1960 South Africa referendum

On 5th October, 1960, South Africa's white minority government held a referendum on whether or not the then Union should sever links with the British monarchy and become a republic.

Related Topics:
5th October - 1960 - South Africa - Referendum - Union - British monarchy - Republic

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The Afrikaner-dominated National Party, which came to power in 1948, was avowedly republican, and regarded South Africa's links with the Crown as a relic of British imperialism.

Related Topics:
National Party - 1948 - Republican

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However, it was not until 1960 that the Prime Minister, Hendrik Verwoerd, held a referendum on the issue. On October 5th 1960, South Africa's whites were asked: 'Do you support a republic for the Union?'. The result was 52 per cent in favour of the change.

Related Topics:
1960 - Prime Minister - Hendrik Verwoerd - October 5th

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Prior to the referendum, Verwoerd had lowered the voting age for whites to 18, and had also included the white voters of South West Africa (now Namibia) on the electoral roll.

Related Topics:
South West Africa - Namibia

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Whites in the former Boer republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State voted decisively in favour, as did ones in South West Africa. In the Cape Province there was a smaller majority, while Natal, which had more English-speaking whites than Afrikaans-speaking ones, voted against. Some whites in Natal even called for secession from the Union, but this was never seriously considered.

Related Topics:
Boer republic - Transvaal - Orange Free State - Cape Province - Natal - English - Afrikaans

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The opposition United Party actively campaigned for a 'No' vote, while the smaller Progressive Party appealed to supporters of the proposed change to 'reject this republic', arguing that South Africa's membership of the Commonwealth, with which it had privileged trade links, would be threatened.

Related Topics:
United Party - Progressive Party - Commonwealth

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The National Party had not ruled out continued membership after the country became a republic, but the Commowealth now had new Asian and African members who saw the apartheid regime's membership as an affront to the organisation's democratic principles. Consequently, South Africa left the Commonwealth on becoming a republic, although many Afrikaners welcomed this as a clean break with the colonial past.

Related Topics:
Asia - Africa - Democratic - South Africa - Colonial

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When the Republic of South Africa was declared on 31st May, 1961, Queen Elizabeth II ceased to be head of state, and the last Governor General of the Union took office as the first State President.

Related Topics:
31st May - 1961 - Queen Elizabeth II - Head of state - Governor General of the Union - State President

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Other symbolic changes also occurred:

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• Legal references to the 'Crown' were replaced by those to the 'State';
• Queen's Counsels became known as Senior Counsels;
• The Crown was removed from the badges of the military and police;
• Her Majesty's South African Ships became known simply as South African Ships; and
• the 'Royal' title was dropped from the names of some South African Army regiments like the Natal Carbineers. (However, some institutions retained the 'Royal' title, such as the Royal Natal National Park and the Royal Society of South Africa.)

The new decimalised currency, the Rand, which did not feature the Queen's portrait on either notes or coinage, had already been introduced before the establishment of the Republic.

Related Topics:
Decimalised - Rand

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However, the only notable difference between the Constitution of the Republic and that of the Union was that State President was the ceremonial head of state, in place of the Queen and Governor-General. The National Party decided against having an executive presidency, instead adopting a minimalist approach, as a conciliatory gesture to English-speaking whites who were opposed to a republic. Similarly, the Union Jack remained a feature of the Flag of South Africa until 1994, despite its unpopularity among many Afrikaners.

Related Topics:
Union Jack - Flag of South Africa - 1994

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