How is it Governed?

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21806, 11 June 1936, Page 4 (Supplement)

How is it Governed?

14—THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA

The Union of South Africa is a federation or group of states with a central joining government and also independent governments for each state or province in the federation. The four self-governing colonies, the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, the Transvaal and the Orange River Colony were united on May 13, 1910, under the South Africa Act of 1909. The names of these provinces of the Union became the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, the Transvaal and the Orange

Free State. The central government is in the charge of a Gov-ernor-General representing the King, and an Executive Council governing the Departments of State. Parliament consists of the King (represented by the Governor-Gen-eral), a Senate and a House of Assembly. The Governor-General has royal powers within the Union, and by recent legislation these powers have been extended so far that now the Union claims the right to such acts as the declaration of neutrality. In the Senate are 40 members, eight nominated by the GovernorGeneral and 32 elected, eight for each province. <Each Senator must be 30 years of age, a British subject of European descent, and a voter in one of the provinces. He must have resided within the Union

for five or more years and must own property of a certain value. The House of Assembly has 150 members elected in the following numbers: 61 for the Cape of Good Hope; 16 for Natal; 57 for the Transvaal and 16 for the Orange Free State. Since 1930 women more than 21 years of age have had the right to votp! A House of Assembly continues for five years unless it is dissolved sooner. The Parliament must hold a session every year.

The government of the Union is carried out partly in Cape Town and partly in Pretoria, the capital of the Transvaal. In each province there is an Administrator appointed by the Governor-General in Council for a period of five years; and a Provincial Council elected for three years. Members of the Provincial Councils are elected by universal suffrage as the members of Parliament are elected; but unlike'the Senators, Provincial Council members need not Le of European descent. - In the Provincial Council of the Cape of Good Hope there are 61 members; in Natal 25, in Transvaal 57, and in the Orange Free State 25. All ordinances from the councils must be approved by the Governor-General who has the power of veto. • English and Dutch are both official languages. An Act of Parliament has declared Dutch to mean the language of Holland and Afrikaans, a local variant of that language. Province' of the Cape of Good Hope: This colony was founded by the Dutch in 1652 and Britain had possession of it between 1795 and 1803. A British force took final possession of it in 1806, and it was formally ceded to the British by the Dutch in 1814. In 1859 it became a self-governing colony with a Governor, a Legislative Council and a House of Assembly. In 1910 it became part of the Union of South Africa, and has since formed an original province of the Union. Cape Town is the seat of the governing body. The province is divided into magisterial districts and divisions, each division having an elected council of six or more members. The duties of these divisional councils are similar to those of county councils. Province of Natal; Natal became part of Cape Colony in 1844,.with a separate Government in charge in 184 S. By 1856 it had become a separate colony with a partially

representative governing body. In 1893 responsible government was conferred on it. Zululand was added to it in 1897 and other districts in 1903. It became part of the Union in 1910. The seat of provincial government is at Pietermaritzburg. , Province of Transvaal: This territory was colonised by the Boers in 1836-37, and its independence was recognised in 1852. In 1877, however, internal troubles, financial and peace-keeping, caused the Boers to petition the British -Government to annex the territory. Then in 1889 the Boers rebelled and self-gov-ernment was restored. In 1884 the name the South African Republic was given to the Transvaal, but a few rights of government were .reserved by the British Crown. The discovery of gold led to many difficulties, war resulted and the State was finally annexed to the Crown in 1900. Hostilities did not cease until 1902, and responsible government had been granted for only four years before the State was included in the Union in 1910. Province of the Orange Free State: This province was not approached by white men until about a century ago. Settlements were made in the southern parts between 1810 and 1820, and many new settlers arrived with the great Boer trek of 1836-37. Across the Orange river and between it and the Vaal river British sovereignty was declared in 1848. The territory was called the Orange River Sovereignty. There was a great outcry at this, and in 1854, by the convention of Bloemfontein, British Sovereignty was withdrawn and the county was recognised as an independent state —hence its name Orange Free State. There were many brushes with the Basutos, natives who were subdued in about five years. Then the British Government interfered and arranged

matters unsatisfactorily for the Free State. In the South African War (1899-1902) the Orange Free State was annexed by the British and was set up as a Crown Colony with its old name in 1900. In 1907 responsible government was introduced, and in 1910 the province became part of the Union, with its government at Bloemfontein. Area of the Union: 472,550 square miles. Population of the Union: 8,482,600 (1,914,700 Europeans). Areas and populations of the provinces: Cape of Good Hope 277,169 square miles; 2,782,719 •people; Natal 35,284 square miles; 1,429,398 people; Transvaal 110,450 square miles; 2,087,636 people; Orange Free State 49,647 square miles: 628,827 people. Governor-General of the Union: The Earl of Clarendon. Administrators: Cape of Good Hope: The Hon. J. H. Conradie; Natal; The Hon. H. Gordon Watson; Transvaal: The Hon. S. P. Eekker; Orange Free State: The Hon. C. T. Wilcocks.