South Africa Moves Towards A Republic

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29272, 2 August 1960, Page 24

South Africa Moves Towards A Republic

[By LESLIE G. PINE, Editor of Burke'# Peerage]

In the face of growing opposition by other Commonwealth leaders to South Africa’s policy of apartheid, the chances of the Union resigning from the Commonwealth become daily more imminent. Though no ultimatum —as yet—has been issued to the erring brother, the leaders of Britain, Canada and India have all spoken out strongly against South African racial policy. And the governments of Malaya and Ghana are also anxious for a clear-cut Commonwealth policy on apartheid. Not only does apartheid constitute an intolerable embarrassment —bearing in mind that five out of every six member countries are populated by other races and colours—it is also a serious threat to the Commonwealth’s future strength and prestige. Will those countries shortly to gain independence and, it is hoped seek membership of the Commonwealth—Nigeria and the West Indies—be so keen to do so if senior members seem ready to turn a blind eye to apartheid in South Africa? Actually, an ultimatum may not be necessary. The South African Government has already agreed to hold a plebiscite to decide if the Union is to become a republic, though the date of it is yet to be decided. Uncoupling the Unk Assuming the majority vote is for a republic, it would be but a short step for South Africa to uncouple her link with the Commonwealth altogether. At present Elizabeth II is styled Queen of South Africa, but there is no doubt that the Nationalist Party wants a republic. This is the avowed aiih of the Prime Minister, Dr Verwoerd. Needless to say, in view of the apartheid policy of the Nationalists, the plebiscite will be restricted to whites. As the majority of whites are of Boer origin, it may well result in a republic. There would be nothing very democratic or progressive about this move. It would merely mean

that the old Afrikaner element was coming into full power again. Only 50 years have passed since the Union of South Africa was formed. Then the former Boer Republics (Orange Free State and Transvaal) were united with the British areas of Cape Colony and Natal. After the British had won the three years’ Boer War, it was supposed that the Union would render bygones a inatter of the past. In the two world wars South Africa was ranged with Britain largely through the influence of the great Jan Smuts. Since the last war, however, the old Boer spirit has triumphed and now seeks its culmination in a return to a republican form of government. Unfortunately, a South African republic would be of little assistance to the coloureds in their fight for freedom. To all intents and purposes South Africa would continue as a Helot State, with a minority of whites ruling over a large majority of black serfs This is almost the last form of feudalism in the world. Attempts are sometimes made to justify it by reference to the Bible or at least to Old Testament texts, about Ham being subject to Japheth, etc. Some leaders, like Dr Malan, who was a Doctor of Divinity, find no difficulty in reconciling Christian beliefs of the straitest kind with their apartheid policy. Development of the South African form of feudalism is sometimes interesting. Often it is appalling. Among the pleasanter features is the plan to set up a State Heraldry Department. There is no reason why a republic should not have Heralds. Mr De Valera appointed a Chief Herald of Ireland who sits in Dublin Castle. In both the Irish and the South African instances, the motive is the same: to prevent heraldic business going to the “foreign” British Sovereign. Most Irish grants of arms are now made by the Chief Herald of Ireland, and not by the British Ulster King of Arms. The same thing will happen if South Africa has its own Heralds. They will look after grants of arms and pedigrees in the Union. The less plesant side of things is seen in the steady development of South Africa towards a police state. One South African whom I have met, told me that at a lecture which he gave, two plain clothes policemen were at the back of the hall, taking notes. He now knows that he is the' subject of a police dossier. All this because he dared to visit Jamaica and to lecture about it. He must be careful now or he might not get his exit permit the next time he wants to leave South Africa. If South Africa’goes republican, the tendencies towards a slave state will be accentuated. Isolation from the rest of the world will have become a virtue. The trend towards republicanism is not of course confined' to the Union. Ghana is likely to become a republic by July. The news is blandly accompanied by the comment that Mr Macmillan has been informed. Pakistan became a republic in 1956, though Her Majesty has the title in Pakistan of Head of the Commonwealth. Will Nigeria, our largest remaining colony, also turn republican on gaining independence? Whatever people in Britain may think of these developments, they must realise that they were all envisaged in 1931 when the Statute of Westminster was passed. This law arose from the Imperial Conferences of 1926 and 1930. The meaning of the Statute can be simply put. The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and any other selfgoverning parts of the Commonwealth are all equal under this statute. The only thing which they have in common is the link of the Crown. If any self-governing part of the Commonwealth chooses to sever that link, it has freedom to do so. India did so, but remained in the Commonwealth. Presumably, South Africa could do the same if she wanted to. But when the Statute of Westminster was passed, a calculated risk was taken. Britain renounced all rights to control the destiny of her fellow Commonwealth members. South Africa is entirely free to follow her own wishes, even if her self-imposed destiny is thought by us us to be mistaken. After all, South Africa is the country in which the Queen, when she came of age as Princess Elizabeth, made her splendid declaration of dedication to the welfare of the Commonwealth.— Central Press—All rights Reserved.