SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 88, 9 July 1943, Page 4

SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICS

THERE has been much grouping and regrouping in South African party politics since May, 1938, when the last elections to the Union Assembly were held. On that occasion, the United Party, led by General Hertzog, won 111 seats out of 150, but in the following year a cleavage regarding war policy resulted in General Smuts forming an administration with a fair proportion of the party following General Hertzog into the cool shades of opposition. The next realignment came in January, 1940, when the Hertzog and Malan groups united to form the Reunited National (or People's) Party, and when it challenged the Government General Smu.ts had a majority of less than 20. But the opposition did not long remain reunited, for in November, 1940, General Hertzog and his lieutenant, Mr Havenga, resigned from it and the former followed this by resigning his seat in Parliament. A few months later 10 members of the Assembly and four senators, who had formerly followed General Hertzog, broke away and formed the Afrikaner Party. The Government side of the Assembly represents a coalition of the United with the Dominion and Labour parties, and apparently General Smuts has reached an agreement with them whereby each will contest nine seats and support United Party candidates for all the others. If the plan succeeds then both the minor parties associated with the Givernment will obtain increased representation, for at the last general election Dominion candidates won eight seats and Labour only three. The additional seats to be contested solely by Labour against the Malan and Afrikaner parties will probably be in the mining centres. The majority of the Dominion Party's supporters came from Natal constituencies. In 1938 racial issues played a prominent part in the campaign, but probably they have been overshadowed by the war on this occasion. Dr. Malan, leader of the National Party, is reported to have stated that if elected to office the party will declare the neutrality of the Union and take no further part in the war. He is the most bitter opponent of the British connection and favours the creation of a South African republic. On the other hand General Smuts has done everything in his power to ensure that the Union plays its full part in this struggle and his adherence to the British Commonwealth of Nations has never weakened. After the elections five years ago the South African leader said: "A new South Africa is at last emerging grandly out of the racial and political confusions of the old South Africa." Under his able guidance it has certainly made a great contribution to a united cause, and he himself holds the unchallenged position of an elder statesman of the Empire.