South African general election, 1987
Encyclopedia
The 1987 South African general election was held on 6 May 1987. The State of Emergency
existing in South Africa at that time cast a cloud over the elections. It was once again won by the National Party
(NP) under the leadership of P. W. Botha, although for the first time it faced serious opposition from the right of the South African political spectrum.
The rightwing opposition came in the form of the Conservative Party
(CP), which opposed even the limited powersharing with Indian
and Coloured
South Africans that had been implemented by the NP as part of a package of constitutional reforms in 1984. The CP was led by a former chairman of the Broederbond and NP cabinet minister, Andries Treurnicht
, infamously known as Minister of Education under the Soweto
riots. Following the election, in which the CP extended its 17 splinter MPs to win 22 seats, it replaced the Progressive Federal Party
(PFP) as the official opposition in the House of Assembly
.
The election year also saw important political developments to the left of the NP. During 1987 Denis Worrall
resigned as the South African ambassador
in London
in order to return to politics. Together with Wynand Malan
(who had resigned from the NP) and Esther Lategan he formed the Independent Movement to fight the general election. Only Malan won a seat and the partnership consequently disintegrated. Denis Worrall and others subsequently went on to form the Independent Party
(IP), while Esther Lategan and others formed the National Democratic Movement.
Partially as a result of the split in the votes to the liberal anti-NP parties, the PFP lost seven of its parliamentary seats as well as its role of official opposition. The New Republic Party (NRP), formerly the United Party
continued its disintegration and lost four of its five seats.
1 Includes nominated seats and proportional seats.
2 The seat was won by the Independence Movement.
3 Since the previous election (1981).
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
existing in South Africa at that time cast a cloud over the elections. It was once again won by 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) under the leadership of P. W. Botha, although for the first time it faced serious opposition from the right of the South African political spectrum.
The rightwing opposition came in the form of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (South Africa)
The Conservative Party of South Africa was a conservative party formed in 1982 as a breakaway from the ruling National Party...
(CP), which opposed even the limited powersharing with Indian
Asians in South Africa
The majority of the Asian South African population is Indian in origin, most of them descended from indentured workers transported to work in the 19th century on the sugar plantations of the eastern coastal area, then known as Natal. They are largely English speaking, although many also retain the...
and Coloured
Coloured
In the South African, Namibian, Zambian, Botswana and Zimbabwean context, the term Coloured refers to an heterogenous ethnic group who possess ancestry from Europe, various Khoisan and Bantu tribes of Southern Africa, West Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaya, India, Mozambique,...
South Africans that had been implemented by the NP as part of a package of constitutional reforms in 1984. The CP was led by a former chairman of the Broederbond and NP cabinet minister, 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...
, infamously known as Minister of Education under the Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
riots. Following the election, in which the CP extended its 17 splinter MPs to win 22 seats, it replaced the 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...
(PFP) as the official opposition 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...
.
The election year also saw important political developments to the left of the NP. During 1987 Denis Worrall
Denis Worrall
Denis John Worrall is an academic, businessman, and former politician and diplomat. He was South African ambassador to Australia from 1982 to 1984 and then Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1984 to 1987. He resigned his post in order to return to South Africa and form the liberal...
resigned as the South African ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in order to return to politics. Together with Wynand Malan
Wynand Malan
Wynand Malan is a liberal Afrikaner South African politician.A lawyer, Malan entered politics in the 1977 South African election when he was elected to the South Africa's all white parliament as the National Party MP for Randburg....
(who had resigned from the NP) and Esther Lategan he formed the Independent Movement to fight the general election. Only Malan won a seat and the partnership consequently disintegrated. Denis Worrall and others subsequently went on to form the Independent Party
Independent Party (South Africa)
The Independent Party was founded in 1987 by Denis Worrall and Wynand Malan. Its purpose was to protest against the National Party's shift in policy from reform to security. It contested the 1987 election as the Independent Movement and Malan, its founder, won its only seat...
(IP), while Esther Lategan and others formed the National Democratic Movement.
Partially as a result of the split in the votes to the liberal anti-NP parties, the PFP lost seven of its parliamentary seats as well as its role of official opposition. The New Republic Party (NRP), formerly 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...
continued its disintegration and lost four of its five seats.
Results
| Party (abbr.) | Votes | % | Elected seats | Other seats1 | Total seats | Swing3 | % seats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
1 075 642 | 52.3% | 123 | 10 | 133 | 10 | 74.7% | |
| Conservative Party Conservative Party (South Africa) The Conservative Party of South Africa was a conservative party formed in 1982 as a breakaway from the ruling National Party... |
574 502 | 26.6% | 22 | 1 | 23 | 23 | 12.9% | |
| 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... (PFP) |
288 579 | 14.0% | 19 | 1 | 20 | 7 | 11.2% | |
| Herstigte Nasionale Party Herstigte Nasionale Party The Herstigte Nasionale Party van Suid-Afrika was formed as a right-wing splinter group of the South African National Party.-Formation:... (HNP) |
62 888 | 3.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | ||
| New Republic Party New Republic Party The New Republic Party was a South African political party. It was formed as the successor to the disbanded United Party in 1977. After the UP wound up, initially the last UP leader, Sir de Villiers Graaff served as the interim national leader of the new party, with Radclyffe Cadman as... (NRP) |
40 494 | 2.0% | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.6% | |
| Others including Independent Movement2 | 27 149 | 1.3% | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.6% | |
| Total | 2 069 254 | 100.0% | 166 | 12 | 178 | 100.0% |
1 Includes nominated seats and proportional seats.
2 The seat was won by the Independence Movement.
3 Since the previous election (1981).