Labour Party (South Africa)

South African Labour Party

*Suid-Afrikaanse Arbeidersparty* (
Right-wing
South African Labour Party Suid-Afrikaanse Arbeidersparty ( Right-wing
Colours	Red
	Politics of South Africa; Political parties; Elections;

The South African Labour Party

Afrikaans: Suid-Afrikaanse Arbeidersparty), was a South African political party formed in March 1910 in the newly created Union of South Africa following discussions between trade unions, the Transvaal Independent Labour Party, and the Natal Labour Party.^[2] It was a professedly democratic socialist party representing the interests of the white working class.^[3]

The party received support mostly from urban white workers and for most of its existence sought to protect them from competition from black and other non-white workers.[4]

History

The party was represented in the South African House of Assembly from 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 Colonel F. H. P. Creswell

.

The worldwide depression after the end of the

Minister of Defence.^[5] 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.^[4] 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.^[6] These policies, however, did nothing to enhance conditions for black workers.^[4]

In 1928 the party split between two factions. The Labour MP who was 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.^[7]

After 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.^[8]

On 24 July 1946, Walter Madeley resigned from the leadership and the party.

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,^[11] 1948 and 1953.^[12] 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,

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 policies proved to be far too left-leaning for the majority Afrikaner-electorate and led a sound defeat in the 1958 election

, in which Labour gained 0,23% of the votes and lost all of its remaining seats. The Labour Party was dissolved soon after the election.

A small fraction of former Labour politicians formed the Conservative Workers Party, which only gained 0.31% in the elections 1961 and disbanded as well.

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

Electoral history

House of Assembly elections

Election	Party leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Position	Result
1910	Frederic Creswell			4 / 121	4	3rd	Opposition
1915		24,755	9.63%	4 / 130		4th	Opposition
1920		40,639	14.64%	21 / 134	17	4th	Opposition
1921		39,406	13.82%	9 / 134	12	3rd	Opposition
1924		45,380	14.35%	18 / 135	9	3rd	Labour Party-NP coalition government
1929	Disputed	33,919	9.86%	8 / 148	10	3rd	Labour Party-NP coalition government
1933	Walter Madeley	20,276	6.34%	2 / 150	6	4th	Opposition
1938		48,641	5.87%	3 / 150	1	4th	Opposition (joined wartime UP coalition 1939)
1943		38,206	4.36%	9 / 150	6	3rd	wartime UP coalition government (left 1945)
1948	John Christie	27,360	2.57%	6 / 150	3	4th	Opposition
1953	John Christie	34,730	2.87%	5 / 156	1	3rd	Opposition
1958	Alex Hepple	2,670	0.23%	0 / 156	5	5th	Extra-parliamentary

References

Keesing's Contemporary Archives
Smuts: A Reappraisal, by
ISBN 0-04-920045-3

South Africa 1982 Official Yearbook of the Republic of South Africa, published by Chris van Rensburg Publications

^ Ticktin, D. (1973). "The Origins of the South African Labour Party 1888-1910"" (PDF). University of Cape Town.
^ Ticktin, D. (1973). The Origins of the South African Labour Party: 1888-1910 (PDF). Cape Town: University of Cape Town. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
^ South Africa 1982, page 165
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Labour Party". South African History Online. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
^ South Africa 1982, page 167
^ "GRADE 12: Pact Government". Archived from the original on 23 March 2005. Retrieved 23 October 2011..
^ The Times, edition of 14 May 1947 (obituary of Walter Madeley)
^ South Africa 1982, page 168
^ Keesing's Contemporary Archives, 1946–1948, page 8615
^ Keesing's Contemporary Archives, 1946–1948, page 8996
^ Smuts: A Reappraisal, page 155
^ Keesing's Contemporary Archives, 1957–58, page 16169

[1] Ticktin, D. (1973). "The Origins of the South African Labour Party 1888-1910"" (PDF). University of Cape Town.

[ticktin-2] Ticktin, D. (1973). The Origins of the South African Labour Party: 1888-1910 (PDF). Cape Town: University of Cape Town. Retrieved 21 April 2021.

[3] South Africa 1982, page 165

[saholp-4] "Labour Party". South African History Online. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2015.

[5] South Africa 1982, page 167

[6] "GRADE 12: Pact Government". Archived from the original on 23 March 2005. Retrieved 23 October 2011..

[7] The Times, edition of 14 May 1947 (obituary of Walter Madeley)

[8] South Africa 1982, page 168

[9] Keesing's Contemporary Archives, 1946–1948, page 8615

[10] Keesing's Contemporary Archives, 1946–1948, page 8996

[11] Smuts: A Reappraisal, page 155

[12] Keesing's Contemporary Archives, 1957–58, page 16169

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