Natives Representative Council
The Natives Representative Council was an advisory body that existed in South Africa from 1936 to 1951. Its primary function was to provide representation for Black South Africans who had been disenfranchised following the passage of the Representation of Natives Act in 1936. The NRC was established with 22 members. Six white members from the Department of Native Affairs, twelve elected African members, and four nominated African members selected by the Department of Native Affairs. The NRC had limited powers, and was unable to make laws or veto decisions, but it was allowed to make recommendations to the government. The NRC had an important role in shaping government policy towards Africans, and held great significance among the African population.
Following World War II, frustration among councilors grew as they expected discriminatory restrictions against Africans to be eased, only for the government to increase them. In August 1946, the NRC unanimously passed a motion to adjourn, expressing their disapproval of the government's policy of segregation and demanded the abolition of all discriminatory legislation. The councilors believed that if the NRC was adjourned, Parliament would be unable to pass African-related legislation, as such bills required consultation with the NRC first. In May 1947, Prime Minister Jan Smuts proposed a policy of black self-government under a reformed NRC to end the adjournment. However, the councilors rejected the idea as Smuts refused to abolish discriminatory legislation. In the following year, D.F. Malan's National Party won the general election, defeating Smuts' United Party, and beginning their implementation of apartheid. The new government suggested that the councilors accept the apartheid legislation without voicing objections, but the NRC refused, leading to the eventual abolition of the Council in 1951.
During its existence, critics claimed the NRC was nothing more than a tool for the white government to control the black population by granting them representation without real political power. This was due to the Council's limited authority as it could only make recommendations to the government, which was under no obligation to implement them. The NRC's lack of autonomy also drew criticism, as it was established to represent Black South Africans, yet ultimately remained subject to the control of the government. Additionally, the NRC was criticised for failing to bring about any meaningful change.
Background
The history of Black South African political representation dates back to the Cape Qualified Franchise, established in the 1853 Cape of Good Hope Constitution. The Cape Qualified Franchise granted male British subjects aged 21 or older living in the Cape Colony the right to vote, regardless of skin colour, so long as they met one of two qualifications. The occupancy qualification granted voting rights to men who occupied property valued at £25 or greater for at least 12 months. The salary qualification granted voting rights to men if they earned a salary of £50 or greater. As Africans became more active in politics and registered as voters, some Cape residents and organisations grew increasingly agitated. This led to parliamentary efforts to limit African participation in the Cape franchise, especially after the incorporation of the Transkei territory. The Parliamentary Voters' Registration Act of 1887 limited franchise for Africans in the Cape by excluding communal or tribal lands from the property qualification. Only private occupancy of a house or building qualified individuals to vote. In 1892, the qualifications for voting were made more stringent by Prime Minister Cecil Rhodes and his support of the Franchise and Ballot Act. The act raised the required property value from £50 to £75 and introduced a literacy test. Although these restrictions applied to all voters, they disproportionately affected Africans as they were poorer and mostly relied on the occupancy qualification to vote, resulting in only a small number of them being eligible to vote. Upon the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910, nationwide extension of the multi-racial franchise was not implemented, leaving most Africans, excluding the small number of eligible voters in the Cape Province, disenfranchised.Formation
Following the formation of the Union of South Africa, the government largely disregarded African political organisations and their calls for equality. An exception occurred in 1919 when an African National Congress delegation traveled to Europe to present a memorandum to the British government and the Versailles Peace Conference. The delegation was protesting against the treatment of Africans by the government. One of the ANC leaders, Sol Plaatje, highlighted the discriminatory legislation passed by the Union government, which he attributed to the lack of African representation in the government. While the conference overlooked the delegation, the British Colonial Office sent a clear message to the South African government to address the inadequate African representation. This resulted in Prime Minister Jan Smuts passing the Native Affairs Act of 1920, which laid down provisions for establishing local councils in rural areas and a general council for large rural tribal units in the Transkei and Ciskei. Additionally, the act included provisions for organising conferences, where Africans from all regions of the country would voice their opinions on government proposals. Conferences were held regularly from 1924 to 1927, and many future NRC councilors were appointed by the government to attend and provide their opinions on legislation. By 1923, rural Africans were provided a means of expressing their opinions, but urban Africans still lacked any form of representation. The Natives Urban Areas Act was subsequently passed in 1923, which included provisions for the creation of advisory boards, consisting solely of African members, with the exception of the chairpersons, who were white officials. These boards served as advisory bodies for regulations passed by the corresponding urban local authority. Despite their lack of legislative or any other political power, the government was wary of these advisory boards and viewed them with caution.J.B.M. Hertzog served as the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1924 to 1939 and was a firm believer in the policy of racial segregation. He felt that the Cape Franchise posed a threat to white domination and was determined to eliminate it. After reading some of the resolutions of the ANC, Hertzog stated in the House of Assembly in 1923 that Africans seemed to be satisfied with nothing less than direct representation in all legislative bodies, and that something more had to be done to prevent unrest. In 1926, Hertzog presented a group of bills that led to the establishment of the Natives Representative Council and the abolition of the Cape Franchise ten years later. The formation of a nationwide African council was a controversial matter in the all-white Parliament, and much debate took place before the government agreed to it. By 1927, the influence of the Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union was at its peak, and its popularity among Africans made both Hertzog and Smuts, the leader of the parliamentary opposition, uneasy. Between the years of 1927 and 1930, no conferences were held to gather the opinion of African citizens, a direct result of the rise of the ICU and the government's fear of militant opinions being displayed during these conferences, despite the fact that all participants were nominated by the government. The idea of an African council was now seen as premature, and was described as a gathering place for "Communist agitators". Smuts expressed concern that the proposed council could easily become a breeding ground for agitation and Bolshevism among the law-abiding natives. The proposal for a council bill was abandoned in 1930 due to concerns that it would disturb the existing white civilization. Despite attempts to come up with alternative plans, none of them adequately addressed the needs of the African intelligentsia, which was the primary goal of the original council bill.
By 1935, the threat posed by the ICU had diminished and the only other significant African organisation, the ANC, was in disarray. After a decade of discussions, the Representation of Natives Act was finally passed, abolishing the Cape Franchise and establishing the NRC with 22 members. Six of the 16 members of the NRC were from the Department of Native Affairs, including the five white Chief Native Commissioners and the Secretary of Native Affairs who acted as the Chair of the Council and had the power to cast a deciding vote. The African councilors consisted of 12 elected members and 4 nominated members selected by the Department of Native Affairs. The eligible electorate for the election consisted of African males over the age of 18 who had paid their poll tax and held a receipt for the payment. The African electorate also had the opportunity to vote for 4 white candidates who would serve in the Senate. The Cape Africans, who were recently removed from the common roll, were able to elect 3 white representatives to the House of Assembly.
History
The government created the NRC as a platform for educated Africans to express their political desires, granting them official recognition as leaders of the black community in South Africa. According to Smuts, Hertzog intended for the Council to serve as an outlet for the expression of African views and to steer both public and parliamentary opinions in their desired direction. This was expected to distract them from what the government considered disruptive and hazardous pursuits. The government also viewed the NRC as a useful tool, using it to identify prominent African leaders through its electoral processes.The NRC did not have a fixed venue for its biannual meetings and instead convened in various locations across Pretoria, the nation's administrative capital, including school halls and other less impressive venues. On some occasions, the meetings were held in Cape Town. The NRC was responsible for providing feedback on legislation affecting Africans and advising Parliament on matters of importance to the NRC's constituents. All proposed legislation concerning Africans had to be presented to the NRC for review, and the Council would subsequently submit its reports to Parliament through the Minister of Native Affairs. However, starting in 1941, the government began to consolidate and modify laws without presenting them to the NRC, claiming that they only had to bring bills and not amendments to existing legislation to the NRC. Some members of Parliament disputed this, arguing that the Minister of Native Affairs was legally required to present all proposed legislation, whether it was in the form of bills or amendments, to the NRC for review.
Following the 1942 elections, newly elected Councilors Z.K. Matthews and James Moroka formed a caucus within the NRC with Matthews as chair. Under his leadership, a recess committee proposed several changes to the NRC, which were supported by A.B. Xuma, President-General of the ANC. The proposals included increasing Council membership, separating public servants from the Council, making an African councilor the chair, moving the venue to Cape Town, extending council sessions, and granting the Council statutory powers. However, these changes were never implemented and all the government was willing to endorse was an increase in Council membership three years later.