Weenen (House of Assembly of South Africa constituency)

Last updated
Weenen
Former constituency
for the South African House of Assembly
Province Natal
Electorate5,158 (1938)
Former constituency
Created 1910
Abolished 1943
Number of members1
Last MHA  Harold Abrahamson (UP)
Replaced by Drakensberg

Weenen was a constituency in the Natal Province of South Africa, which existed from 1910 to 1943. It covered a rural area in western Natal centred on its namesake town. 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. The franchise used in the Natal Colony, while theoretically not restricted by race, was significantly less liberal than that of the Cape, and no more than a few hundred non-white electors ever qualified. In 1908, an estimated 200 of the 22,786 electors in the colony were of non-European descent, and by 1935, only one remained. [1] By 1958, when the last non-white voters in the Cape were taken off the rolls, Natal too had an all-white electorate. 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, which remained the case until the end of apartheid and the introduction of universal suffrage in 1994. [2]

History

As in the rest of Natal, Weenen's electorate was largely English-speaking and conservative. With the exception of its first election, in which Unionist Hugh Mowbray Meyler narrowly won the new seat, it was held by the South African Party throughout its existence. Its last MP, Harold Abrahamson, followed the majority of the SAP into the United Party in 1934, and was re-elected comfortably in 1938, facing only a Greyshirt opponent. In 1943, Weenen disappeared from the electoral map and was largely replaced by the new Drakensberg constituency, in which Abrahamson sought and won re-election, representing the new seat until 1949.

Members

ElectionMemberParty
1910 H. M. Meyler Unionist
1915 J. W. Moor South African
1920
1921
1924 G. R. Richards
1929 Harold Abrahamson
1933
1934 United
1938
1943 constituency abolished

[3] [4]

Detailed results

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1910: Weenen
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist H. H. Meyler 495 52.4 New
South African Frederick Moor 45047.6New
Majority 454.8N/A
Unionist win (new seat)
General election 1915: Weenen
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
South African J. W. Moor 536 51.8 +4.2
Unionist G. R. Richards49948.2−4.2
Majority 373.6N/A
Turnout 1,03566.7N/A
South African gain from Unionist Swing +4.2

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1920: Weenen
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
South African J. W. Moor 559 52.1 +0.3
Unionist G. R. Richards38836.2−12.0
Labour A. Ratcliffe12511.7New
Majority 17115.9+12.3
Turnout 1,07258.4−8.3
South African hold Swing +6.2
General election 1921: Weenen
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
South African J. W. Moor 812 79.6 +27.5
National C. G. Martins20820.4New
Majority 17159.2N/A
Turnout 1,02053.6−4.8
South African hold Swing N/A

References

  1. May, H.J. (1955). The South African Constitution. 3rd ed. Cape Town: Juta & Co.
  2. "EISA South Africa: Historical franchise arrangements". Eisa.org.za. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  3. Schoeman, B.M. (1977). Parlementêre verkiesings in Suid-Afrika 1910-1976. Pretoria: Aktuele Publikasies.
  4. Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa (1972). "House of Assembly" (vol. 5, pp. 617–636). Cape Town: Nasionale Opvoedkundige Uitgewery (Nasou).