Separate Representation of Voters Act, 1951

The Separate Representation of Voters Act, Act no. 46/1951 ( German as: law for the separate representation of voters ) was a law that was passed by Parliament in South Africa on June 18, 1951. In common parlance, it was called Coloured Franchise Bill.

Purpose and Objectives

With this law, colored, male South Africans should be entered on its own ( separate ) list of voters in the Cape Province, where they could, if elected, voted only for white representatives, who should then act as intermediaries between their population and the government. Four of these representatives were white for the lower house ( House of Assembly ), one intended for the Senate and three for the Kapländischen Provincial Council (Cape Provincial Council).

In addition, the establishment of a Committee for Coloured Affairs ( Board of Coloured Affairs ) was provided, which was led by a white commissioner. Attached to him should be eight colored from the Cape Province and three nominated by the government representatives in the provinces of Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal. Its remit was designed to advise the South African government and as a mediator between the parties.

Effects

Against this legislative initiative to protests raised domestically, including by political organizations of the white population who had received until then votes from the colored population group. Then declared in 1952, the Supreme Court ( Supreme Court of South Africa), the law invalid. As a result of this decision, the South African government restructured the court ( High Court of Parliament Act, 1952), which led to new constitutional conditions. In 1956, the Separate Representation of Voters Act through new legislation (South Africa Act Amendment Act, no. 9/1956 and Separate Representation of Voters Amendment Act No 30/1956. ) Was replaced, which with minor changes with the Act of Parliament of 1951 proposed regulations were introduced legally binding.

This law and the domestic political debate associated with it, a process accelerated within the apartheid policy that aimed to restrict the perception of democratic voting rights for the non-white section of the population. For the white population, the protest by members of the Black Sash, but thus represented a minority position was formed. In 1936, we had reduced the voting rights of black people with the Representation of Natives Act similarly massive.

The Separate Representation of Voters Act had with the Asiatic Law Amendment Act, no. 47 of 1948 is already a similar precursor, which met similar restrictions for the Transvaal and Natal.

Voters classifications after the previous election in South Africa came to a head in 1968 to an intra - and extra-parliamentary debate. As one of the main political actors here were members of the Liberal Party of South Africa.

Legislative follow developments

In 1968, the Separate Representation of Voters Amendment Act (Act No. 50/1968. ) Lifted together with the Coloured Persons Representative Council Amendment Act (Act No. 52/1968 ) the indirect parliamentary representation of Coloureds by the white representatives of their choice on. The 1964 adopted but not until 1968 in force passing Coloured Persons Representative Council Act (Act No. 49/1964 ) is now installed its own Vertretungsrat the Coloureds ( Coloured Persons Representative Council, abbreviated CRC) and as a new political body, but which did not constitute a parliamentary group consequently also remained largely ineffective. For the formation of this council was scheduled to elect 40 members of the population, and 20 appointed by the President.