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Durban Point (House of Assembly of South Africa constituency)

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Durban Point
Durban-Punt
Former constituency
for the South African House of Assembly
Outline map
Location of Durban Point within Durban (1910)
ProvinceNatal
Electorate17,001 (1989)
Former constituency
Created1910
Abolished1994
Number of members1
Last MHA  (NP)
Replaced byKwaZulu-Natal

Durban Point was a constituency in the Natal Province of South Africa, which existed from 1910 to 1994. Named for the Point area of central Durban, it initially covered the eastern part of the CBD, but later expanded to cover much of Durban’s northern waterfront. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly.

Franchise notes

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When the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, the electoral qualifications in use in each pre-existing colony were kept in place. The franchise used in the Natal Colony, while theoretically not restricted by race, was significantly less liberal than that of the Cape, and no more than a few hundred non-white electors ever qualified. In 1908, an estimated 200 of the 22,786 electors in the colony were of non-European descent, and by 1935, only one remained.[1] By 1958, when the last non-white voters in the Cape were taken off the rolls, Natal too had an all-white electorate. The franchise was also restricted by property and education qualifications until the 1933 general election, following the passage of the Women's Enfranchisement Act, 1930 and the Franchise Laws Amendment Act, 1931. From then on, the franchise was given to all white citizens aged 21 or over, which remained the case until the end of apartheid and the introduction of universal suffrage in 1994.[2]

History

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Like the rest of Durban, Durban Point was a largely English-speaking seat. In its first years, it was a marginal seat, electing a Labour member in 1920 but otherwise returning members from the South African Party and its predecessors. After the abolition of Stamford Hill constituency in 1943, the Point constituency expanded to take in much of Durban’s affluent northern suburbs, and became a far more conservative seat as a result. Its member between 1958 and 1987, Vause Raw, was a key figure of the United Party’s conservative faction, and later became the leader of the New Republic Party.[3] When Raw retired in 1987, the seat was captured by the National Party under J. C. Mathee,[4] who would hold it until its abolition in 1994.

Members

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Election Member Party
1910 P. A. Silburn Unionist
1915 Independent
1920 A. Jamieson Labour
1921 W. Greenacre South African
1924 A. M. Miller South African
1929 V. L. Nicoll South African
1933 T. M. Wadley South African
1938 Vernon Shearer Dominion
1943 Independent
1948 United Party
1953
1954 National Conservative
1958 Vause Raw United Party
1961
1966
1970
1974 New Republic
1977
1981
1987 J. C. Mathee National
1989 National

[5]

Detailed results

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Elections in the 1910s

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General election 1910: Durban Point [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist P. A. Silburn 930 73.9 New
Labour C. H. Knowles 328 26.1 New
Majority 602 47,8 N/A
Turnout 1,258 N/A
Unionist win (new seat)
General election 1915: Durban Point [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent P. A. Silburn 1,059 67.8 −6.1
Labour H. Humphrey 498 31.9 +5.8
Independent J. E. Palmer 5 0.3 New
Majority 561 35.9 −11.9
Turnout 1,562 72.1 N/A
Independent gain from Unionist Swing -5.9

Elections in the 1920s

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General election 1920: Durban Point [5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Jamieson 941 49.2 +17.3
South African H. G. MacKeurtan 846 44.3 New
Independent H. B. Bradford 124 6.5 New
Majority 95 4.9 −31.0
Turnout 1,562 65.6 −5.5
Labour gain from Independent Swing +8.7

References

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  1. ^ May, H.J. (1955). The South African Constitution. 3rd ed. Cape Town: Juta & Co.
  2. ^ "EISA South Africa: Historical franchise arrangements". Eisa.org.za. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  3. ^ "Vause Raw dies after illness". The Dispatch. 2001-03-14. Archived from the original on 2002-03-30.
  4. ^ Government Gazette of South Africa, No. 10751. 22 May 1987. Pretoria: Government of South Africa.
  5. ^ a b c d Schoeman, B.M. (1977). Parlementêre verkiesings in Suid-Afrika 1910-1976. Pretoria: Aktuele Publikasies.