South African constitutional reform referendum, 1983

South African constitutional reform referendum, 1983
Are you in favour of the implementation of the Constitution Act, 1983, as approved by Parliament?
Results Yes or no Votes Percentage Yes 1,360,223 700166290000000000066.29% No 691,577 700133710000000000033.71% Valid votes 2,051,800 700199480000000000099.48% Invalid or blank votes 10,669 69995200000000000000.52% Total votes 2,062,469 100.00% Voter turnout 700176020000000000076.02% Electorate 2,713,000
Results by province   Yes   No

A referendum on a new constitution was held in South Africa on 2 November 1983 in which the white population was given the opportunity to approve or reject the Constitution of 1983. This constitution introduced the Tricameral Parliament, in which coloured and Indian South Africans would be represented in separate parliamentary chambers, while black South Africans would remain unrepresented. The referendum passed with 66.3% of voters voting "Yes"; consequently the new constitution came into force on 3 September 1984.

Background

In 1981 the Senate was abolished and replaced with the President's Council, which was an advisory body consisting of sixty nominated members from the white, coloured, Indian and Chinese population groups. Following a request by Prime Minister P.W. Botha, the President's Council presented a set of proposals in 1982 for constitutional and political reform. This proposal called for the implementation of "power sharing" between the white, coloured and Indian communities.

The right wing of the ruling National Party (NP) rejected this proposal and a group of its MPs, led by Dr. Andries Treurnicht, a cabinet minister and the leader of the NP in the Transvaal province, broke away to form the Conservative Party (CP) in order to fight for a return to apartheid in its original form. However, Botha continued to be in favour of implementing the President's Council proposal and in 1983 the NP government introduced a new constitutional framework. A referendum was called for in order to determine public support for the reforms amongst white voters.

Opposition

Both the Progressive Federal Party (PFP), which objected to the exclusion of blacks, as well as the CP, which objected to the participation of coloureds and Indians, campaigned for a "No" vote. However, many PFP followers and parts of the anti-government English language press supported the new constitution as "a step in the right direction". The conservative opposition to the reforms used banners with the text "Rhodesia voted yes – vote no!" reflecting on the transformation to majority rule in Rhodesia.^[1]

The United Democratic Front (UDF) was launched as a non-racial coalition to oppose the referendum and the subsequent elections for the coloured and Indian chambers in parliament.

Results

Results of the referendum broken down by region

Are you in favour of the implementation of the Constitution Act, 1983, as approved by Parliament?
Is U ten gunste van die inwerkingtreding van die Grondwet, 1983, soos deur die Parlement goedgekeur?^[2]

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	1,360,223	66.29
No	691,577	33.71
Invalid/blank votes	10,669	–
Total	2,062,469	100
Registered voters/turnout	2,713,000	76.02
Source:[3]

By region

For counting purposes the provinces of South Africa were divided into various referendum areas. The following table shows the results in each area.^[4]

Area	Yes		No		Valid votes	Invalid votes	Total votes
	Votes	%	Votes	%
Cape of Good Hope
Beaufort West	22,502	74.42	7,733	25.58	30,235	93	30,328
Cape Town	221,511	75.61	71,456	24.39	292,967	1,229	294,196
East London	53,202	77.91	15,087	22.09	68,289	255	68,544
George	31,256	73.23	11,426	26.77	42,682	141	42,823
Kimberley	34,815	66.05	17,898	33.95	52,713	110	52,823
Port Elizabeth	60,661	70.08	25,901	29.92	86,562	208	86,770
Total Cape	423,947	73.93	149,501	26.07	573,448	2,036	575,484
Natal
Durban	123,783	73.58	44,442	26.42	168,225	750	168,975
Pietermaritzburg	50,519	71.58	20,060	28.42	70,579	366	70,945
Total Natal	174,302	72.99	64,502	27.01	238,804	1,116	239,920
Orange Free State
Bloemfontein	52,019	65.86	26,960	34.14	78,979	331	79,310
Kroonstad	55,486	63.19	32,321	36.81	87,807	189	87,996
Total O.F.S.	107,505	64.46	59,281	35.54	166,786	520	167,306
Transvaal
Germiston	113,600	65.35	60,241	34.65	173,841	900	174,741
Johannesburg	194,396	69.44	85,554	30.56	279,950	3,906	283,856
Pietersburg	31,403	47.42	34,827	52.58	66,230	247	66,477
Pretoria	209,763	57.13	157,433	42.87	367,196	1,035	368,231
Roodepoort	105,307	56.76	80,238	43.24	185,545	909	186,454
Total Transvaal	654,469	61.01	418,293	38.99	1,072,762	6,997	1,079,759
Total R.S.A.	1,360,223	66.29	691,577	33.71	2,051,800	10,669	2,062,469

References

Elections and referendums in South Africa General elections 1910 1915 1920 1921 1924 1929 1933 1938 1943 1948 1953 1958 1961 1966 1970 1974 1977 1981 1984 1987 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 Municipal elections 1995–96 2000 2006 2011 Referendums 1960 1983 1992 See also:

Political history of South Africa Defunct polities Kingdom of Mapungubwe (c. 1075–c. 1220) Dutch Cape Colony (1652–1806) Mthethwa Paramountcy (c. 1780–1817) Cape Colony (1795–1910) Zulu Kingdom (1816–1897) Natalia Republic (1839–1843) Natal Colony (1843–1910) Orange Free State (1854–1902) South African Republic (1856–1902) Griqualand East (1861–1879) Griqualand West (1870–1873) Goshen (1882–1883) Stellaland (1882–1885) Nieuwe Republiek (1884–1888) Upingtonia (1885–1887) Klein Vrystaat (1886–1891) Orange River Colony (1902–1910) Transvaal Colony (1902–1910) Union of South Africa (1910–1961) Transkei (1976–1994) Bophuthatswana (1977–1994) Venda (1979–1994) Ciskei (1981–1994) Events 1652–1815 Dutch settlement French Huguenot settlement Khoikhoi–Dutch Wars Xhosa Wars Battle of Muizenberg Battle of Blaauwberg Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 1815–1910 Mfecane 1820 Settlers Great Trek Boer Republics Mineral Revolution Witwatersrand Gold Rush South African Wars South Africa Act 1909 1910–1948 Maritz Rebellion Rand Rebellion Great Depression 1946 African Mine Workers' Union strike Bantustans Apartheid era 1948 general election Apartheid legislation Internal resistance Coloured-vote constitutional crisis Defiance Campaign Congress of the People Freedom Charter Sharpeville massacre 1960 republic referendum International isolation Academic boycott Disinvestment Oil embargo Sporting boycott Rivonia Trial Tar Baby Option Durban Moment Border War Israeli alliance Israel–South Africa Agreement Soweto Uprising Weapons of mass destruction Project Coast Constructive engagement Church Street bombing 1983 constitutional reform referendum Third Force CODESA 1992 apartheid referendum Saint James Church massacre Bophuthatswana coup d'état Shell House massacre Post-apartheid 1994 general election Government of National Unity Reconstruction and Development Programme Truth and Reconciliation Commission Arms Deal African Renaissance Xenophobia Marikana miners' strike 2012 Western Cape farm workers' strike Nkandlagate 2014 platinum strike Political culture Afrikaner Calvinism Baasskap Boerehaat Day of the Vow Greater South Africa Honorary whites Rooi gevaar Slavery Swart gevaar Uitlander Volkstaat Defunct organisations Civic and political organisations Afrikaner Bond Afrikaner Broederbond Afrikaner Party AITUP APO AVF BPC Black Sash CDA CTEG COD Congress Alliance COSG CP Dominion Party DP (1973–1977) DP (1989–2000) DPP ECC FA FD Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners GNP Het Volk HNP ID IP ISL Jeugkrag Johannesburg Reform Committee Labour Party (1910–1958) Labour Party (1969–1994) Liberal Party NA NCP NIC NLP NNP NP NPP NRP NUSAS PFP Progressive Party (Cape Colony) Progressive Party PRP Radio Freedom Reform Party SABP SADECO SAIC SASO SAYCO SAYRCO South African Party (Cape Colony) South African Party (1911–1934) South African Party (1977–1980) TNIP Torch Commando UFP United Party Unionist Party Volksparty Workers Party WOSA Trade unions and social movements APF BCM FOSATU ICU MUSA NEUM PAWE SAAPAWU UDF Umkosi Wezintaba Paramilitary and terrorist organisations APLA ARM BBB Boeremag Greyshirts MK Ossewabrandwag Orde van die Dood SANF Histories of political parties African National Congress Democratic Alliance Pan Africanist Congress of Azania Category

Categories

• Articles containing Afrikaans-language text
• CS1 German-language sources (de)
• Referendums in South Africa
• 1983 in South Africa
• 1983 referendums

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