Separate Representation of Voters Act
Encyclopedia
The Separate Representation of Voters Act No. 46 was introduced in South Africa
on 18 June 1951. Part of the legislation during the apartheid era, the National Party
introduced it to enforce racial segregation, and was the start of a deliberate process to remove all non-white people from the voters' roll.
This act was declared invalid by the Supreme Court
when challenged in the case of Harris v Minister of the Interior 1952(2) SA 428(AD). The government, however, was able to circumvent this decision by increasing the number of Appellate Division judges from five to eleven, and increasing the size of the Senate from forty-eight to forty-nine. These changes enabled the government to successfully introduce the South Africa Act Amendment Act No 9 of 2 March 1956, effectively overturning the Supreme Court's decision and revalidating the act. This amendment was repealed by the Republic of South Africa Constitution Act 32 of 1961.
The act as a whole was repealed by section 4 of the Separate Representation of Voters Amendment Act No 50 of 27 March 1968. This bill introduced the Coloured Persons Representative Council, consisting of forty elected members and twenty nominated members. This council could make laws on finance
, local government
, education
, community welfare and pension
s, rural settlement
s and agriculture
which affected coloured
people. A bill could only be introduced when approved by the Minister of Coloured Relations, as well as requiring the approval of the white Cabinet
. This act was repealed in 1983 by section 101(1) of the Republic of South Africa Constitution Act No 110.
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 18 June 1951. Part of the legislation during the apartheid era, the 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...
introduced it to enforce racial segregation, and was the start of a deliberate process to remove all non-white people from the voters' roll.
This act was declared invalid by the Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
when challenged in the case of Harris v Minister of the Interior 1952(2) SA 428(AD). The government, however, was able to circumvent this decision by increasing the number of Appellate Division judges from five to eleven, and increasing the size of the Senate from forty-eight to forty-nine. These changes enabled the government to successfully introduce the South Africa Act Amendment Act No 9 of 2 March 1956, effectively overturning the Supreme Court's decision and revalidating the act. This amendment was repealed by the Republic of South Africa Constitution Act 32 of 1961.
The act as a whole was repealed by section 4 of the Separate Representation of Voters Amendment Act No 50 of 27 March 1968. This bill introduced the Coloured Persons Representative Council, consisting of forty elected members and twenty nominated members. This council could make laws on finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
, local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, community welfare and pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
s, rural settlement
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
s and agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
which affected coloured
Coloured
In the South African, Namibian, Zambian, Botswana and Zimbabwean context, the term Coloured refers to an heterogenous ethnic group who possess ancestry from Europe, various Khoisan and Bantu tribes of Southern Africa, West Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaya, India, Mozambique,...
people. A bill could only be introduced when approved by the Minister of Coloured Relations, as well as requiring the approval of the white Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
. This act was repealed in 1983 by section 101(1) of the Republic of South Africa Constitution Act No 110.
External links
- Copy of the Separate Representation of Voters Act, Act No 46 of 1951 from the DISA library of the University of KwaZulu-NatalUniversity of KwaZulu-NatalThe University of KwaZulu-Natal or UKZN is a university with five campuses all located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville.-History:-University of...
- Copy of the Separate Representation of Voters Amendment Act, Act No 30 of 1956 from the DISA library of the University of KwaZulu-NatalUniversity of KwaZulu-NatalThe University of KwaZulu-Natal or UKZN is a university with five campuses all located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville.-History:-University of...