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Encyclopedia > Union of South Africa
Unie van Suid-Afrika
Union of South Africa
Commonwealth Realm



1910 – 1961
Flag
Flag Coat of arms
Motto
Ex Unitate Vires
(Latin: From Unity, strength}
Anthem
Die Stem van Suid-Afrika
Location of South Africa
Capital Cape Town (legislative)
Pretoria (administrative)
Bloemfontein (judicial)
Language(s) Afrikaans, Dutch, English
Government Constitutional monarchy
Monarch
 - 1952-1961 Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General
 - 1959-1961 Charles Robberts Swart
Prime Minister
 - 1958-1961 Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd
Legislature Parliament
 - Upper house Senate
 - Lower house House of Assembly
History
 - Union May 311910
 - Statute of Westminster December 11, 1931
 - Republic May 311961
Area
 - 1961 2,045,320 km2
789,702 sq mi
Population
 - 1961 est. 18,216,000 
     Density 8.9 /km²  (23.1 /sq mi)
Currency South African pound


The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day state of the Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910, as a result of the consolidation of the British Colonies in the Southern Africa region under one system of government. The previously separate colonies became Provinces in the Union of South Africa as the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State, respectively. South Africa was converted from a dominion in the Commonwealth to a separate Republic in 1961. The Commonwealth Realms, shown in pink A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the sixteen sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that recognise Elizabeth II as their respective monarch. ... Anthem: God Save the Queen Cape Colony Capital Cape Town Language(s) English and Dutch1 Religion Dutch Reformed Church, Anglican Government Constitutional monarchy Last Monarch King George VI Last Prime Minister  - 1908 – 1910 John X. Merriman Last Governor  - 1901 - 1910 Walter Hely-Hutchinson Historical era 19th century  - Dutch East India... Image File history File links Cape_Colony_flag. ... Flag of Orange River Colony The Orange River Colony was a British colony created by the annexation of the Orange Free State in 1900, after the Boer War. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Orange_River_Colony. ... Flag of Transvaal For the Russian theme park, see Transvaal Park. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Transvaal. ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa_1928-1994. ... This article is about the country on the southern tip of the African continent. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa_1928-1994. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 539 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (884 × 983 pixel, file size: 489 KB, MIME type: image/gif) Sources: National and Provincial Symbols of South Africa, by F G Brownell (Chris van Rensburg Publications); historical notes from (among others) the Standard Encyclopædia of... Flag ratio: 2:3 The current flag of the Republic of South Africa was adopted on April 27, 1994, after the first free elections and the end of apartheid. ... The South African coat of arms was designed and first unveiled in 2000 and replaced an earlier design that had served the country since 1910. ... A motto (from Italian) is a phrase or a short list of words meant formally to describe the general motivation or intention of an entity, social group, or organization. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogizing the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nations government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Die Stem van Suid-Afrika (English: The Call of South Africa) was the national anthem of South Africa from 1957 to 1994, and shared national anthem status with Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika between 1994 and 1997. ... Image File history File links LocationSouthAfrica-1990. ... This article is about a city that serves as a center of government and politics. ... City motto: Spes Bona (Latin: Good Hope) Location of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape Province Province Western Cape Mayor Helen Zille Area  - % water 2,499 km² N/A Population  - Total (2004)  - Density Not ranked 2,893,251 1,158/km² Established 1652 Time zone SAST (UTC+2... Motto: Praestantia Praevaleat Pretoria (May Pretoria Be Pre-eminent In Excellence) Country South Africa Province Gauteng Established 1855 Area  - City 1,644 km²  (634. ... Bloemfontein at night Bloemfontein (IPA: , Afrikaans and Dutch for fountain of Bloem (bloom) or flower fountain is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa. ... Afrikaans is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in South Africa and Namibia. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The King or Queen of South Africa was the nominal ruler of the Union of South Africa during the states existence as a dominion of the British Empire (and later a realm of the British Commonwealth) from May 31, 1910 to May 31, 1961 when the country became the... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... The Governor General of the Union of South Africa was the representative of the British Crown in South Africa between May 31, 1910 and May 31, 1961. ... Charles Robberts Swart (1894 - 1982) was the last Governor-General of the Union of South Africa and the first State President of the Republic of South Africa. ... This is a list of South African Prime Ministers. ... Silver medal commemorating Verwoerds death. ... A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modelled after that of the United Kingdom. ... A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ... House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral legislature, in some countries, often at subnational level. ... The South Africa Act 1909 was an Act of the British Parliament which created the Union of South Africa from the British Colonies of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange River Colony, and the Transvaal. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... This article is about the Statute of Westminster relating to the British Empire and its dominions. ... December 11 is the 345th day (346th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A republic is a form of government maintained by a state or country whose sovereignty is based on popular consent and whose governance is based on popular representation and control. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... Population density by country, 2006 Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... The pound was the currency of South Africa between 1825 and 1961. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Under the Union of South Africa and after that under the Republic of South Africa, the old Cape Colony became the Cape of Good Hope Province (though it was commonly known as the Cape Province). ... KwaZulu-Natal (often referred to as KZN) is a province of South Africa. ... Flag of Transvaal For the Russian theme park, see Transvaal Park. ... Flag of the Orange Free State Capital Bloemfontein Language(s) Afrikaans, English Religion Dutch Reformed Church Government Republic President  - 1854 - 1855 Josias P. Hoffman  - 1855 - 1859 Jacobus Nicolaas Boshoff  - 1859 - 1863 Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (also President of the South African Republic from 1857 to 1871). ... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2006 Headquarters Marlborough House, London Leaders  -  Queen Elizabeth II  -  Secretary-General Don McKinnon (since 1999)  -  Ransford Smith Establishment  -  as British Commonwealth 1926   -  as the Commonwealth 1949  Membership 53 sovereign states Website thecommonwealth. ...

Contents

Constitution

Main article: South Africa Act 1909
Historical nation-states of present-day South Africa
(including Boer republics and TBVC states)

Swellendam (1795)
Graaff Reinet (1795-1796)
Waterboer's Land (1813-1871)
Adam Kok's Land (1825-1861)
Winburg (1836-1844)
Potchefstroom (1837-1844)
Potchefstroom, North West (1844-1848)
Republic of Utrecht (1854-1858)
De Republiek Lydenburg in Zuid Afrika (1856-1860)
Nieuw Republiek (1884-1888)
Griqualand East (1861-1879)
Griqualand West (1870)
Klein Vrystaat (1886-1891)
Stellaland (1882-1885)
Goshen (South Africa) (1882-1883)
Zululand (1816-1897)
Natalia Republic (1839–1843)
Orange Free State (1854-1902)
South African Republic (1857-1902)
Union of South Africa (1910–1961)
Bophuthatswana (1977-1994)
Ciskei (1981-1994)
Transkei (1976-1994)
Venda (1979-1994)
Republic of South Africa (1961-present)
The South Africa Act 1909 was an Act of the British Parliament which created the Union of South Africa from the British Colonies of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange River Colony, and the Transvaal. ... The term nation-state, while often used interchangeably with the terms unitary state and independent state, refers properly to the parallel occurence of a state and a nation. ... The Boer Republics (sometimes also referred to as Boer states) were independent self-governed republics created by the Dutch-speaking (proto Afrikaans) inhabitants of the Cape of Good Hope and their descendants (variously named Trekboers, Boers and Voortrekkers) in mainly the northern and eastern parts of what is now the... A map of the nine provinces of South Africa South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. ... Swellendam Municipality is a municipality located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. ... Graaff Reinet, a town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, 185 miles by rail NW by N of Port Elizabeth. ... Griquatown is a cattle farming town situated in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. ... Philippolis is a small town in the Free State Province of South Africa. ... Winburg is a small mixed farming town in the Free State Province of South Africa. ... Potchefstroom is a large academic town with the North-West University, situated on the banks of the Mooi River (literally pretty river), 120 km west-southwest of Johannesburg in the North West Province of South Africa. ... Potchefstroom is a large academic town with the North-West University, situated on the banks of the Mooi River (literally pretty river), 120 km west-southwest of Johannesburg in the North West Province of South Africa. ... Utrecht is a small town in the foothills of the Balele Mountains in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. ... Lydenburg is a town in Mpumalanga, South Africa. ... ghghghgh Vryheid is a coal mining and cattle ranching town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. ... The Griqua are a subgroup of South Africas Coloured population, descended from an admixture of European settlers and the Khoisan peoples they encountered on their initial arrival at the Cape. ... The Griqua are a subgroup of South Africas Coloured population, descended from an admixture of European settlers and the Khoisan peoples they encountered on their initial arrival at the Cape. ... Flag of Klein Vrystaat, almost identical to that of Transvaal Klein Vrystaat (Afrikaans:Little Free State) was a short-lived Boer republic in what is now South Africa. ... Map of Stellaland and surrounding regions Stellaland was a short-lived Boer republic established in 1882 by David Massouw and 400 followers, who invaded a Bechuana area west of the Transvaal. ... Goshen (named after the biblical Land of Goshen) was a short-lived Boer republic from 24 October 1882 until 7 August 1883; it was located in an area of Bechuanaland, west of the then South African Republic. ... Zululand was the Zulu-dominated area of what is now northern KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. ... Flag The Natalia Republic was located in the southern half of this region Capital Pietermaritzburg Language(s) Dutch, Zulu Religion Dutch Reformed Church Government Republic Prime Minister  - 1839 – 1843 Andries Pretorius Historical era 19th century  - Republic founded October 12, 1839  - Battle of Blood River December 16, 1838  - Alliance with Zulu... Flag of the Orange Free State Capital Bloemfontein Language(s) Afrikaans, English Religion Dutch Reformed Church Government Republic President  - 1854 - 1855 Josias P. Hoffman  - 1855 - 1859 Jacobus Nicolaas Boshoff  - 1859 - 1863 Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (also President of the South African Republic from 1857 to 1871). ... Flag Location of the Transvaal in pre-1994 South Afica Capital Pretoria Language(s) Dutch, English, Afrikaans Religion Dutch Reformed Church Government Republic President  - 1883-1902 Paul Kruger  - 1900-1902 Schalk Willem Burger (acting) History  - Established June 27, 1857  - British annexation 1877-1881  - Second Boer War October 11, 1899  - Treaty... Bophuthatswana as of 1977 Flag of Bophuthatswana bantustan Bophuthatswana was a former Bantustan (homeland) in the north of South Africa. ... Ciskei Flag of Ciskei Ciskei was a Bantustan in the south east of South Africa. ... Flag of Transkei bantustan Political Map of South Africa prior to 1994 Transkei, as of 1978 The Transkei — which means the area beyond the Kei River — is a region situated in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. ... Venda was a bantustan in northern South Africa, now part of Limpopo province. ...

Core Features

Unlike Canada and Australia, the Union was a unitary state, rather than a federation, with each colony's parliaments being abolished and replaced with provincial councils. A bicameral parliament was created, consisting of a House of Assembly and Senate, and its members were elected mostly by the country's white minority. During the course of the Union the franchise changed on several occasions often to suit the needs of the government of the day. Parliamentary Supremacy was entrenched and save for procedural safeguards the courts were unable to intervene in Parliament's decisions or policies. A map showing the unitary states. ... A map displaying todays federations. ... In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. ... A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modelled after that of the United Kingdom. ... House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral legislature, in some countries, often at subnational level. ... A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ...


Capitals

Owing to disagreements over where the Union's capital city should be, a compromise was reached in which every province would be dealt a share of the benefits of the capital: the administration would be seated in Pretoria (Transvaal), the Seat of Parliament would be in Cape Town (Cape Province), the Appellate Division would be in Bloemfontein (Orange Free State), and Pietermaritzburg (Natal) was given financial compensation. This arrangement effectively continues today, as most organs of state with the notable exception of the Constitutional Court, Human Rights Commission (both in Johannesburg), the Supreme Court of Appeal and Judicial Services Commission (both in Bloemfontein) and Parliament (Cape Town), being located in Pretoria. However, the only reference in the current South African Constitution is that Cape Town is the Seat of Parliament. Motto: Praestantia Praevaleat Pretoria (May Pretoria Be Pre-eminent In Excellence) Country South Africa Province Gauteng Established 1855 Area  - City 1,644 km²  (634. ... City motto: Spes Bona (Latin: Good Hope) Location of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape Province Province Western Cape Mayor Helen Zille Area  - % water 2,499 km² N/A Population  - Total (2004)  - Density Not ranked 2,893,251 1,158/km² Established 1652 Time zone SAST (UTC+2... Bloemfontein at night Bloemfontein (IPA: , Afrikaans and Dutch for fountain of Bloem (bloom) or flower fountain is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa. ... City motto: City of Choice Province KwaZulu-Natal Mayor Zanele Hlatshwayo Area   Unknown Population  - Total (1991)   228,549 Established 1838 Time zone SAST (UTC+2) Calling code 033 Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city of the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. ...


Relationship to the Crown

The Union initially remained under the British Crown as self-governing dominion of the British Empire. With the passage of the Statute of Westminster in 1931, the Union was considered equal in status to the other Commonwealth Realms, and the United Kingdom could no longer legislate on behalf of South Africa. Thus, a legally separate South African Crown came into being, and the King reigned in the country as King of South Africa rather than King of the United Kingdom. The Monarch was represented in South Africa by a Governor-General, while effective power was exercised by the Prime Minister (who was Head of Government). Louis Botha, formerly a Boer general, was appointed first Prime Minister of the Union, heading a coalition representing the white Afrikaner and English-speaking communities. Prosecutions before courts were instituted in the name of the Crown (cited in the format Rex v Accused) and government officials served in the name of the Crown. The British monarch or Sovereign is the head of state of the United Kingdom and in the British overseas territories. ... A dominion, often Dominion, is the territory or the authority of a dominus (a lord or master). ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... This article is about the Statute of Westminster relating to the British Empire and its dominions. ... The Commonwealth Realms, shown in pink A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the sixteen sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that recognise Elizabeth II as their respective monarch. ... The King or Queen of South Africa was the nominal ruler of the Union of South Africa during the states existence as a dominion of the British Empire (and later a realm of the British Commonwealth) from May 31, 1910 to May 31, 1961 when the country became the... Flag of the Governor-General, Union of South Africa, 1910 The Governor-General of the Union of South Africa was the representative of the British Crown in South Africa between May 31, 1910 and May 31, 1961. ... This is a list of South African Prime Ministers. ... The Head of Government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... Louis Botha Louis Botha (September 17, 1862-August 27, 1919) was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the modern South African state, then called the Union of South Africa. ... Afrikaners are a European ethnic group primarily associated with Southern Africa and the Afrikaans language. ...


During the course of the Union the Royal Styles of the Monarch were modified, with Elizabeth II being the last reigning Queen of South Africa.


Languages

As an entrenched clause in the Constitution originally, Dutch was an official language alongside English, but it was de facto replaced by Afrikaans in 1926 whilst officially Dutch and Afrikaans co-existed legally until the 1960s. An entrenched clause of a constitution is a provision which makes certain amendments either more difficult than others or impossible. ... An official language is a language that is given a unique legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Look up Wiktionary:Swadesh lists for Afrikaans and Dutch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...


Final days of the South Africa Act and legacy

Following a referendum on 5 October 1960, in which whites voted in favour of a republic, the Union became the Republic of South Africa on 31 May 1961 and left the Commonwealth in the face of condemnation of its apartheid policies. Subsequently the South African Parliament passed a Constitution that repealed the South Africa Act. The features of the Union were carried over with very little change to the newly formed Republic. The decision to transform from a Union to Republic was narrowly decided in the referendum. The decision together with South Africa's insistance on adhering to its policy of apartheid resulted in South Africa's de facto expulsion from the Commonwealth of Nations (South Africa left the association when it was resolved that she would not be permitted to remain on the terms she wished). On 5th October, 1960, South Africas white minority government held a referendum on whether or not the then Union should sever links with the British monarchy and become a republic. ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (279th in leap years). ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A republic is a form of government maintained by a state or country whose sovereignty is based on popular consent and whose governance is based on popular representation and control. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2006 Headquarters Marlborough House, London Leaders  -  Queen Elizabeth II  -  Secretary-General Don McKinnon (since 1999)  -  Ransford Smith Establishment  -  as British Commonwealth 1926   -  as the Commonwealth 1949  Membership 53 sovereign states Website thecommonwealth. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... The South Africa Act 1909 was an Act of the British Parliament which created the Union of South Africa from the British Colonies of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange River Colony, and the Transvaal. ...


Uniting two races

The framers of the Union had a fairly different conception of race than is presently held by society. Subsequently a fair amount of consideration concerning it occurred. It may be said that the Union was so pre-occupied with uniting the "white races" (the British and the Boers) into a single race that it enabled the gulf between whites and blacks to enlarge.


Segregation

The South Africa Act dealt with race in two specific provisions: Firstly it entrenched the vote of the Cape Colony which operated free of racial considerations (although due to socio-economic restrictions no real political expression of non-whites was possible). Secondly it made "native affairs" a matter for the national government. The practice therefore was to establish a Minister of Native Affairs. The South Africa Act 1909 was an Act of the British Parliament which created the Union of South Africa from the British Colonies of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange River Colony, and the Transvaal. ...


Reasons for Unification

At the close of the Anglo Boer War in 1902, the four colonies were for the first time under a common flag, and the most significant obstacle to unification that prevented previous plans at unification was no longer applicable. Subsequently the long standing desire of many colonial administrators to establish a unified structure became immediately possible. The most notable previous attempt was probably Lord Carnaveron's Federation plans.


South African Customs Union and Trade Tarrifs

The matter of trade tarriffs had been a long standing source of conflict between the various political units of Southern Africa. Essentially at the heart of the crisis lay the fact that the Transvaal was a landlocked economic hub that resented its dependence on its neighbours, as well as the costs it was incurring through rail and harbour customs. The Cape Colony was heavily dependent upon customs as a source of tax revenue and subsequently was directly competing with both Natal and Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique). At the time of unification the bulk of cargo destined for the Witwatersrand area entered through Lourenço Marques (now Maputo in Mozambique) owing largely to the relative distance and the ZARs policy of reducing its dependence on the British Empire. The South African Customs Union came into existence in 1906, but various problems existed with the arrangements particularly because the Transvaal was insistent on dominating the Union. After Unification the South African Customs Union continued to exist including the other British territories (the Protectorates and Rhodesia)


The Union of South Africa and Southern Rhodesia

In 1922 the colony Southern Rhodesia had a chance (ultimately rejected) to join the Union through a referendum. The referendum resulted from the fact that by 1920 British South Africa Company rule in Southern Rhodesia was no longer practical with many favouring some form of 'responsible government'. Some favoured Responsible Government within Southern Rhodesia while others (especially in Matabeleland) favoured membership in the Union of South Africa. Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated immediately to the north of South Africa, known today as Zimbabwe. ... 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 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. ...


Prior to the referendum representatives of Southern Rhodesia visited Cape Town where the Prime Minister of South Africa, Jan Smuts eventually offered terms he considered reasonable and which the United Kingdom government found acceptable. Although opinion among the United Kingdom government, the South African government and the British South Africa Company favoured the union option (and none tried to interfere in the referendum), when the referendum was held the results saw 59.4% in favour of Responsible Government for a separate colony and 40.6% in favour of joining the Union of South Africa. Jan Smuts Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS (May 24, 1870 – September 11, 1950) was a prominent South African and Commonwealth statesman, military leader, and philosopher. ...


The Union of South Africa and South-West Africa

Following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 the Union of South Africa occupied and annexed the German colony of South-West Africa. With the establishment of the League of Nations and cessation of the war, South Africa obtained a Class C Mandate to administer South-West Africa "under the laws of the mandatory (South Africa) as integral portions of its territory". Subsequently the Union of South Africa generally regarded South-West Africa as a fifth province, although this was never an official status. South-West Africa is the former name (1884-1990) of Namibia under German (as German South-West Africa, Deutsch Süd-West Afrika) and (from 1915) South African administration when it was conquered from the Germans during World War I. Following the war, the Treaty of Versailles declared the territory... Mandates in the Middle east and Africa. ...


With the creation of the United Nations, the Union applied for the incorporation of South-West Africa, but its application was rejected by the U.N., which invited South Africa to prepare a Trusteeship agreement instead. This invitation was in turn rejected by the Union, which subsequently did not modify the administration of South-West Africa and continued to adhere to the original mandate. This caused a complex set of legal wranglings that were not finalised when the Union was replaced with the Republic of South Africa. In 1949, the Union passed a law bringing South-West Africa into closer association with it including giving South-West Africa representation in the South African parliament. Ultimately the Republic reneged on its obligations to South-West Africa. In common law legal systems, a trust is a relationship in which a person or entity (the trustee) has legal control over certain property (the trust property or trust corpus), but is bound by fiduciary duty to exercise that legal control for the benefit of someone else (the beneficiary), according...


It is also worth noting that Walvis Bay which is now in Namibia was originally a part of the Union of South Africa as it was a part of the Cape Colony at the time of Unification (it fell under the magisterial district of Cape Town). In 1921 Walvis Bay was integrated with the Class C Mandate over South-West Africa for the rest of the Union's duration and for part of the Republic era. Walvis Bay, Namibia Walvis Bay, (Dutch/Afrikaans Walvisbaai, meaning Whale Bay), is an area in Namibia with a checkered history. ...


The Treaty of Westminster

The Statue of Westminster passed by the Imperial Parliament in December 1931, which repealed the Colonial Laws Validity Act and implemented the Balfour Declaration 1926 had a profound impact on the constitutional structure and status of the Union. The most notable effect was that the South African Parliament was released on many restrictions concerning the handling of the so called "native question". However the repeal was not sufficient to enable the South African Parliament to ignore the entrenched clauses of her constitution (the South Africa Act) which lead to the Constitutional Crisis of the 1950s. This article is about the Statute of Westminster relating to the British Empire and its dominions. ... The Colonial Laws Validity Act, 1865 was a statute enacted by the United Kingdom Parliament, in order to remove inconsistency between colonial and imperial legislation. ... The name Balfour Declaration is applied to two key British government policy statements associated with Conservative statesman and former Prime Minister Arthur Balfour. ... The South Africa Act 1909 was an Act of the British Parliament which created the Union of South Africa from the British Colonies of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange River Colony, and the Transvaal. ...


Bibliography

The following print texts have been consulted in the production of this article:

CJ Muller (ed) 500 Years History of South Africa, H&R Academica 1969
L Thompson A History of South Africa, Johnathan Ball Publishers 2006. ISBN 1-86842-236-4
L Thompson, The Unification of South Africa 1902 - 1910, Oxford University Press 1960.

See also

Union of South Africa
Wikisource has several original texts related to:
Union of South Africa

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Following a referendum on 5 October 1960, in which whites voted in favour of a republic, the Union became the Republic of South Africa on 31 May 1961 and left the Commonwealth in the face of condemnation of its apartheid policies.
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