Why the Union of South Africa delayed until/ upto 1910 (What problems had hindered the Union attempts)

Why the Union of South Africa delayed until/ upto 1910 (What problems had hindered the Union attempts)


The Boers Afrikaaners opposed the Federal system of government proposed by the British.
The British also opposed the Unitary system of government by the Boers. In the end, the Boer system was accepted.
The whites feared to maintain a very big structure of administration in form of a Union.
The Boers Afrikaaners feared British domination in the Union government.
The whites were still in a commercial competitionziver; economic resources, tariffs and the transport sector.
The British wanted to have influence on the new proposed Union Constitution. The 1908 National Convention solved this.
The character and personality of Boer hardliners like Paul Kruger and Joubert.
The arrogance of Lord Carenarvon unlike Lord Selbourne.
The Boers at first looked at the proposed Union as a British affair. In 1970's delegates were invited in London, which the Boer representatives abandoned.
The Sand River Convention 1852 and the Bloemfontein Convention 1854 and their terms made the Boers in the Republics very stubborn and arrogant.
Africkaaner/ Boer nationalism was a threat to the proposed Union.
The Boers remained a proud and an arrogant race.
The annexation of the Boer Republics by the British thwarted all efforts at Union. For example;
(a) 1877 annexation of Transvaal by the British
(b) 1871 annexation of the Orange Free State by the British after the Kaete Award that led to Boer loss of the Diamond fields.
The role and character of Cecil Rhodes, 1.S Leander and the BSACO tainted efforts at Union.
Many British leaders in the Cape Colony could not accept/ give in their powers due the proposed Union for example Prime Minister Molteno and John Cecil Rhodes.
The Anglo- Boers of 1880-81 and 1899-1902 made the Boers believe that the British proposed Union could not work.
The Jameson Raid of 1895 also thwarted efforts at Union.
Utilander - British - Boer worse relations prevented the idea of Union.
By 1902, the British colonial government never supported the idea of Union! Federation. In 1850's the British colonial govermnent in London recalled Sir. George Grey to London.
Efforts at Federation in 1850's and 1870's had been made quick before approval of the British colonial government, hich made it unpopular even among the British.
The long term hatred and hostilities between the Boers and the British since 1830's.
Both the white communities had mistrusts and suspicions over the benefits of the proposed Union.
Boer - African conflicts with the Zulu, Sotho diverted efforts aimed at FederationlUnion.
The strength of the Sotho state under Moshoeshoe also slowed down the plans of the Union.
Up to 1908, it was not clear as to what form of Union South Africa would take. Some wanted unitary System and others the federal state but unitary by the Afrikaners was taken .
The question of language to be official. It was later resolved with English and Dutch were to be official.
The question of capital of the Union was also a problem. But later three capitals were set, Cape Town as Legislative, Pretoria in Transvaal as administrative while Bloemfontein in Orange Free State became the legal or Judicial Capital.
The other issue concerned franchise and racial Policy. Who was to vote, or to be voted into Parliament? If the Boers left out the Africans, the British wanted equal representation and equal rights to non-whites and later a common Policy against the Africans was adopted.