Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly


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

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. When BSAC rule was terminated in 1923 and Responsible Government achieved, the Legislative Council was replaced by the Legislative Assembly. 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.

Franchise

Modelled after the British House of Commons, 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.
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, 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. 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.

Election results

The following table reflects only those members elected from general roll electoral divisions.
TermElectionPartySeats Won
1st29 April 1924--
1st29 April 1924Rhodesian Party26
1st29 April 1924Independent4
2nd19 September 1928--
2nd19 September 1928Rhodesian Party22
2nd19 September 1928Progressive Party4
2nd19 September 1928Labour Party3
2nd19 September 1928Independent1
3rd6 September 1933--
3rd6 September 1933Reform Party16
3rd6 September 1933Rhodesian Party9
3rd6 September 1933Labour Party5
4th7 November 1934--
4th7 November 1934United Party24
4th7 November 1934Labour Party5
4th7 November 1934Reform Party1
5th14 April 1939--
5th14 April 1939United Party23
5th14 April 1939Labour Party7
6th25 April 1946--
6th25 April 1946United Party13
6th25 April 1946Liberal Party12
6th25 April 1946Labour Party3
6th25 April 1946Southern Rhodesia Labour Party2
7th15 September 1948--
7th15 September 1948United Party24
7th15 September 1948Liberal Party5
7th15 September 1948Labour Party1
8th27 January 1954--
8th27 January 1954United Rhodesia Party26
8th27 January 1954Independent2
8th27 January 1954Independent Labour1
8th27 January 1954Independent Rhodesia Party1
9th5 June 1958--
9th5 June 1958United Federal Party17
9th5 June 1958Dominion Party13
10th14 December 1962--
10th14 December 1962Rhodesian Front35
10th14 December 1962United Federal Party29
10th14 December 1962Independent1
11th7 May 1965--
11th7 May 1965Rhodesian Front50
11th7 May 1965National People's Party10
11th7 May 1965Independent5