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National J. B. M. Hertzog 1,315 82.8 N/A
South African G. C. Botha27217.2New
Majority1,04365.6N/A
Turnout 1,58774.9N/A
National hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1920: Smithfield [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National J. B. M. Hertzog 1,613 89.1 +6.3
South African J. L. Botha19810.9−6.3
Majority1,41578.2+12.6
Turnout 1,81169.1−5.8
National hold Swing +6.3
General election 1921: Smithfield [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National J. B. M. Hertzog Unopposed
National win (new seat)
General election 1924: Smithfield [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National J. B. M. Hertzog 1,701 83.1 N/A
South African G. L. Steytler34716.9New
Majority1,35466.2N/A
Turnout 2,04875.5N/A
National hold Swing N/A
General election 1929: Smithfield-Rouxville [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National J. B. M. Hertzog 1,560 85.8 +2.7
South African J. A. Oberholzer34714.2−2.7
Majority1,21371.6+5.4
Turnout 1,81973.9−1.6
National hold Swing +2.7

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1933: Smithfield-Rouxville [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National J. B. M. Hertzog Unopposed
National hold


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References

  1. ↑ "EISA South Africa: Historical franchise arrangements". Eisa.org.za. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Schoeman, B.M. (1977). Parlementêre verkiesings in Suid-Afrika 1910-1976. Pretoria: Aktuele Publikasies.
  3. ↑ South Africa 1980/81: Official Yearbook of the Republic of South Africa. Johannesburg: Chris van Rensburg Publications.
  4. ↑ South Africa 1983: Official Yearbook of the Republic of South Africa. Johannesburg: Chris van Rensburg Publications.
  5. ↑ Government Gazette of South Africa, No. 10751. 22 May 1987. Pretoria: Government of South Africa.
  6. ↑ Government Gazette of South Africa, No. 12109. 20 September 1989. Pretoria: Government of South Africa.

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