National Party of South West Africa

The National Party of South West Africa (Afrikaans: Nasionale Party van Suidwes-Afrika, German: Nationale Partei Südwestafrikas) was a political party in South West Africa.

National Party of South West Africa

Nasionale Party van Suidwes-Afrika
Nationale Partei Südwestafrikas
Founded1924
1939
Dissolved1927
1991
Merged intoUnited National South West Party
Succeeded byMonitor Action Group
HeadquartersSouth West Africa
IdeologyApartheid
Social conservatism
White minority rule
South African rule in Namibia
Political positionRight-wing to Far-right
SloganSouth Africa First[1]
Namibia
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History

The party was originally established in Mariental by Frikke Jooste in July 1924.[1] It won two seats in the 1926 legislative elections, which saw the German League win eight of the twelve elected seats.[2] On 31 January 1927 it merged with the South West Party, which had won one seat in the elections,[2] to form the United National South West Party (UNSWP).[3]

The National Party was re-established as a separate party in 1939, winning two seats in the 1940 elections, which saw the UNSWP win the remaining ten.[2] It subsequently lost both seats in 1945, with the UNSWP winning all twelve.[4] However, with its South African counterpart coming to power in 1948, the National Party also came to prominence in South West Africa, going on to win fifteen of the eighteen seats in the 1950 elections.[4]

Thereafter the National Party dominated South West African politics, winning sixteen seats in the 1955 and 1961 elections and all eighteen in 1965. It subsequently won every seat in elections in 1970 and 1974.

A party congress in September 1977 saw a walkout of 80 moderate members led by Dirk Mudge, with Mudge forming the Republican Party on 5 October.[1] Prior to the elections the following year, the National Party formed a multi-racial, Action Front for the Retention of Turnhalle Principles (ACTUR). However, it received only 12% of the vote, winning six seats to the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance's 41.

In 1980 a Second Tier Representative Authority was created for the white community. The National Party went on to dominate the body until its dissolution in 1989.[1] It was part of the Action Christian National alliance alongside the German League for the 1989 elections,[5] with the alliance winning three seats. In 1991 the party was disbanded, with party leader Kosie Pretorius forming the Monitor Action Group.[6]

Leaders

Electoral history

Legislative Assembly elections
Election Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
1926 612 26.12%
2 / 18
 2 2nd Opposition
1940 3,046 37.48%
2 / 18
 2 2nd Opposition
1945 3,154 34.67%
0 / 18
 2 2nd Extra-parliamentary
1950 12,349 55.14%
15 / 18
 15 1st Supermajority government
1955 15,484 58.83%
16 / 18
 1 1st Supermajority government
1961 19,360 59.43%
16 / 18
 1st Supermajority government
1965 21,240 67.80%
18 / 18
 2 1st Supermajority government
1970
18 / 18
 1st Supermajority government
1974
18 / 18
 1st Supermajority government

References
  1. Victor L. Tonchi, William A. Lindeke & John J. Grotpeter (2012) Historical Dictionary of Namibia, Scarecrow Press, pp289–290
  2. Zedekia Ngavirue (1997) Political parties and interest groups in South West Africa (Namibia), P Schelttwein Publishing, p301 ISBN 3-908193-00-1
  3. Tonchi et al., p433
  4. Ngavirue, p302
  5. Namibia: Unregistered and defunct parties EISA
  6. Namibia's Former White Rulers Change Political Strategy Christian Science Monitor, 24 September 1991
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