South African general election, 1948

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

South Africa
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of South Africa

Constitution Bill of Rights Government Executive President Thabo Mbeki Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka Ministers Legislative Parliament Council of Provinces Chairperson M. J. Mahlangu National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete Leader of the Opposition Helen Zille (national) Sandra Botha (legislatorial) Elections Judiciary Constitutional Court Supreme Court of Appeal High Court Magistrates Courts Provinces Districts (MMs, DMs) Municipalities (list) Political parties Foreign relations
Other countries · Atlas Politics Portal view • talk • edit

The South African general election of 1948 was held on the May 26, 1948 and saw Herenigde Nasionale Party leader DF Malan call for the prohibition of mixed marriages, for the banning of black trade unions and for stricter enforcement of job reservation. Running on this platform of apartheid, as it was termed for the first time, Malan and his party benefited from the weight given to rural electorates, defeating Smuts and his United Party. Smuts even lost his own seat of Standerton.

The Herenigde Nasionale Party and its coalition partner, the Afrikaner Party, won seventy-nine seats against the seventy-four of their United and Labour Party opponents, although the Herenigde Nasionale Party had received 140,000 less of the total votes cast than their opponents. The Herenigde Nasionale Party consequently became the government, renamed itself the National Party and ruled South Africa until 1994.

Party	Seats
Herenigde Nasionale Party	70
United Party	65
Afrikaner Party	9
Labour Party	6
Independents	3
TOTAL	153

v • d • e South African general elections

1910 · 1915 · 1920 · 1921 · 1924 · 1929 · 1933 · 1938 · 1943 · 1948 · 1953 · 1958 · 1961 · 1966 · 1970 · 1974 · 1977 · 1981 · 1984 · 1987 · 1989 · 1994 · 1999 · 2004 · 2009

South African referendums

1960 · 1983 · 1992