.gif)
Conservative Party (South Africa)
Encyclopedia
The Conservative Party of South Africa (Konserwatiewe Party van Suid-Afrika in Afrikaans
) was a conservative party formed in 1982 as a breakaway from the ruling National Party
. Led by Andries Treurnicht
, a former Dutch Reformed Church
minister, popularly known as 'Doctor No', it drew support from white South Africans, mostly Boer
/Afrikaner
s in the rural heartlands of South Africa, who opposed Prime Minister PW Botha's reforms, which they saw as a threat to white minority rule, and the racial segregation
known as Separate Development. It became the official opposition in the whites-only Parliament
in the elections of May 6, 1987, when it surpassed the liberal Progressive Federal Party
.
In the general election 1989
, the last before multi-racial elections, the party strengthened its vote to 31.52 % of the white electorate and 41 seats in the House of Assembly
.
In the local elections of 1987 the Conservative Party won 60 municipalities out of 110 in the Transvaal
, and 1 out of 4 in the Orange Free State
. The Conservative Party received 43% of the Afrikaner
votes and 7.5% of the English speaking votes.
, who hosted at least two visits to London by Treurnicht and other delegates. On June 5, 1989 Treurnicht was accompanied by Clive Derby-Lewis
, Member of Parliament for Krugersdorp, and Carl Werth, the party's organizer in Natal, on a ten-day tour of European capitals. The Conservative Monday Club
, a supporter of white rule in South Africa, hosted a black-tie banquet at the Charing Cross Hotel in London for Treurnicht and his entourage.
, when white South Africans where asked to determine whether or not they supported the negotiated reforms started by the government. The result was a defeat for the Conservatives and the "no" side, when 68% of white voters voted "yes".
About this time, as apartheid was being dismantled, the Conservative Party reached the peak of its influence, with 39 Members of Parliament, but its support rapidly declined after majority rule in 1994. The decision not to participate in the first multi-racial parliamentary elections in 1994 resulted in much of its support base defecting to the newly-formed Freedom Front. In the 1995-1996 municipal elections, the CP won a total of 57 seats (out of 11 368) and a mere fraction of the votes compared to the FF and the NP.
Clive Derby-Lewis
was found guilty in 1993 (under the emergency legislation enacted by the House of Assembly) of involvement in the assassination
of South African Communist Party
leader Chris Hani
. In 1997, party leader Ferdi Hartzenberg testified before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that the assassination had been carried out on the party's behalf.
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
) was a conservative party formed in 1982 as a breakaway from the ruling National Party
National Party (South Africa)
The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a...
. Led by Andries Treurnicht
Andries Treurnicht
Andries Petrus Treurnicht was a South African politician, Minister of Education during the Soweto Riots and for a short time leader of the National Party in Transvaal...
, a former Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
minister, popularly known as 'Doctor No', it drew support from white South Africans, mostly Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
/Afrikaner
Afrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
s in the rural heartlands of South Africa, who opposed Prime Minister PW Botha's reforms, which they saw as a threat to white minority rule, and the racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
known as Separate Development. It became the official opposition in the whites-only Parliament
Parliament of South Africa
The Parliament of South Africa is South Africa's legislature and under the country's current Constitution is composed of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces....
in the elections of May 6, 1987, when it surpassed the liberal Progressive Federal Party
Progressive Federal Party
The Progressive Federal Party was a South African political party formed in 1977. It advocated power-sharing in South Africa through a federal constitution, in place of apartheid...
.
In the general election 1989
South African general election, 1989
The 1989 South African general election was South Africa's last national race-based parliamentary election. The election was called early to gauge support for the recently elected head of the National Party, Frederik Willem de Klerk and his program of reform, which was to...
, the last before multi-racial elections, the party strengthened its vote to 31.52 % of the white electorate and 41 seats in the House of Assembly
House of Assembly of South Africa
The House of Assembly was the lower house of the Parliament of South Africa from 1910 to 1984, and latterly the white representative house of the Tricameral Parliament from 1984 to 1994, when it was replaced by the current National Assembly...
.
In the local elections of 1987 the Conservative Party won 60 municipalities out of 110 in the Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
, and 1 out of 4 in the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
. The Conservative Party received 43% of the Afrikaner
Afrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
votes and 7.5% of the English speaking votes.
International links
In the late 1980s the party established links with the conservative anti-communist pressure group in Britain, the Western Goals InstituteWestern Goals Institute
The Western Goals Institute was a conservative pressure group in Britain, re-formed in 1989 from Western Goals UK, which originated in 1985 as an offshoot of the U.S. Western Goals Foundation...
, who hosted at least two visits to London by Treurnicht and other delegates. On June 5, 1989 Treurnicht was accompanied by Clive Derby-Lewis
Clive Derby-Lewis
Clive John Derby-Lewis is a South African ex-politician, who was involved first in the National Party and then, while serving as a Member of Parliament, in the Conservative Party. He is serving a life sentence for his role in the assassination of South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani...
, Member of Parliament for Krugersdorp, and Carl Werth, the party's organizer in Natal, on a ten-day tour of European capitals. The Conservative Monday Club
Conservative Monday Club
The Conservative Monday Club is a British pressure group "on the right-wing" of the Conservative Party.-Overview:...
, a supporter of white rule in South Africa, hosted a black-tie banquet at the Charing Cross Hotel in London for Treurnicht and his entourage.
Opposition to negotiations to end apartheid
The Conservative Party led the "no" campaign during the 1992 referendumSouth African referendum, 1992
The 1992 referendum was held in South Africa on 17 March of that year. In it, white South Africans were asked to vote in the country's last whites-only referendum to determine whether or not they supported the negotiated reforms begun by State President F.W. de Klerk two years earlier, in which he...
, when white South Africans where asked to determine whether or not they supported the negotiated reforms started by the government. The result was a defeat for the Conservatives and the "no" side, when 68% of white voters voted "yes".
About this time, as apartheid was being dismantled, the Conservative Party reached the peak of its influence, with 39 Members of Parliament, but its support rapidly declined after majority rule in 1994. The decision not to participate in the first multi-racial parliamentary elections in 1994 resulted in much of its support base defecting to the newly-formed Freedom Front. In the 1995-1996 municipal elections, the CP won a total of 57 seats (out of 11 368) and a mere fraction of the votes compared to the FF and the NP.
Clive Derby-Lewis
Clive Derby-Lewis
Clive John Derby-Lewis is a South African ex-politician, who was involved first in the National Party and then, while serving as a Member of Parliament, in the Conservative Party. He is serving a life sentence for his role in the assassination of South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani...
was found guilty in 1993 (under the emergency legislation enacted by the House of Assembly) of involvement in the assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of South African Communist Party
South African Communist Party
South African Communist Party is a political party in South Africa. It was founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa by the joining together of the International Socialist League and others under the leadership of Willam H...
leader Chris Hani
Chris Hani
Chris Hani, born Martin Thembisile Hani was the leader of the South African Communist Party and chief of staff of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress . He was a fierce opponent of the apartheid government...
. In 1997, party leader Ferdi Hartzenberg testified before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that the assassination had been carried out on the party's behalf.