General elections were held in South Africa on 6 May 1987. The State of Emergency cast a cloud over the elections, which were again won by the National Party (NP) under the leadership of P. W. Botha, although for the first time it faced serious opposition from the right of the South African political spectrum. The election resulted in the creation of the Second Botha Cabinet, which held power until 1989.

The right-wing opposition came in the form of the Conservative Party (CP), which opposed even the limited powersharing with Indian and Coloured South Africans that had been implemented by the NP as part of a package of constitutional reforms in 1984. The CP was led by former chairman of the Broederbond and NP cabinet minister, Andries Treurnicht, who had been the Minister of Education during the Soweto riots. Following the election, in which the CP extended its 17 splinter MPs to win 22 seats, it replaced the Progressive Federal Party (PFP) as the official opposition in the House of Assembly.

The election year also saw important political developments to the left of the NP. During 1987 Denis Worrall resigned as the South African ambassador in London to return to politics. Together with Wynand Malan (who had resigned from the NP) and Esther Lategan he formed the Independent Movement to fight the general election. Only Malan won a seat and the partnership consequently disintegrated. Denis Worrall and others subsequently went on to form the Independent Party (IP), while Esther Lategan and others formed the National Democratic Movement.

Partially as a result of the split in the votes to the liberal anti-NP parties, the PFP lost seven of its parliamentary seats as well as its role of official opposition. The New Republic Party (NRP), formerly the United Party, continued its disintegration and lost seven of its eight seats.

Results Of the 12 appointed and indirectly elected seats, ten were taken by the National Party and one each by the Conservative Party and Progressive Federal Party.South Africa Inter-Parliamentary Union

Cape Province Constituency 1981result1987 winning party Turnout Votes Party Votes Share Majority NP PFP CP HNP NRP Independents Total Albany PFP NP 5,642 50.8% 844 69.9% 5,642 4,798 589 11,105 Algoa NP NP 7,382 62.6% 4,682 65.8% 7,382 1,449 2,700 229 11,793 Aliwal NP NP 4,379 58.6% 2,467 69.9% 4,379 678 1,912 308 7,299 Beaufort West NP NP 4,568 64.1% 2,486 75.5% 4,568 2,082 418 7,128 Bellville NP NP 7,087 75.0% 5,636 63.4% 7,087 870 1,452 9,455 Caledon NP NP 7,100 80.0% 4,636 71.4% 7,100 2,464 9,731 Cape Town Gardens PFP PFP 4,511 46.8% 486 58.8% 4,511 4,997 9,643 Ceres NP NP 5,333 67.4% 2,860 75.4% 5,333 2,473 7,909 Claremont PFP PFP 100% Unopposed Constantia PFP PFP 8,008 63.2% 3,452 65.1% 4,556 8,008 12,661 Cradock NP NP 4,532 55.8% 2,396 76.0% 4,532 1,184 2,136 251 8,124 De Aar NP NP 4,584 57.6% 1,283 78.3% 4,584 3,301 7,964 De Kuilen NP NP 10,244 73.4% 8,218 69.4% 10,244 1,326 2,026 284 13,963 Durbanville NP NP 10,983 61.1% 6,084 77.0% 10,983 4,899 1,636 280 17,986 East London City NP NP 7,035 67.7% 3,782 60.3% 7,035 3,253 10,388 East London North NP NP 7,569 64.3% 3,873 66.5% 7,569 3,696 467 11,773 False Bay NP NP 8,644 77.9% 7,404 65.7% 8,644 1,240 1,161 11,093 George NP NP 8,312 64.4% 6,278 69.7% 8,312 2,034 1,918 571 12,901 Gordonia NP NP 4,606 60.2% 2,181 72.2% 4,606 2,425 593 7,649 Graaff-Reinet NP NP 4,268 54.5% 1,928 78.7% 4,268 2,340 181 1,035 7,835 Green Point PFP PFP 3,608 49.9% 39 52.9% 3,569 3,608 7,232 Groote Schuur PFP PFP 100% Unopposed Helderberg NP NP 8,439 46.7% 39 82.2% 8,439 1,189 8,400 18,076 Humansdorp NP NP 6,740 55.2% 3,798 73.0% 6,740 2,169 2,942 329 12,207 Kimberley North NP NP 5,539 56.1% 2,650 69.2% 5,539 989 2,889 433 9,881 Kimberley South NP NP 6,757 62.3% 4,052 70.9% 6,757 825 2,705 522 10,845 King William's Town NRP NP 7,127 61.5% 2,731 64.7% 7,172 4,441 11,671 Kuruman NP NP 4,154 52.0% 352 77.7% 4,154 3,802 7,986 Maitland NP NP 7,508 64.0% 4,280 60.7% 7,508 3,228 774 144 11,737 Malmesbury NP NP 8,901 71.1% 7,415 66.5% 8,901 1,486 1,435 638 12,514 Mossel Bay NP NP 7,108 65.4% 3,435 76.5% 7,108 3,673 10,873 Namaqualand NP NP 4,489 62.6% 1,849 71.5% 4,489 2,640 7,176 Newton Park NP NP 7,840 58.6% 3,386 75.6% 7,840 4,454 983 13,375 Oudtshoorn NP NP 5,358 56.5% 1,296 73.5% 5,358 4,062 9,476 Paarl NP NP 7,753 71.0% 5,606 67.6% 7,753 989 2,147 10,919 Parow NP NP 8,122 76.0% 6,448 65.3% 8,122 571 1,674 274 10,689 Piketberg NP NP 8,210 73.3% 5,314 76.3% 8,210 2,896 11,200 Pinelands PFP PFP 6,958 59.5% 2,422 72.9% 4,536 6,958 11,690 Port Elizabeth Central PFP PFP 4,714 52.6% 596 61.4% 4,118 4,714 8,961 Port Elizabeth North NP NP 6,507 71.3% 4,503 55.2% 6,507 2,004 443 9,128 Prieska NP NP 3,949 61.0% 2,069 72.4% 3,949 1,880 565 6,476 Queenstown NP NP 4,639 51.1% 2,162 73.0% 4,639 1,570 2,477 9,078 Sea Point PFP PFP 8,010 71.5% 4,934 65.7% 3,076 8,010 11,207 Simonstown NP NP 7,288 50.6% 268 70.2% 7,288 7,020 14,412 Stellenbosch NP NP 5,296 56.5% 1,781 69.7% 5,296 494 3,515 9,376 Sundays River NP NP 6,088 61.1% 2,868 75.6% 6,088 305 3,220 311 9,957 Swellendam NP NP 5,812 60.9% 3,188 78.0% 5,812 2,624 1,042 9,541 Tygervallei NP NP 8,350 81.4% 7,178 57.1% 8,350 667 1,172 10,264 Uitenhage NP NP 5,953 57.1% 1,878 66.4% 5,953 4,075 197 10,428 Vasco NP NP 7,160 73.2% 5,243 60.6% 7,160 1,917 676 9,780 Vryburg NP NP 4,500 56.4% 1,374 78.8% 4,500 3,126 308 7,980 Walmer PFP NP 6,151 51.7% 539 69.2% 6,151 5,612 11,895 Walvis Bay NP 1,782 72.6% 1,140 52.7% 1,782 642 2,454 Wellington NP NP 8,877 72.6% 6,798 64.1% 8,877 833 2,079 355 12,230 Worcester NP NP 7,553 75.9% 5,308 67.5% 7,553 2,245 9,953 Wynberg PFP NP 5,264 50.0% 97 62.3% 5,264 5,167 10,537 Total for all constituencies Turnout NP PFP CP HNP NRP Independents TotalVotes 64.5% 333,499 90,966 80,366 13,772 12,272 13,417 544,292 61.3% 16.7% 14.8% 2.5% 2.3% 2.5% 100.0%Seats 48 8 0 0 0 0 56 85.7% 14.3% 0% 0% 0% 0% 100.0%

Natal Constituency 1981result1987 winning party Turnout Votes Party Votes Share Majority NP PFP CP NRP HNP Independents Total Amanzimtoti NRP NP 6,392 51.0% 1,884 66.6% 6,392 1,597 4,508 12,538 Berea PFP PFP 7,071 64.4% 3,160 66.1% 3,911 7,071 10,982 Durban Central PFP PFP 5,592 56.6% 1,360 58.7% 4,232 5,592 9,888 Durban North NRP PFP 7,718 57.0% 2,110 71.6% 5,608 7,718 13,548 Durban Point NRP NP 5,017 56.7% 1,230 51.4% 5,017 3,787 8,849 Greytown PFP PFP 7,106 48.1% 676 70.4% 6,430 7,106 1,175 14,773 Klip River NP NP 5,956 54.0% 3,480 71.9% 5,956 1,930 2,467 634 11,045 Mooi River NRP NRP 6,103 51.7% 1,807 71.7% 4,296 1,357 6,103 11,800 Newcastle NP NP 5,713 47.0% 1,064 66.0% 5,713 822 4,649 904 12,152 Pietermaritzburg North PFP NP 6,652 52.5% 1,121 68.3% 6,652 5,531 414 12,666 Pietermaritzburg South PFP NP 7,436 54.0% 1,509 69.2% 7,436 5,927 352 13,778 Pinetown PFP PFP 8,293 58.0% 2,394 69.8% 5,899 8,293 14,297 Port Natal NP NP 7,092 57.1% 3,703 64.5% 7,092 3,389 1,875 12,415 South Coast NRP NP 5,778 49.6% 1,419 72.2% 5,772 1,469 4,359 11,640 Umbilo NRP NP 5,050 52.0% 480 57.4% 5,050 4,570 9,716 Umfolozi NP NP 4,381 45.7% 1,743 62.5% 4,381 2,638 2,531 9,584 Umhlanga NRP NP 6,195 51.9% 557 67.4% 6,195 5,638 11,933 Umhlatuzana NP NP 8,234 64.8% 3,519 66.1% 8,234 4,715 718 13,712 Umlazi NP NP 8,035 65.0% 4,882 63.0% 8,035 3,153 966 167 12,363 Vryheid NP NP 6,992 61.9% 4,135 69.8% 6,992 2,857 1,257 11,300 Total for all constituencies Turnout NP PFP CP NRP HNP Independents TotalVotes 66.2% 119,293 66,885 21,050 23,327 4,446 2,531 237,532 50.2% 28.2% 8.9% 9.8% 1.9% 1.1% 100.0%Seats 14 5 0 1 0 0 20 70% 25% 0% 5% 0% 0% 100.0%

Orange Free State Constituency 1981result1987 winning party Turnout Votes Party Votes Share Majority NP CP HNP PFP Total Bethlehem NP NP 6,923 56.1% 2,038 77.8% 6,923 4,885 433 12,337 Bloemfontein East NP NP 8,518 60.8% 3,118 65.8% 8,518 5,400 14,008 Bloemfontein North NP NP 7,152 62.0% 4,353 69.9% 7,152 2,799 1,532 11,535 Bloemfontein West NP NP 7,371 65.8% 3,658 75.5% 7,371 3,713 11,198 Fauresmith NP NP 4,226 51.3% 1,048 63.4% 4,226 3,178 792 8,237 Heilbron NP NP 5,713 50.4% 680 71.4% 5,713 5,033 567 11,346 Kroonstad NP NP 6,960 61.7% 2,724 72.2% 6,960 4,236 11,283 Ladybrand NP NP 5,870 53.3% 842 80.4% 5,870 5,028 11,012 Parys NP NP 6,412 47.9% 183 76.7% 6,412 6,229 696 13,397 Sasolburg NP NP 7,334 48.9% 2,673 72.9% 7,334 2,933 4,661 14,995 Smithfield NP NP 5,162 55.0% 1,684 70.4% 5,162 2,136 710 9,388 Virginia NP NP 6,708 55.0% 3,047 62.7% 6,708 3,661 1,237 551 12,191 Welkom NP NP 7,891 52.7% 2,309 64.7% 7,891 5,582 938 529 14,968 Winburg NP NP 7,257 57.9% 2,524 74.6% 7,257 4,733 471 12,540 Total for all constituencies Turnout Total NP CP HNP PFP Votes 71.1% 93,497 59,546 10,505 2,612 166,160 56.3% 35.8% 6.3% 1.6% 100.0%Seats 14 0 0 0 14 100.0% 0% 0% 0% 100.0%

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