Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly

The Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly was the legislature of Southern Rhodesia from 1924 to 1970.

Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly
Type
Type	Unicameral
History
Founded	30 May 1924
Disbanded	10 April 1970
Preceded by	Legislative Council
Succeeded by	Parliament of Rhodesia
Leadership
Monarch	George V (1923–1936) Edward VIII (1936) George VI (1936–1952) Elizabeth II (1952–1970)
President	Clifford Dupont (1970) (RF)
Governor	Sir John Chancellor (first) Sir Humphrey Gibbs (last)
Officer Administrating the Government	Clifford Dupont (1965–1970) (RF)
Speaker	Lionel Cripps (first) Albert R. W. Stumbles (last)
Seats	30 1924–1962 65 1962–1970
Elections
Voting system	FPTP
Last election	1965

The Southern Rhodesia Legislative Assembly building in Salisbury at about 1954

Background

In 1898, the Southern Rhodesian Legislative Council, Southern Rhodesia's first elected representative body, was founded. Much of the decisions regarding the administration of Southern Rhodesia was made by the British South Africa Company (BSAC). When BSAC rule was terminated in 1923 and Responsible Government achieved, the Legislative Council was replaced by the Legislative Assembly.[1] Under the Constitution, there was provision for the establishment of an upper house to be known as the Legislative Council, but none was ever established, meaning that the Legislative Assembly remained a unicameral legislature.[2]

Franchise

Modelled after the British House of Commons,[1] the Assembly had limitations placed on its powers of legislation, as the British Crown reserved the right to block legislation and allowed only legislation on internal matters to be discussed in the parliament.[1]

The Letters Patent granting the colony the right to self-government in 1923 made no change to the pre-existing franchise. The law provided that voters must have been resident in Southern Rhodesia for at least six months, and have the ability to complete the claim form for the electoral register in their own handwriting if the registrar required, and to write from dictation 50 words in the English language. In addition, voters had to meet one of three criteria for their financial means: either occupy property worth £150 in their Electoral District, or own a registered mining claim within the colony (for which residence was not required), or receive annual salary of £100 in the colony.

Electoral procedure

No change was made to the basic electoral procedure, which continued to be the first past the post system, cast by means of the secret ballot.

Electoral districts

The Letters Patent created a Legislative Assembly with 30 members, and for simplicity the 15 electoral districts set the previous year for the Legislative Council were used for the new assembly, but with each district returning two members. Voters were therefore entitled to two votes. Until 1961 there were technically no restrictions on the ability for native Africans to vote, but a high property qualification ensured that few were entitled to vote.[1] This was altered in 1958, when a special voters' roll was created for Africans, although Africans were limited to voting for 15 Assembly members while Europeans were entitled to elect 50 members.[1]

Election results

Official photograph of the seventh Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly in 1948.

The following table reflects only those members elected from general roll electoral divisions.

Term	Election	Party	Seats Won
1st	29 April 1924
		Rhodesian Party	26
		Independent	4
2nd	19 September 1928
		Rhodesian Party	22
		Progressive Party	4
		Labour Party	3
		Independent	1
3rd	6 September 1933
		Reform Party	16
		Rhodesian Party	9
		Labour Party	5
4th	7 November 1934
		United Party	24
		Labour Party	5
		Reform Party	1
5th	14 April 1939
		United Party	23
		Labour Party	7
6th	25 April 1946
		United Party	13
		Liberal Party	12
		Labour Party	3
		Southern Rhodesia Labour Party	2
7th	15 September 1948
		United Party	24
		Liberal Party	5
		Labour Party	1
8th	27 January 1954
		United Rhodesia Party	26
		Independent	2
		Independent Labour	1
		Independent Rhodesia Party	1
9th	5 June 1958
		United Federal Party	17
		Dominion Party	13
10th	14 December 1962
		Rhodesian Front	35
		United Federal Party	29
		Independent	1
11th	7 May 1965
		Rhodesian Front	50
		National People's Party	10
		Independent	5

References

1. Rasmussen, K. & Rubert, S. (1990) Historical Dictionary of Zimbabwe, The Scarecrow Press, London.
2. Southern Rhodesia, Hansard, HC Deb 22 June 1961 vol 642 cc1696-739