Durban Point (Afrikaans: ) was a constituency in the Natal Province of South Africa, which existed from 1910 to 1994. Named for the Point area of central Durban, it initially covered the eastern part of the CBD, but later expanded to cover much of Durban’s northern waterfront. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly. Franchise notes When the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, the electoral qualifications in use in each pre-existing colony were kept in place. The franchise used in the Natal Colony, while theoretically not restricted by race, was significantly less liberal than that of the Cape, and no more than a few hundred non-white electors ever qualified. In 1908, an estimated 200 of the 22,786 electors in the colony were of non-European descent, and by 1935, only one remained.May, H.J. (1955). The South African Constitution. 3rd ed. Cape Town: Juta & Co. By 1958, when the last non-white voters in the Cape were taken off the rolls, Natal too had an all-white electorate. The franchise was also restricted by property and education qualifications until the 1933 general election, following the passage of the Women's Enfranchisement Act, 1930 and the Franchise Laws Amendment Act, 1931. From then on, the franchise was given to all white citizens aged 21 or over, which remained the case until the end of apartheid and the introduction of universal suffrage in 1994.
History Like the rest of Durban, Durban Point was a largely English-speaking seat. In its first years, it was a marginal seat, electing a Labour member in 1920 but otherwise returning members from the South African Party and its predecessors. After the abolition of Stamford Hill constituency in 1943, the Point constituency expanded to take in much of Durban’s affluent northern suburbs, and became a far more conservative seat as a result. Its member between 1958 and 1987, Vause Raw, was a key figure of the United Party’s conservative faction, and later became the leader of the New Republic Party. When Raw retired in 1987, the seat was captured by the National Party under J. C. Mathee,Government Gazette of South Africa, No. 10751. 22 May 1987. Pretoria: Government of South Africa. who would hold it until its abolition in 1994.
Members ElectionMemberParty 1910 P. A. Silburn Unionist 1915 Independent 1920 Archibald Jamieson Labour 1921 Walter Greenacre South African 1924 A. M. Miller 1929 V. L. Nicoll 1933 T. M. Wadley 1934 United 1938 Vernon Shearer Dominion 1943 Independent 1948 United Party 1953 1954 National Conservative 1958 Vause Raw United Party 1961 1966 1970 1974 1977 New Republic 1981 1987 J. C. Mathee National 1989 1994 Constituency abolished Schoeman, B.M. (1977). Parlementêre verkiesings in Suid-Afrika 1910-1976. Pretoria: Aktuele Publikasies. Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa (1972). "House of Assembly" (vol. 5, pp. 617–636). Cape Town: Nasionale Opvoedkundige Uitgewery (Nasou). South Africa 1980/81: Official Yearbook of the Republic of South Africa. Johannesburg: Chris van Rensburg Publications. South Africa 1983: Official Yearbook of the Republic of South Africa. Johannesburg: Chris van Rensburg Publications. Government Gazette of South Africa, No. 10751. 22 May 1987. Pretoria: Government of South Africa. Government Gazette of South Africa, No. 12109. 20 September 1989. Pretoria: Government of South Africa.
Detailed results Elections in the 1910s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1930s
References