Labour Party (South Africa)
Encyclopedia
The South African Labour Party, formed in March 1910 following discussions between trade unions and the Independent Labour Party of Transvaal
, was a professedly democratic socialist
party representing the interests of the white working class
.
until it lost its last seats in the South African general election, 1958
. It never came close to acquiring a majority in Parliament or to being the official opposition, but it did spend periods as a junior coalition partner in the government of South Africa. Between 1910 and 1929 the Party was led by the British-born
Colonel F. H. P. Creswell
.
The worldwide depression after the end of the First World War had led to a strike in South Africa
, which had been defused through a combination of military force and negotiation with the out-gunned unions, earning Jan Smuts
the enmity of the labour vote. This paved the way for an election agreement between the Labour Party and the National Party
(NP) for the 1924 general election
, which resulted in a coalition government known as the Pact. The Labour Party provided two members of the Pact government, including its leader, Creswell, as Minister of Defence. In the event, Creswell remained in office until 1933, for much of that time doubling as Minister of Labour. While serving in government, the LP initiated important economic and industrial legislation which improved conditions for white workers. In addition, the LP also helped to alleviate unemployment amongst whites, and a year after becoming labour minister, Creswell claimed that he had found employment for 12,000 previously jobless whites. These policies, however, did nothing to enhance conditions for black workers.
In 1928 the party split between two factions. The Labour Minister of Posts, Telegraphs and Public Works, Walter Madeley recognised the Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union, which had non white members. This angered the National Party. As a result Madeley was asked to resign. When the Labour Party National Council refused to agree, the Minister could only be got rid of by the resignation and reconstruction of the whole Pact government. The "Creswell Labour" group, supporting the veteran party leader Colonel Creswell, remained in the Pact government. The opposing faction, known as "National Council Labour", went into opposition with Madeley as its leader.
After the South African general election, 1929
, even though the National Party won an overall majority, Colonel Creswell and a colleague remained ministers. When the National Party formed a coalition with Jan Smuts's South African Party
, in 1933, the Pact government came to an end. At the South African general election, 1933
, the Creswell faction became followers of General Smuts, thus leaving the National Council faction as the Labour Party.
The National Party and the South African Party merged in 1934 as the United Party
(UP). When that party split, over the issue of South African participation in the Second World War, the Labour Party participated in a wartime coalition under the Premiership of Jan Smuts formed in 1939. Walter Madeley, the Labour leader, left the coalition in 1945.
On 24 July 1946, Walter Madeley resigned from the leadership and the party. Three other MPs also left the party during 1946-47 because they favoured a more conservative line on racial questions than the party organisation. Madeley, who had represented Benoni
in the Union Parliament continuously since it was created in 1910, died in 1947. A dissident Labour candidate (representing the United Labour Party) contested the Benoni by-election, but lost by 949 votes to the official Labour candidate. Dissident Labour candidates also contested the South African general election, 1948
but won no seats.
After 1939, the Labour Party was clearly closer to the United Party than to the National Party. Labour had an electoral pact with the UP in 1943, 1948 and 1953. However Labour tended to oppose the NP, after it came to power in 1948, more vigorously than the larger and more conservative United Party felt able to do.
The Labour leader, John Christie
, died during the South African general election, 1953
. His successor, the last Labour leader Alex Hepple tried to pursue a socialist policy as well as maintaining relations with groups like the African National Congress
. His policy proved too advanced for the white electorate and led to the demise of the Labour Party.
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:...
, was a professedly democratic socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
party representing the interests of the white working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
.
History
The party was represented in the South African House of Assembly from the South African general election, 1910South African general election, 1910
The 1910 South African general election was held for the 121 seats in the House of Assembly of the Union of South Africa, on 15 September 1910. This was the first general election, after the Union came into force on 31 May 1910....
until it lost its last seats in the South African general election, 1958
South African general election, 1958
The 1958 South African general election led to a victory for the National Party, under the leadership of J.G. Strijdom, which took 103 seats in the House of Assembly.-Native Representative Members:...
. It never came close to acquiring a majority in Parliament or to being the official opposition, but it did spend periods as a junior coalition partner in the government of South Africa. Between 1910 and 1929 the Party was led by the British-born
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Colonel F. H. P. Creswell
Frederic Creswell
Colonel Frederic Hugh Page Creswell was a British-born Labour Party politician in South Africa. He was Minister of Defence from 1924 to March 1933.-Early life:...
.
The worldwide depression after the end of the First World War had led to a strike in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, which had been defused through a combination of military force and negotiation with the out-gunned unions, earning Jan Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
the enmity of the labour vote. This paved the way for an election agreement between the Labour Party and the 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...
(NP) for the 1924 general election
South African general election, 1924
The 1924 South African general election was a realigning election in the Union of South Africa's House of Assembly held on June 19, 1924 to elect 135 members...
, which resulted in a coalition government known as the Pact. The Labour Party provided two members of the Pact government, including its leader, Creswell, as Minister of Defence. In the event, Creswell remained in office until 1933, for much of that time doubling as Minister of Labour. While serving in government, the LP initiated important economic and industrial legislation which improved conditions for white workers. In addition, the LP also helped to alleviate unemployment amongst whites, and a year after becoming labour minister, Creswell claimed that he had found employment for 12,000 previously jobless whites. These policies, however, did nothing to enhance conditions for black workers.
In 1928 the party split between two factions. The Labour Minister of Posts, Telegraphs and Public Works, Walter Madeley recognised the Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union, which had non white members. This angered the National Party. As a result Madeley was asked to resign. When the Labour Party National Council refused to agree, the Minister could only be got rid of by the resignation and reconstruction of the whole Pact government. The "Creswell Labour" group, supporting the veteran party leader Colonel Creswell, remained in the Pact government. The opposing faction, known as "National Council Labour", went into opposition with Madeley as its leader.
After the South African general election, 1929
South African general election, 1929
In the 1929 South African general election, held on 14 June of that year, the National Party under James Barry Munnik Hertzog won an outright majority in tne House of Assembly. Hertzog had the opportunity to form a government without the aid of the Labour Party. In fact the Pact government...
, even though the National Party won an overall majority, Colonel Creswell and a colleague remained ministers. When the National Party formed a coalition with Jan Smuts's South African Party
South African Party
The South African Party was a political party that existed in the Union of South Africa from 1911 to 1934.-History:The outline and foundation for the party was realized after the election of a 'South African party' in the 1910 South African general election under the leadership of Louis Botha...
, in 1933, the Pact government came to an end. At the South African general election, 1933
South African general election, 1933
The 1933 South African general election was held for the 150 seats in the House of Assembly of the Union of South Africa, on 17 May 1933. The National Party won half the seats in the House, but the coalition with the South African Party continued....
, the Creswell faction became followers of General Smuts, thus leaving the National Council faction as the Labour Party.
The National Party and the South African Party merged in 1934 as the United Party
United Party (South Africa)
The United Party was South Africa's ruling political party between 1934 and 1948. It was formed by a merger of most of Prime Minister Barry Hertzog's National Party with the rival South African Party of Jan Smuts, plus the remnants of the Unionist Party...
(UP). When that party split, over the issue of South African participation in the Second World War, the Labour Party participated in a wartime coalition under the Premiership of Jan Smuts formed in 1939. Walter Madeley, the Labour leader, left the coalition in 1945.
On 24 July 1946, Walter Madeley resigned from the leadership and the party. Three other MPs also left the party during 1946-47 because they favoured a more conservative line on racial questions than the party organisation. Madeley, who had represented Benoni
Benoni, Gauteng
Benoni is a city with 654,509 inhabitants on the East Rand in the South African province of Gauteng. Since 2000, it has been part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.- History :...
in the Union Parliament continuously since it was created in 1910, died in 1947. A dissident Labour candidate (representing the United Labour Party) contested the Benoni by-election, but lost by 949 votes to the official Labour candidate. Dissident Labour candidates also contested the South African general election, 1948
South African general election, 1948
The parliamentary election in South Africa on 26 May 1948 represented a turning point in the country's history. The United Party, which had led the government since its foundation in 1933 and its leader, incumbent Prime Minister Jan Smuts was ousted by the Reunited National Party , led by Daniel...
but won no seats.
After 1939, the Labour Party was clearly closer to the United Party than to the National Party. Labour had an electoral pact with the UP in 1943, 1948 and 1953. However Labour tended to oppose the NP, after it came to power in 1948, more vigorously than the larger and more conservative United Party felt able to do.
The Labour leader, John Christie
John Christie (mayor)
John Christie born August 26, 1883 in Alva, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. The eldest of 8 children he served his apprenticeship as a chemist with Dr. James Duncan in Causeyside, Paisley, Scotland. He went to South Africa in 1901 as a member of the Royal Medical Corps during the Second Boer War...
, died during the South African general election, 1953
South African general election, 1953
The 1953 South African general election consolidated the position of the National Party under DF Malan, who won an absolute majority of the 156 seats in the House of Assembly...
. His successor, the last Labour leader Alex Hepple tried to pursue a socialist policy as well as maintaining relations with groups like the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
. His policy proved too advanced for the white electorate and led to the demise of the Labour Party.
Leaders
- 1910-1933 Colonel F.H.P. Creswell (disputed 1928-1933)
- 1928-1946 Walter Madeley (disputed 1928-1933)
- 1946-1953 John Christie
- 1953-1958 Alex Hepple
General Election Results
The number of members returned and votes cast for the Labour Party were as follows.| Election | MPs | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 4 | N/A |
| 1915 | 4 | 24,795 |
| 1920 | 21 | 40,639 |
| 1921 | 9 | 39,406 |
| 1924 | 18 | 45,380 |
| 1929 | 8 | 33,919 |
| 1933 | 2 | 20,276 |
| 1938 | 3 | 48,641 |
| 1943 | 9 | 38,206 |
| 1948 | 6 | 27,360 |
| 1953 | 5 | 34,730 |
| 1958 | 0 | 2,670 |
| 1961 | 0 | 2,461 |