Results
of the National Convention
These were positive and negative;
English and Afrikaaner languages
were to be equal in South Africa.
Note that the results were the proposals reached by the meeting.
The Union Government was provided or
given in the whole of South Africa with a constitution drafted
The Union was to be under the
British government (it was emphasized). The delegates decided on a unitary
system of government.
The Constitution was drawn in 1909
for all white people of South Africa. The important terms proposed were:
(i) The Governor General was to be
appointed by the British,
(ii) The Governor General was to be
appointed by 10 ministers,
(iii) The proposed Union was to have
two Chambers of Parliament; the Senate -ten year term of office and the House
of Assembly with 5 years term of office,
(iv) The Franchise was extended to
adult males,
(v) Provisions were made to include
British territories of Rhodesia, Swaziland, Botswana- Bechuanaland and Lesotho
-Basuto land,
(vi) The headquarters for the
Judiciary- Supreme Court and for the whole country were to be at Bloemfontein.
The Parliament was to be in Cape Town, while the executive capital was to be at
Pretoria in Transvaal,
(vii) The new Government of South
Africa was under P. N. Bortha as the first Prime Minister of the United South
Africa.
The
Final Process Of The Unification Of South African White States 1907-09/ Movement
To Closer Union In South Africa/ The Federation Idea/ Renewed Efforts To Unite
South Africa (The Road To The 1910 Act Of Union)
After the defeat of the Boers in the
Orange Free State and Transvaal. the way was cleared for the Union of South
Africa.
In all these developments, Africans
were completely left out and this was done to minimize the problems of forming
the Union or Federation.
The question of forming a united
South Africa was raised in July 1907 by the British High Commissioner in South
Africa, Lord Selbourne.
The Selbourne Memorandum published in that month Iboked forward to the day when all
British Africa. south of the Zambezi, which had formed one Customs Union in
1903. would come together under one government.
It was also agreed between the
whites or the Boers and the British that Africans be denied political rights
and this time fricans were helpless and had to loose.
By all these events, British
kindness and philanthropy to the Africans completely dashed in oblivion and
crumbled on a slippery ground.
The National Convention 1908-09
It was a conference held at Durban
in Natal State on 12th October to November. 5th, 1908.
It was formed by Parliaments of all
the white states in South Africa.
T'he delegates or representatives
came from the four states of South Africa- Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal
and the Cape Colony.
Representatives also sat again
/re-assembled / transfered at the Cape Town between 22ndl 23rd
November 1908 until 3rd February 1909, to plan the details of a
united South Africa.
It remained secret until the first
publication on 9th February 1909.
The two colonies and the two states
agreed to become Provinces of one Union of South Africa, with their own
provincial administrations and assemblies (Parliament), but subject to a strong
union government.
The observers for the National
Convention also came from Rhodesia (or modem Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nyasaland and
other areas in the sub continent).
The Afrikaaner delegates favoured a
Unitary system of government while the English preferred Federation.
Why the National Convention was
called by the whites
They met to discuss details for the
closer union of South Africa (politically, economically and socially).
The National Convention was called
to discuss issues of inter-territorial railways and customs.
To find a formula and stop a cute
differences that had alienated the Boers and the British, which had made them
hostile.
It was called to do a way with
racism and internal civil strife between the white communities.
To decide on what form of union was
to be adopted by the whites.
The National Convention wanted to
remove economic barriers to enable co-operation of the colonies.
It meant to decide on the acceptable
formula of a union constitution of the whites. To discuss the right of voting
and to be voted for in the elections.
It was also called to discuss the
racial politics in South Africa
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