South African Party

Last updated

South African Party
Afrikaans: Suid-Afrikaanse Party
Dutch: Zuidafrikaanse Partij [lower-alpha 1]
Leader (s) Louis Botha,
Jan Smuts,
Barry Hertzog
FoundedNovember 1911 (1911-11)
Dissolved4 December 1934 (1934-12-04)
Merger of Het Volk
South African Party
Afrikaner Bond
Orangia Unie
Merged into United Party
Headquarters Bloemfontein
Ideology Liberal conservatism
Afrikaners' interests
Political position Right-wing
Colours  Light blue

The South African Party (Afrikaans : Suid-Afrikaanse Party, Dutch : Zuidafrikaanse Partij [lower-alpha 1] ) was a political party that existed in the Union of South Africa from 1911 to 1934.

Contents

History

The outline and foundation for the party was realized after the election of a 'South African party' in the 1910 South African general election under the leadership of Louis Botha. Botha called for a "South African National Party" (SANP) at Pretoria's Opera House on 14 June 1910, prior to the 1910 elections, but the Party was only formally created in November 1911 in Bloemfontein. [1] It was made up predominantly of Afrikaner parties:

The South African Party of the Cape Colony was launched by William Schreiner, the former attorney-general under the leadership of Cecil Rhodes. The party was intended to project a more moderate platform than that of the Afrikaner Bond. This party also advocated more peaceful relations with neighboring states, especially the Transvaal. Schreiner originally formed the party to oppose the "personal domination of Mr. Rhodes." Eventually, the Afrikaner Bond would lend their support to form a new government. [2]

Initially its main political opposition came from Unionist Party, which supported similar policies, but was more English-speaking and took an instinctively pro-British stance.

The SAP would solidify after the departure of Barry Hertzog and more radical Boer nationalists who formed the National Party.

Rising discontent with the economic policies of the SAP during the bad economic times of the early 1920s culminated in a general strike in 1922. Though a combination of military intervention and negotiation ended the strike, the memory of it remained when the government, now a SAP-Unionist coalition government under the leadership of Jan Smuts, faced the 1924 South African general election, in which it was defeated by a National-Labour coalition. The SAP remained in opposition with its Unionist allies until the unrest of the Great Depression forced Prime Minister Barry Hertzog [3] of the Nationalists to form a coalition government and on 5 December 1934 a merger which created the United South African National Party (more commonly known as the United Party).

From the beginning, a hardliner nationalist faction refused to accept the merger. The remaining nationalists later withdrew from the United Party in 1939, after which what remained was essentially the old SAP under a new name. Nevertheless, the United Party name was retained.

Electoral history

House of Assembly elections

ElectionParty leaderVotes%Seats+/–PositionResult
1910 Louis Botha 30,05228.45%
67 / 121
Increase2.svg 67Increase2.svg 1stMajority government
1915 94,28536.67%
54 / 130
Decrease2.svg 15Steady2.svg 1stMajority government
1920 Jan Smuts 101,22736.48%
41 / 134
Decrease2.svg 13Decrease2.svg 2ndMinority government
1921 137,38949.90%
77 / 134
Increase2.svg 11Increase2.svg 1stMajority government
1924 148,76947.04%
53 / 135
Decrease2.svg 24Decrease2.svg 2ndOpposition
1929 159,89646.50%
61 / 148
Increase2.svg 8Steady2.svg 2ndOpposition
1933 71,48622.34%
61 / 150
Steady2.svgSteady2.svg 2ndOpposition

Note

  1. 1 2 Contemporary Dutch spelling used in South Africa from 1905 to 1925. Modern Dutch spelling: Zuid-Afrikaanse Partij

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transvaal Colony</span> British colony from 1877 to 1881 and 1902 to 1910

The Transvaal Colony was the name used to refer to the Transvaal region during the period of direct British rule and military occupation between the end of the Second Boer War in 1902 when the South African Republic was dissolved, and the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910. The borders of the Transvaal Colony were larger than the defeated South African Republic. In 1910 the entire territory became the Transvaal Province of the Union of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange River Colony</span> British colony from 1902 to 1910

The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after Britain first occupied (1900) and then annexed (1902) the independent Orange Free State in the Second Boer War. The colony ceased to exist in 1910, when it was absorbed into the Union of South Africa as the Orange Free State Province.

<i>Ossewabrandwag</i> Pro-German organization in South Africa during WW2

The Ossewabrandwag (OB) was an Afrikaner nationalist organization with strong ties to national socialism, founded in South Africa in Bloemfontein on 4 February 1939. The organization was strongly opposed to South African participation in World War II, and vocally supportive of Nazi Germany. OB carried out a campaign of sabotage against state infrastructure, resulting in a government crackdown. The unpopularity of that crackdown has been proposed as a contributing factor to the victory of the National Party in the 1948 South African general election and the rise of apartheid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Party (South Africa)</span> 1914–1997 political party known for implementing apartheid

The National Party, also known as the Nationalist Party, was a political party in South Africa from 1914 to 1997, which was responsible for the implementation of apartheid rule. The party was an Afrikaner ethnic nationalist party, which initially promoted the interests of Afrikaners but later became a stalwart promoter and enactor of white supremacy, for which it is best known. It first became the governing party of the country in 1924. It merged with its rival, the SAP, during the Great Depression, and a splinter faction became the official opposition during World War II and returned to power. With the National Party governing South Africa from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994, the country for the bulk of this time was only a de jure or partial democracy, as from 1958 onwards non-white people were barred from voting. In 1990, it began to style itself as simply a South African civic nationalist party, and after the fall of apartheid in 1994, attempted to become a moderate conservative one. The party's reputation was damaged irreparably by perpetrating apartheid, and it rebranded itself as the New National Party in 1997 before eventually dissolving in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Party (South Africa)</span> 1934–1977 political party in South Africa

The United Party was a political party in South Africa. It was the country's ruling political party between 1934 and 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afrikaner Broederbond</span> 1918–1994 Afrikaner Calvinist male organisation in South Africa

The Afrikaner Broederbond (AB) or simply the Broederbond was an exclusively Afrikaner Calvinist and male secret society in South Africa dedicated to the advancement of the Afrikaner people. It was founded by H. J. Klopper, H. W. van der Merwe, D. H. C. du Plessis and the Rev. Jozua Naudé in 1918 as Jong Zuid Afrika until 1920, when it was renamed the Broederbond. Its influence within South African political and social life came to a climax with the 1948-1994 rule of the white supremacist National Party and its policy of apartheid, which was largely developed and implemented by Broederbond members. Between 1948 and 1994, many prominent figures of Afrikaner political, cultural, and religious life, including every leader of the South African government, were members of the Afrikaner Broederbond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabinet of South Africa</span> Cabinet of the national government of the Republic of South Africa

The Cabinet of South Africa is the most senior level of the executive branch of the Government of South Africa. It is made up of the president, the deputy president, and the ministers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John X. Merriman</span> South African politician (1841–1926)

John Xavier Merriman was a South African politician who served as the eleventh Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1908 to 1910. He was the last prime minister of the Cape Colony before the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.

The Unionist Party was a pre-apartheid South African political party, which contested elections to the Union of South Africa parliament from the 1910 South African general election until its merger into the South African Party just before the 1921 South African general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1910 South African general election</span>

General elections were held in South Africa on 15 September 1910 to elect the 121 members of the House of Assembly. They were the first general election after the Union of South Africa was created on 31 May 1910.

Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM was a prominent South African and Commonwealth statesman and military leader. He served as a Boer general during the Boer War, a British general during the First World War and was appointed field marshal during the Second World War. In addition to various cabinet appointments, he served as prime minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 to 1924 and from 1939 to 1948. He played a leading part in the post war settlements at the end of both world wars, making significant contributions towards the creation of both the League of Nations and the United Nations.

Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM was a prominent South African and Commonwealth statesman and military leader. He served as a Boer General duning the Boer War, a British General during the First World War and was appointed Field Marshal during the Second World War. In addition to various Cabinet appointments, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 to 1924 and from 1939 to 1948. He played a leading part in the post war settlements at the end of both world wars, making significant contributions towards the creation of both the League of Nations and the United Nations.

Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM served served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 to 1924 and from 1939 to 1948. He played a leading part in the post war settlements at the end of both world wars, making significant contributions towards the creation of both the League of Nations and the United Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afrikaner nationalism</span> Political ideology in South Africa

Afrikaner nationalism is a nationalistic political ideology created by Afrikaners residing in Southern Africa during the Victorian era. The ideology was developed in response to the significant events in Afrikaner history such as the Great Trek, the First and Second Boer Wars and the resulting anti-British sentiment that developed among Afrikaners and opposition to South Africa's entry into World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">F. S. Malan</span> South African politician

François Stephanus Malan PC, usually called F. S. Malan or just F. S., was a South African politician.

Although the Democratic Alliance of South Africa in its present form is fairly new, its roots can be traced far back in South African political history, through a complex sequence of splits and mergers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Party (Cape Colony)</span> Political party in Cape Colony

The South African Party was a political party in Cape Colony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope</span> Historic legislature of the British Cape Colony

The Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope functioned as the legislature of the Cape Colony, from its founding in 1853, until the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, when it was dissolved and the Parliament of South Africa was established. It consisted of the House of Assembly and the legislative council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Hertzog</span> South African politician, founder of Herstigte Nasionale Party

Johannes Albertus Munnik Hertzog was a South African politician, Afrikaner nationalist, cabinet minister, and founding leader of the Herstigte Nasionale Party. He was the son of J. B. M. (Barry) Hertzog, a former Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Cabinet of Louis Botha</span>

The Louis Botha government appointed the members of the government in South Africa led by Prime Minister Louis Botha between 31 May 1910 and 3 September 1919.

References

  1. Simpson, Thula (2022). History of South Africa: 1902 to the Present. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 27. ISBN   9780197672020.
  2. Meredith, Martin (2007). Diamonds, Gold, and War: The British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa. New York: Public Affairs. ISBN   978-1-4587-1983-6. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017.
  3. Joyce, Peter. 1989. The South African Family Encyclopaedia