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Jeppes (House of Assembly of South Africa constituency)

Jeppes (known as Siemert for the 1915 general election and as Jeppe in its later years) was a constituency in the Transvaal Province of South Africa, which existed from 1910 to 1994. It covered parts of the inner eastern suburbs of Johannesburg, centred on the suburb of Jeppestown. Throughout its existence it elected one member to the House of Assembly and one to the Transvaal Provincial Council.

Jeppes
Former constituency
for the South African House of Assembly
Outline map
Location of Jeppes within Johannesburg (1910)
ProvinceTransvaal
Electorate20,876 (1989)
Former constituency
Created1910
Abolished1994
Number of members1
Last MHA  (NP)
Replaced byGauteng

Franchise notes

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When the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, the electoral qualifications in use in each pre-existing colony were kept in place. In the Transvaal Colony, and its predecessor the South African Republic, the vote was restricted to white men, and as such, elections in the Transvaal Province were held on a whites-only franchise from the beginning. The franchise was also restricted by property and education qualifications until the 1933 general election, following the passage of the Women's Enfranchisement Act, 1930 and the Franchise Laws Amendment Act, 1931. From then on, the franchise was given to all white citizens aged 21 or over. Non-whites remained disenfranchised until the end of apartheid and the introduction of universal suffrage in 1994.[1]

History

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As a largely working-class seat, Jeppes was an early stronghold of the South African Labour Party. At the first general election in 1910, the seat was won by Labour party leader Frederic Creswell, who moved to the newly created seat of Bezuidenhout in 1915, and the rump Jeppes seat (renamed Siemert for this election only) was won by fellow Labour member Harry Sampson. Sampson would hold the seat until 1933, when he was defeated by Roos Party candidate Hjalmar Reitz, and starting from 1938 the seat would be held by the United Party's Bertha Solomon. Following Solomon's retirement in 1958, the seat became marginal, falling to the National Party in 1966 and again in 1977. The National MP elected in 1977, Koos van der Merwe, defected to the Conservative Party on its foundation in 1982, but moved to the Overvaal constituency in 1987. That year, the Nationals won Jeppe back, and held it at the last whites-only election in 1989.

Members

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Election Member Party
1910 Frederic Creswell Labour
1915 Harry Sampson
1920
1921
1924
1929
1933 Hjalmar Reitz Roos Party
1938 Bertha Solomon United Party
1943
1948
1953
1958 F. J. C. Cronje
1961
1966 M. W. Botha National Party
1970 H. Miller United Party
1974
1977 Koos van der Merwe National Party
1981
1982 Conservative
1987 H. J. Bekker National Party
1989
1994 Constituency abolished

[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Detailed results

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Elections in the 1910s

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General election 1910: Jeppes [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederic Creswell 1,065 52.4 New
Unionist R. Feetham 968 47.6 New
Majority 97 4.8 N/A
Turnout 2,033 N/A
Labour win (new seat)
General election 1915: Siemert [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Sampson 909 60.5 8.1
Unionist A. E. Cowley 593 39.5 New
Majority 851 21.0 N/A
Turnout 1,502 71.0 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1920s

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General election 1920: Jeppes [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Sampson 1,257 83.3 22.8
National C. Grobbelaar 156 10.3 New
Independent Socialist C. B. Tyler 67 4.4 New
Unionist D. Urquhart 28 1.9 −37.6
Majority 1,101 73.0 N/A
Turnout 1,508 48.3 −22.7
Labour hold Swing N/A
General election 1921: Jeppes [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Sampson Unopposed
Labour hold
General election 1924: Jeppes [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Sampson 1,301 65.3 −15.5
South African D. Anderson 690 34.7 New
Majority 611 30.6 N/A
Turnout 1,991 70.7 N/A
Swing N/A
General election 1929: Jeppes [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Sampson 1,230 51.4 6.3
South African H. Carter 1,064 44.4 New
Labour H. Carruthers 101 4.2 New
Majority 166 7.0 −23.6
Turnout 2,395 76.2 5.5
Labour hold Swing -11.8

Elections in the 1930s

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General election 1933: Jeppes [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Roos Hjalmar Reitz 2,552 65.7 10.1
Labour Harry Sampson 1,330 34.3 New
Majority 1,222 31.4 N/A
Turnout 3,882 55.8 −20.4
Roos gain from Labour Swing N/A

References

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  1. ^ "EISA South Africa: Historical franchise arrangements". Eisa.org.za. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Schoeman, B.M. (1977). Parlementêre verkiesings in Suid-Afrika 1910-1976. Pretoria: Aktuele Publikasies.
  3. ^ South Africa 1980/81: Official Yearbook of the Republic of South Africa. Johannesburg: Chris van Rensburg Publications.
  4. ^ South Africa 1983: Official Yearbook of the Republic of South Africa. Johannesburg: Chris van Rensburg Publications.
  5. ^ Government Gazette of South Africa, No. 10751. 22 May 1987. Pretoria: Government of South Africa.
  6. ^ Government Gazette of South Africa, No. 12109. 20 September 1989. Pretoria: Government of South Africa.

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