Paper Summary:

The paper examines the impact of the constitution as defined by L. Thompson's four main points in "A History of South Africa". The paper also discusses events leading up to, and which influenced the creation of the constitution. It looks at the creation of a political system and the containing and regulating of the different racial groups through the Franchise laws. Additionally, the paper examines the attempt to protect the interests of the Afrikaners and English through the adoption of English and Dutch as the official languages. The impact and effectiveness of these points is also considered through evaluation of later legislation.

From the Paper:

"The Constitution contained four key principals, which were designed to regulate and control the interests of the main racial groups within South Africa. The first major principal was concerned with the establishment of a political system based on the British model, therefore creating a unitary state with parliamentary sovereignty. The once independent states of the cape Colony, the Transvaal, Orange Free State and Natal became provinces within the Union of South Africa. Each province had its own local government; however central government had legal supremacy over all local institutions. As in Great Britain, the executive was directly responsible to a majority in the lower house, known as the House of Assembly. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• L. Thompson, A History of South Africa
• J.D. Omer-Cooper, History of Southern Africa,
• N. Worden, The Making of Modern South Africa, (Oxford 2000)
• D. O'Meara, 'Volkskapitalisme: Class, Capital and Ideology in the Development of Afrikaner Nationalism, 1934 - 48'

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