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This resource is hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, but was compiled and authored by Padraig O’Malley. It is the product of almost two decades of research and includes analyses, chronologies, historical documents, and interviews from the apartheid and post-apartheid eras.

1983. Republic of South Africa Constitution Act No 110

A new constitution was enacted in 1983; see Stultz (1984) for a contemporary analysis.

"Whites, coloureds and Indians would each have a separate House - of Assembly, of Representatives and of Delegates - with the number of members in each roughly proportionate to the number of the population, in the ratio 4:2: 1" (Lapping 1986: 225). "The separate houses were allowed to deal only with problems and legislation pertaining to their own population groups ... These separate spheres of influence included such matters as health, education, welfare and housing... [The new constitution] also recognized the existence of 'general affairs', that is, matters that concern all three population groups. The state president was given the power to determine what constitute common affairs as well as own affairs. For legislation on general affairs to become law, all three chambers had to pass it. In case of conflict, a president's council had to arbitrate" (Schutte 1995: 82).

This resource is hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, but was compiled and authored by Padraig O’Malley. Return to theThis resource is hosted by the site.