NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Elections in Southern Rhodesia

Elections in Southern Rhodesia were used from 1899 to 1923 to elect part of the Legislative Council and from 1924 to elect the whole of the Legislative Assembly which governed the colony. Since the granting of self-government in 1923, Southern Rhodesia used the Westminster parliamentary system as its basis of government. The Political party (or alliance) that had most of the seats in the House of Assembly became the government. The person in charge of this bloc (the head of government) was the Premier, later renamed Prime Minister, who then chose his cabinet from his elected colleagues. Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated immediately to the north of South Africa, known today as Zimbabwe. ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of a cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ...

Legislative Council

Prior to the grant of responsible government, Southern Rhodesia was governed by a Legislative Council from 1899 which consisted of some nominated and some elected members. The nominated members were appointed by the British South Africa Company, and consisted of the executive which ruled the colony; the number of elected members increased throughout the period as the number of European settlers in the colony increased. The flag of the British South Africa Company The British South Africa Company (BSAC) was established by Cecil Rhodes through the amalgamation of the Central Search Association and the Exploring Company, Ltd. ...

Legislative Assembly

Following the grant of responsible government in 1924, Southern Rhodesia's Parliament was unicameral, consisting of the Legislative Assembly on its own. Once Acts were passed by the Legislative Assembly, they were passed to the Governor to give assent on behalf of the British monarch. The Assembly had 30 seats until the 1961 constitution, when it was increased to 65 (50 constituencies and 15 districts). It was presided over by a Speaker; Southern Rhodesia differed from UK practice in that the Speaker was an ex officio member of the Legislative Assembly. Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ... This article describes the British monarchy from the perspective of the United Kingdom. ...

Electoral qualifications

1899-1923

The colony of Southern Rhodesia took its base law from that of Cape Colony, suitably modified. The base requirement was that an elector be a British subject, male, aged 21 or over, and able to write their own name and address and sign their name on the registration form. There were then three requirements which qualified voters. Official language English and Dutch1 Capital Cape Town Largest City Cape Town Area - Total - % water Ranked 1st 569,020 kmÂ² (1910) Negligible Population - Total (1911) - Density Ranked 1st 2,564,965 4. ...

a) Owner of a registered mining claim in Southern Rhodesia. b) Occupier of immovable property valued at £75. c) Receiving in Southern Rhodesia wages or salary of £50 per annum.

Under b) and c), voters must also have had six months residency in Southern Rhodesia.

In 1912 the literacy requirements were raised to require voters to write at dictation 50 words in the English language, if required by the registering officer. The means qualification under b) was raised to £150 and under c) to £100 per annum. Women were enfranchised in 1919, deemed to possess the same means qualification as their husbands.

1923-1961

The same qualifications were continued under responsible government. In 1928, the dictation test was eliminated, and in 1938 the means qualifications were lifted from pensioners. The means qualifications were not raised until 1951, when the value of property required was increased to £500, and the annual wage requirement to £240.

In 1957 the residential qualification was raised to two years in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and the language requirement was raised to demand the ability to read and comprehend English. The means qualifications were changed to create upper and lower rolls and to allow for educational achievements to count towards means. Property ownership was required to have been held for two years and the mining claim qualification was eliminated. Official language English Federal Capital Salisbury (Harare) Form of Government Federal Dominion Head of State Queen Elizabeth II Governor-General Sir Humphrey Gibbs Prime Minister Roy Welensky Establishment August 10, 1953 Dissolution December 31, 1963 Currency Rhodesia and Nyasaland pound 1 Time zone - in summer EET (UTC+2) EEST (UTC...

1961 constitution

Following the 1961 constitution, there were two voter rolls that were available to voters. The 'A' roll was the most important, with qualification dependent on meeting a financial and educational means test: in practice, the vast majority on the A roll were European. The 'B' roll had a reduced set of financial and educational qualifications, and the vast majority eligible for the B roll were African. However, African nationalists rejected the constitution and successfully persuaded most eligible African voters not to register.

Which roll an elector was on affected the value of their vote in a constituencies and districts. Both the rolls voted for each type of seat. For the constituencies, if the B roll total exceeded one-fifth of the total votes, it was devalued to a maximum of one-fifth. In practice this never happened, due to the African nationalist campaign to boycott elections. For the districts, if the A roll total exceeded one-fifth of the total votes, it was devalued to a maximum of one-fifth. This always happened.

1970 constitution

In the 1970 constitution, the electoral system was changed with the 'B' roll being abolished. Instead, the electorate were segregated by race with European-descended voters voting in 50 constituencies, and African voters voting in eight. In addition, there were eight seats elected by an electoral college of African tribal chiefs. Prime Minister Ian Smith justified this setup on the grounds that the vast majority of black Rhodesians had no experience with the democratic system. White Rhodesians feared that rapid transition to Black majority rule might yield similar difficulties to those experienced by the newly independent Black African states such as Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, and Nigeria. Smith proposed a gradual inclusion of Africans, increasing as the African population got to understand the system. This was based on the contributions to the fisc, hence the 50-16 split in the 66 seat parliament. Critics counter that this was simply a strategy to perpetuate European settler rule for as long as possible, and whether this transition would have happened over the next few decades is unclear. The Rt Hon Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia, 1964 (official portrait) The Right Honourable Ian Douglas Smith, GCLM ID, (born April 8, 1919) was the Premier of the British Crown Colony of Southern Rhodesia from April 13, 1964 to November 11, 1965 and the Prime Minister of Rhodesia (now...

Elected governments

From 1924 to 1933, the Rhodesia Party (a renaming of the 'Responsible Government Association' which had campaigned for the grant of autonomy) dominated the government. In 1933, the Reform Party, a modestly progressive group, won the election, but within a year the more right-wing part of the party including its leader had merged with the Rhodesia Party to create the United Party. This party remained in power until 1962 when it was defeated by the Rhodesian Front. The Rhodesian Front (RF) was a political party in Southern Rhodesia, later known simply as Rhodesia, now called Zimbabwe, when the country was under white minority rule. ...

From the 1965 election up to the end of Rhodesia in 1979, all of the 'A' Roll seats and European seats were won by Rhodesian Front candidates. These wins were clearly the will of the white voters who felt that the Rhodesian Front was the best choice to lead Rhodesia through the difficult years of sanctions and guerilla war. The 'B' Roll seats were held by Tribal Chiefs and independent candidates. These results ensured a Black African being the Leader of the parliamentary opposition.

Summary of elections

Administration by the British South Africa Company

The flag of the British South Africa Company The British South Africa Company (BSAC) was established by Cecil Rhodes through the amalgamation of the Central Search Association and the Exploring Company, Ltd. ... April 17 is the 107th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (108th in leap years). ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in Leap years). ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... May 22 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (143rd in leap years). ... 1903 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... March 6 is the 65th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (66th in Leap years). ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... April 30 is the 120th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (121st in leap years), with 245 days remaining. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 3 - Babe Ruth is traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for $125,000, the largest sum ever paid for a player at that time. ...

Responsible Government

id="Unilateral_Independence"> April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... September 6 is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years). ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... April 14 is the 104th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (105th in leap years). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... January 27 is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1953 calendar). ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...

Unilateral Independence

Category: Southern Rhodesian elections April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... National motto: Sit Nomine Digna (Latin: May she be worthy of the name} Official language English Capital Salisbury Political system Parliamentary system Form of government Republic - Last President John Wrathall - Prime Minister Ian Smith Area - Total - % water 390 580 kmÂ² 1% Population - 1978 est. ... Flag of Southern Rhodesia, (BSA) chartered company administration. ... The Southern Rhodesia Legislative Council election of April 17, 1899 were the first elections to take place in the Colony of Southern Rhodesia. ... The Southern Rhodesia Legislative Council election of March 17, 1902 was the second election to the Legislative Council of Southern Rhodesia. ... The Southern Rhodesia Legislative Council election of 1905 was the third election to the Legislative Council of Southern Rhodesia. ... The Southern Rhodesia Legislative Council election of April 24, 1908 was the fourth election to the Legislative Council of Southern Rhodesia. ... The Southern Rhodesia Legislative Council election of April 12, 1911 was the fifth election to the Legislative Council of Southern Rhodesia. ... The Southern Rhodesia Legislative Council election of March 18, 1914 was the sixth election to the Legislative Council of Southern Rhodesia. ... The Southern Rhodesia Legislative Council election of April 30, 1920 was the seventh election to the Legislative Council of Southern Rhodesia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Southern_Rhodesia. ... The Southern Rhodesia general election of April 29, 1924 was the first election to the Legislative Assembly of Southern Rhodesia following the grant of responsible government to the colony. ... The Southern Rhodesia general election of September 19, 1928 was the second election to the Legislative Assembly of Southern Rhodesia. ... The Southern Rhodesia general election of September 6, 1933 was the third election since the colony of Southern Rhodesia was granted self-government. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Rhodesia_(1964). ... File links The following pages link to this file: Rhodesia List of FIFA country codes Categories: Flag images ... The Rhodesia general election of 1974 took place on July 30, 1974. ... The Rhodesia general election of 1977, the last general election dominated by the white minority, took place on August 31, 1977. ... Image File history File links Zimbabwe-Rhodesia_Flag. ... The Zimbabwe Rhodesia general election of April 1979 was held under the internal settlement negotiated by the Rhodesian Front government of Ian Smith intended to provide a peaceful transition to majority rule on terms not harmful to Rhodesians of European descent. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Zimbabwe. ... The Zimbabwe parliamentary elections of 2000 to the Zimbabwe House of Assembly were held on June 24 - 25. ... // Constituency results Harare Province BUDIRIRO: Gilbert Shoko (MDC) 17,053; David Makufa (ZANU-PF) 4,886. ... The Senate of Zimbabwe is the upper chamber of the countrys bicameral Parliament. ... The Southern Rhodesia government referendum of October 27, 1922 saw the voters of the colony of Southern Rhodesia by a comfortable majority reject the chance to join the Union of South Africa in favour of establishing a responsible government within the colony. ... The Southern Rhodesia sweepstakes referendum of February 1934 saw the voters of Southern Rhodesia vote to permit the running of sweepstakes gambling under strict legislative control, managed by the government of the colony. ...

Contents

Legislative Council GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");