A SURVEY OF RACE RELATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA 1961 Compiled by L HORREL L MURIE Research Officer South African Institute of Race Rclalions SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS P.O. Box 97 . JOHANNESBURG 1 962 D AN C REPUBLI A S BECOME A AFRIC H SOUT H COMMONWEALT E TH S LEAVE S EVENT E THES F O E SIGNIFICANC Early in 1961 South Africa became a republic and withdrew J from the Commonwealth. These events are likely to have far- s it n o d an , country e th n i s attitude l g effectpolitica n o s reachin ! . well-being c economi 1 , REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA CONSTITUTION ACT / (No. 32 of 1961) " Representations by certain Provincial Councils " It was reported in our last Survey™ that, after the referendum e vot o t d entitle e thos f o y majorit a n whe , 1960 r Octobe 5 n o |i a f o t establishmen e th f o r favou n i e wer y the t tha d indicate ] republic, the Natal Provincial Council decided to request that the d entrenche e fiv e includ d shoul n constitutio n republica w ne j ] "fundamental rights", and should preserve and extend the powers e Prim e th y b d rejecte e wer s request e Thes . councils l provincia f o j | Minister; as were somewhat similar representations made by the s Councillor l Provincia y Part d Unite d an l Counci l Provincia e Cap I i in the Transvaal. l Bil e th f o n introductio e th o t n Oppositio • .; d move d Verwoer . Dr ° 1961 y Januar 3 2 n o y Assembl e th n I I { for leave to introduce the Republic of South Africa Constitution j Bill. Sir de Villicrs Graaff, leader of the United Party, moved, I as an amendment^, that such leave should not be granted unless and until: c republi d propose e th t tha d establishe y unequivocall s i t i ) "(a will remain in the Commonwealth; and (b) the Government gives an assurance that provision is or will be made in such legislation for guaranteeing such basic . Africa" h Sout n i y unit l nationa e advanc l wil s a s right \ j A counter-amendment was moved by the leader of the Pro- - per t tha d . SteytlerA n propose va e (4). H J . Dr , Party e gressiv i ! mission to introduce the measure should not be granted unless and { (1) Pare 9. I (2) Hansard 1 col. 16. f (') Col. 17 . Col> . 4 ( 24 . \ •j 2 A SURVEY OF RACE RELATIONS: 1961 3 - pro n contai d woul t i t tha s assurance e gav t Governmen e th l unti continue to be a member of the Commonwealth, which was so alia: inter , visions . people g English-speakin e th y b d desire y ardentl (a) for a rigid constitution and the protection of minority rights; Sir de Villiers Graalf maintained0'' that the Government could not claim the support of the majority of the people of (b) for adequate decentralization of power to the provinces; South Africa for the republic. Registered Coloured voters had (c) for the participation of all responsible citizens in the govern- not been allowed to vote in the referendum, and no attempt had . colour r o e rac f o e irrespectiv y countr e th f o t men t cen r pe 8 4 , so n Eve . Africans f o s view e th n obtai o t e mad n bee . defeated e wer s amendment h Bot of the electorate had voted against a republic, fearing that rela- a t tha d an d endangere e b d woul h Commonwealt e th h wit s tion Terme s th o f o th t e Act endorsemen n a s a d interprete e b d woul r favou n i e vot d Secon s it r afte e Committe t Selec a o t d referre s wa l Bil e Th Government's rigid and negative policies. From its inception the Reading. In its final form, (Act 32 of 1961) the measure pro- republic would be sectional. The onus rested on the Government vided that South Africa would become a republic on 31 May, whether it would ever become a truly South African republic. The leader of the United Party in Natal, Mr. D. E. Mitchcll, s country' e th s a n Quee e th g replacin t Presiden e Stat a h wit , 1961 (7) l Governor-Genera f o e offic e Th . state f o d hea l constitutiona e W . .. republic e th t accep t no o d e "W , said e H . further t wen y b d electe e b d woul t Presiden e Stat e Th . away l fal s thu d woul t proposno o d o livt e e permanentl e wilW yl . seeunde.. k. it r an electora- oppor l e collegth f I e . consistin.. laws g on f ow th r e memberou e mak s o t of y the Senateopportunit ant dfirs e th the House of Assembly at a meeting presided over by the Chief tunity present s n Natai itsel e w lf will grasn boti t i hp hands". Justice or a Judgd e stan o fe Appeath m lfro designatey Part e d by himProgressiv e . th Th d e Presidendissociate r t Steytlc . Dr will normally hold office for a >pcriod of seven years, but can be taken by Mr. Mitchell. He said that despite deep differences ) removed from office on a resolution passed by both Houses of with the Government on the exclusiots n of Non-Whites from the e b d shoul s thi t tha g declarin n Sessio e sam e th g durin t Parliamen referendum and on cardinal principles of the constitution, his s hi m perfor o t y inabilit f o r o t misconduc f o d groun e th n o e don party regarded the result of the referendum as a mandate for the . efficiently s dutie n rc-opc d woul s thi t accep o t l Refusa . republic a f o t establishmen e th e b l wil n Unio e th f o g fla e th t tha n dow d lai t Ac e Th a dispute which had clouded South Africa's public life for fifty nationag l flagrantin g f oo f t the Republicobjec e th s , and Diethemselve t Steinse d ha van s Suul-AjrikaProgressive e Th th e. years national anthem. rights to persons of all colours who deserved them, and would t Ac a Afric h Sout e th n i d containe n declaratio e th d repeate t I strive to achieve that object whether under a monarchy or a e b t mus d an s language l officia e th e ar s Afrikaan d an h Englis t tha republic. They regarded the establishment of a republic as a t canno n provisio s thi , before s A . equality f o g footin a n o d treate mistake, however. s two-third a f o n decisio e th y b s unles d altere r o d repeale e b At the conclusion of the Second Reading debate, Mr. majority at a joint sitting of both Houses. J. D. du P. Basson of the National Union voted with the Govern- d Coloure e th d an s Partie e Progressiv d an d Unite e th t bu , ment Parliamentary debate representatives opposed the measure. d sai r Ministe Reading*"'d e Prim Secon e e th th , g movin n Whe n ambitio d long-cherishe a s wa c republi a f o t attainmen e th t tha Election of first President e th f o s section s variou e th t tha r orde n I . people r Afrikane e th f o - Governor s previou e th , Swart . R . C . Mr 1 196 y Ma 0 1 n O populations vote ,9 despit13 g e formereceivin , r strife, mighPresident e t Stal b t e weldefirs e th d intd o onelecte es natiowa , n General within the republic, the Afrikaners had made several concessions. to the 71 cast for the Opposition's candidate, Mr. II. A. Fagan'"'. While many republicans, for example, would have preferred a As is reported in the next chapter. Mr. Fagan subsequently e th f o d hea e th d an e Stat f o d hea e th h bot s wa o wh t Presiden . Party n Unio l Nationa e th f o d hea e becam Government, the traditions of the "other section of the popula- tion" had been kept in mind, and the two offices would be kept separate. The Nationalists had accepted, too, that the republic should (f-1 Cols. 353-62. C) Cote. 453-4. (») Cols. 463-7. ) Assembly(! Januar0 3 . y 1961. Hansar 2 colsd . 324-7. 1961 y Ma 0 1 , rcnorl ('Slur ) 4 A SURVEY OF RACE RELATIONS: 1961 5 SOUTH AFRICA'S WITHDRAWAL FROM THE COMMONWEALTH he was prepared to answer criticism, but did not wish this to be . meetings e futur t a e procedur r fo t preceden a s a d regarde d Venvoer .