Z7.3.3 -77 ■€1215-1:Iea

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Z7.3.3 -77 ■€1215-1:iea. 1 Coalitions in the Union of South Africa,

By J . Stelnmever.

Although the Union of South Africa is ruled by a coalition government at present, political coalitions are not

a feature of South African governments, such as is the case, for instance, in Western European states. The fact that the Union,

since its inception forty years ago, has had only three coalition governments, of which one was of exceptionally short duration, proves this contention.

The Union parliamentary system, in its main features is the same as that of Great Britain - a two-party system, a governing

party and an opposition. In such a system a ooalition does not fit

in well and is entered into only when circumstances make it necessary.

Frnn the majority in the national representation the government is

designated, the opposition forming the minority. The governing

party always sit on the right hand of the Speaker, or Chairman, in the House of Assembly, the minority sitting on his left. At a

change of government the parties change places in Parliament. Under the British parliamentary system there can be no question of a

right and left wing or of right and left parties, suth as are well known in the parliaments of Western Europe.

The House of Assembly in its first session of 1910-la. had three parties, the South African Party, with General Louis

Botha as leader; the Unionist Party, under Sir Starr Jameson; and the Labour Party, under Col. F.H.P. Creswell.

Because the Labour Party consisted only of four members in the House of Assembly it may be left out of account. Indeed, the

Labour Party has never played a major role in the Union's politics.

One session thfere were 21 Labour members in the House of Assembly and a few years later 18. Since l92>f the Party has never again had that number of members of the Assembly.

In 1910 the South African Party (S.A.P.) gained the majority. Sir s< rr Jameson, loador of the Unionists, suggested that, as this would bo the first government of the Union, a "best man government" should be formed, a government consisting of the

ablest men in Parliament irrespective of their party associations,

Jameson intended his proposal as a transition measure to help the

Union over the first years which, as were rightly foreseen, would

be difficult years. The financial systems, its own Native policy

and its own provisions regarding the Coloured people, was indeed a highly difficult task. So difficult indeed was it that the

National Convention which prepared the Union, notwithstanding the fact that it included as members the ablest men from the four

colonies, did not see its way clear to settle similar questions

and left their solution to the Union, General Botha, however,

rejected the Jameson proposal and formed a government composed

exclusively of members of the majority South African Party,

Tin? second general election, held in October 1915,

brought no change, although a change of importance had occurred in

the Union’s politics with the establishment of the Nationalist

Party after General J.B.M, Hertzog had been removed from the Botha Cabin't in 1912,

In 191*+, the first World War broke out. General Botha,

as Prime Minister, proposed in the House of Assembly that the Union

should participate on the side of Great Britain, T: is was resisted by General Hertzog and his eleven followers in the Assembly. In

outlining his objections, General Hertzog stated, inter alia, that

General Botha did not represent the feelings of the Afrikaner people and that not five per cent, of the people of the Orange Free State would approve of the proposal,

TJis prediction was verified at the general election of 1915. In the Free St te the South African Party retained only one of the 17 seats. The P. rt.y of General Botha decreased in the

Assembly from 75 to 5^ members and the Unionists from b2 to 39, while the Nationalist Party's membership rose from 12 to 27,

The South African Party lost its complete majority over all other parties combined. General Botha, however, came to an understanding with the Unionists by which the latter would continue to sup] ort the Government in its war policy. The Unionists did not

accept representatim in the Government nor any responsibility for the Government's policy. It was not, therefore, a coalition. In August, 19199 General Botha died. General S±,uts became Prime Minister of the Union. The Unionists promised their sup ort to the Government just as they had done during the life

of General Botha, although the first World War had then already ended by the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

In these circumstances the third general election for the house of Assembly was held in 1920 - unfavourable circumstances for

the S.A. Party, which lost another thirteen seats and failed to

secure more than 1*1 of the 131 in the Assembly. The Unionists, their

allies, lost l1*, but the Nationalists gained 17 and were three

members stronger in the Assembly than the S.A. Party, while the

Labour Party rose from four to twenty-one seats. General Smuts had, together with the Unionists, a majority of four.

General Smuts thereupon approached the other parties to form a coalition government, based more or less on an armistice in the party political struggle. The Nationalist Party did not want to hear of co-operation of all four parties in one and the same

government. They were prepared to co-operate with the S.A. Party, provided, however, that the coalition government would be free to work for national independence and secession from the British Empire, General Smuts did not want to hear of this and so his attempt at forming a coalition of all parties failed.

The Unionisis, on the other hand, were prepared not only to form a coalition with the S.A. Party but a firm alliance, which amounted to the Unionists merging with the S.A. Party. Immediately after the amalgamation General Smuts dissolved Parliament, and the new election gave the S.A„ Party, cum Unionists, a total of

79 seats as against the Nationalist's and the Labour Party’s nine. General S uts included three former Unionists in his Cabinet.

In the following few years the Notionalist and Labour Parties agreed that it was urgently necessary to replaae the Smuts

V ..... - If - j government. In order to achieve this three-cornered contests had to be eliminated5 and in 1923 it was agreed that the Nationalist and Labour parties would not oppose each other in an election.

The Labour Party stated its willingness to co-operate with the

Nationalists on condition that, should the latter get into power,

no Nationalist Member of Parliament would use his vote for breaking

the existing constitutional relations of South Africa with the British Empire.

The "Pact" secured the majority at the fifth general election for the House of Assembly in June, 192^+s Nationalist Party £3 seats, Labour P ty 18, S.A. P . rty 53, Independent 1. General

Hertzog formed a coalition government with two Labour P rty members in his Cabinet. This was the first coalition government since the

establishment of Union. The Pact remained in power till 1933.

In 1932 the Union of South Africa loft the gold standard and in 1933 a coalition was formed between the Nationalists and the S.A. Party, with General Hertzog as Prir.'o Minister and General

Snuts as Minister of Justice. The condition of the coalition was

that the two parties would continue to exist, each with its own

party executive. Soon, however, a movement was started, for

the fusion of the two parties. The movement acquired such scope

as to lead eventually to the formation of the United South African

National P- ty, under the leadership of Gon:r 1 Hertzog. So ended the second political coalition.

The majority of members of the Nationalist Party, under the leadership of Dr, D.F. Malan, did not acquiesce in fusion, but remained outside and maintained the N ticn list P rty, Meanwhile new parties arose, the most important of which was the Volksparty

(People's P: -ty) under the leadership of Mr, Oswald Pirow, The

Nationalist and Volksparties decided to amalgamate and assumed the

name of the Horenigde (re-united) Nationalist Party, which was

later shortened to the Nationalist Party. Dr. Malan remained its leader.

At the outbreak of the Second World War the House of Assembly passed a resolution supporting South Africa's entry on the

side of the Allies. General Hertzog, as Prime Minister, then

recommended to the Governor-General that the House of Assembly be dissolved in order to give the electorate an opportunity of

expressing themselves on the question whether or rot the Union should participate in the war. The Governor-General declined the proposal, and General Herteog resigned-.

General Sr.uts was thereupon instructed to form a new government and did so. General Hertzog and his followers left

the United Party. A difference of opinion as to the policy to be

followed by the Nationalist Party, which General Hertzog and his

followers had rejoined, led to General Hertzog not only resigning

from the Party but resigning also as a member of the House of Assembly.

His old friend and collaborator, Mr. N.u. Havenga, did the same. The

followers of General Hertzog then formed a now political party, the Afrikaner- Party, of which Mr. Havenga is leader at present.

With this party Dr. Malan, as loader of the Nationalist Party, later made an agreement in which each party agreed rot to oppose candidates of the other party at an election. The result was a victory for the Nati nalist and Afrikaner Parties at the general election m May, 19*+8, and this led to the formation of the present coalition government, the third in the existence of the Union.

Collection Number: AD1715

SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS (SAIRR), 1892-1974

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