1974 South African Senate election

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1974 South African Senate election

← 1970 30 May 1974 (1974-05-30) 1994 →

44 of 54 seats in the Senate
28 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
  John Vorster
Leader B. J. Vorster De Villiers Graaff
Party National United
Last election 41 seats 13 seats
Seats won 42 12
Seat change Increase1 Decrease1
Percentage 77.78% 22.22%

South African Senate after the 1974 election
Seat composition in the Senate after the election

The election for the tenth Senate of South Africa took place on May 30, 1974. The result was a victory for the ruling National Party, winning 32 out of the 44 elected seats and 42 out of the total 54 seats.[1] This was the final election for the Senate before it was abolished in 1980 and replaced by the President's Council, an advisory body to the State President designed to draft a new constitution that would allow more political participation to the colored and Indian populations in South Africa.

According to section 29(2)(b) of the 1961 constitution, "at least one of the two senators nominated from each province under this section shall be thoroughly acquainted, by reason of official experience or otherwise, with the interests of the coloured population in the province for which the said senator is nominated".

Bibliography[edit]

  1. ^ Keesing's Contemporary Archives 1969–1970, page 24341.