South African general election, 1933
Encyclopedia
The 1933 South African general election was held for the 150 seats in the House of Assembly
of the Union
of South Africa
, on 17 May 1933. The National Party won half the seats in the House, but the coalition with the South African Party continued.
One effect of these changes, which were not extended to the non-white population of the Union, was to dilute the influence of the non-white electors in Cape Province and Natal.
had provided for a delimitation commission to define the boundaries for each electoral division. The representation by province, under the sixth delimitation report of 1932, is set out in the table below. The figures in brackets are the number of electoral divisions in the previous (1928) delimitation. If there is no figure in brackets then the number was unchanged.
As the two largest parties were in coalition together, the opposition to the government was weaker and more fragmented than in any other election in South African history.
The total registered electorate was 957,636. It had more than doubled, since the last election, due to the franchise reforms (see above section). The votes cast were 323,417 (including 3,406 spoilt votes).
An alternative breakdown of members, distinguishing between supporters and opponents of the coalition, was (pro Coalition) NP 75, SAP 61, Labour 2, Roos 2; (opposition) Independent Labour 2, Natal Home Ruler 2, Independents 6. Another interpretation, is NP 75, SAP 61, Labour 4, Roos Party 2, Home Rule group 2 and Independents 6.
House of Assembly of South Africa
The House of Assembly was the lower house of the Parliament of South Africa from 1910 to 1984, and latterly the white representative house of the Tricameral Parliament from 1984 to 1994, when it was replaced by the current National Assembly...
of the Union
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, on 17 May 1933. The National Party won half the seats in the House, but the coalition with the South African Party continued.
Changes to the franchise
Since the 1929 election several changes had been made to the franchise laws. Adult white women were enfranchised in 1930. In 1931 all European males over the age of 21 were enfranchised (eliminating property and wage qualifications for that section of the population).One effect of these changes, which were not extended to the non-white population of the Union, was to dilute the influence of the non-white electors in Cape Province and Natal.
Delimitation of electoral divisions
The South Africa Act 1909South Africa Act 1909
The South Africa Act 1909 was an Act of the British Parliament which created the Union of South Africa from the British Colonies of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange River Colony, and the Transvaal Colony. The Act also made provisions for admitting Rhodesia as a fifth province of the Union in...
had provided for a delimitation commission to define the boundaries for each electoral division. The representation by province, under the sixth delimitation report of 1932, is set out in the table below. The figures in brackets are the number of electoral divisions in the previous (1928) delimitation. If there is no figure in brackets then the number was unchanged.
| Provinces | Cape | Natal | Orange Free State | Transvaal | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisions | 61 (58) | 16 (17) | 16 (18) | 57 (55) | 150 (148) |
Results
The vote totals in the table below may not give a complete picture of the balance of political opinion, because of unopposed elections (where no votes were cast) and because contested seats may not have been fought by a candidate from all major parties.As the two largest parties were in coalition together, the opposition to the government was weaker and more fragmented than in any other election in South African history.
The total registered electorate was 957,636. It had more than doubled, since the last election, due to the franchise reforms (see above section). The votes cast were 323,417 (including 3,406 spoilt votes).
| Party | Seats | Seats % | Votes | Votes % | Leader | |
| National Party National Party (South Africa) The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a... |
75 | 50.00 | 101,159 | 31.61 | General J. B. M. Hertzog | |
| South African Party South African Party The South African Party was a political party that existed in the Union of South Africa from 1911 to 1934.-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... |
61 | 40.67 | 71,486 | 22.34 | General Jan Smuts Jan Smuts Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948... |
|
| Independents | 10 | 6.67 | 87,321 | 27.29 | - | |
| Roos Party | 2 | 1.33 | 27,441 | 8.58 | Tielman Roos Tielman Roos Tielman Johannes de Villiers Roos was a right wing South African politician and sometime Cabinet minister.-Labour politics:... |
|
| Labour Party Labour Party (South Africa) The South African Labour Party, formed in March 1910 following discussions between trade unions and the Independent Labour Party of Transvaal, was a professedly democratic socialist party representing the interests of the white working class.-History:... |
2 | 1.33 | 20,276 | 6.34 | Walter Madeley | |
| Home Rule Party | - | - | 12,328 | 3.85 | - | |
| Total | 150 |
An alternative breakdown of members, distinguishing between supporters and opponents of the coalition, was (pro Coalition) NP 75, SAP 61, Labour 2, Roos 2; (opposition) Independent Labour 2, Natal Home Ruler 2, Independents 6. Another interpretation, is NP 75, SAP 61, Labour 4, Roos Party 2, Home Rule group 2 and Independents 6.