# 1934 Southern Rhodesian general election

General elections were held in Southern Rhodesia on 7 November 1934, fourth elections since the colony of Southern Rhodesia was granted self-government. The elections were called only a year after the previous elections when the Prime Minister, Godfrey Huggins, formed the United Party as a merger of the conservative section of his Reform Party and the former governing Rhodesia Party. Huggins succeeded in winning a landslide, defeating all but one of his Reform Party opponents.

## Electoral system

No changes were made to the franchise, the procedure of elections, or electoral boundaries since the previous election.

## Political parties

The Reform Party was believed by many in Rhodesia to be a left-wing party but Huggins had presented a cautiously conservative Cabinet after winning power in 1933. In particular, Finance Minister Jacob Smit was a strong believer in conventional economics and opponent of Keynesianism. The course of government led eventually to a confrontration in August 1934 with the left-wing of the party over reform to the Rhodesian railways. Huggins decided to approach Sir Percy Fynn, leader of the Rhodesian Party, who pledged support for a National Government under Huggins.
However, the Acting Governor refused a dissolution on the grounds that the Assembly had many years left, and the government had not been defeated. Huggins persuaded the majority of the Executive of the Reform Party to suspend the party's constitution to allow a National Government on 17 September, and then formed the United Party with Fynn, asking a second time for a dissolution on the basis of a changed party alignment. This time the Acting Governor acceded.

## Results

| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
| | United Party | 14,813 | 64.01 | 24 | New |
| | Rhodesia Labour Party | 6,092 | 26.32 | 5 | 0 |
| | Reform Party | 2,237 | 9.67 | 1 | –15 |
| Total | Total | 23,142 | 100.00 | 30 | 0 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 25,879 | – | | |
| Source: Willson ||||||

### By constituency

* Lab – Rhodesia Labour Party
* Ref – Reform Party
* UP – United Party
| Constituency Electorate and turnout | Candidate | Party | Votes |
| BULAWAYO CENTRAL Two members 2,018 (61.4%) | †James Cowden | UP | 683 |
| BULAWAYO CENTRAL Two members 2,018 (61.4%) | †Donald MacIntyre | Lab | 654 |
| BULAWAYO CENTRAL Two members 2,018 (61.4%) | Arthur James Butler | UP | 604 |
| BULAWAYO CENTRAL Two members 2,018 (61.4%) | Edward Jonathan Davies | Lab | 536 |
| BULAWAYO NORTH Two members 1,989 (65.1%) | †John Banks Brady | UP | 967 |
| BULAWAYO NORTH Two members 1,989 (65.1%) | †Allan Ross Welsh | UP | 910 |
| BULAWAYO NORTH Two members 1,989 (65.1%) | David Bennie | Lab | 421 |
| BULAWAYO NORTH Two members 1,989 (65.1%) | Frederick Martin | Lab | 291 |
| BULAWAYO SOUTH 1,257 (70.6%) | †Harry Herbert Davies | Lab | 458 |
| BULAWAYO SOUTH 1,257 (70.6%) | Hugh Beadle | UP | 430 |
| CHARTER 623 | †Ernest Lucas Guest | UP | unopposed |
| EASTERN 886 | †John Louis Martin | UP | unopposed |
| GATOOMA 842 (77.3%) | †William Sydney Senior | UP | 366 |
| GATOOMA 842 (77.3%) | Thomas Alfred Kimble | Lab | 285 |
| GWANDA 677 (70.2%) | †Sir Hugh Grenville Williams | Ref | 257 |
| GWANDA 677 (70.2%) | Herbert Hildeyard Phillips | UP | 218 |
| GWELO 1,048 (63.2%) | †Frank Delano Thompson | UP | 377 |
| GWELO 1,048 (63.2%) | Albert Hill | Lab | 285 |
| HARTLEY 571 (79.5%) | James Joseph Conway | UP | 256 |
| HARTLEY 571 (79.5%) | Arthur Bertram Shepherd-Cross | Ref | 117 |
| HARTLEY 571 (79.5%) | Christopher Holderness | Lab | 81 |
| INSIZA 644 (69.9%) | Robert Clarkson Tredgold | UP | 273 |
| INSIZA 644 (69.9%) | Leo George Robinson | Lab | 110 |
| INSIZA 644 (69.9%) | Joseph Hussey | Ref | 67 |
| INYATI 756 (67.7%) | Frank Ernest Harris | UP | 334 |
| INYATI 756 (67.7%) | John Bazeley | Lab | 178 |
| LOMAGUNDI 818 (68.7%) | †Lewis Aloys MacDonald Hastings | UP | 365 |
| LOMAGUNDI 818 (68.7%) | Frank Smith | Ref | 197 |
| MARANDELLAS 812 (58.6%) | Alfred William Vincent Crawley | UP | 251 |
| MARANDELLAS 812 (58.6%) | †Reginald Herbert Bruce Dickson | Ref | 225 |
| MATOPO 966 (66.9%) | †Robert Alexander Fletcher | UP | 412 |
| MATOPO 966 (66.9%) | Jonah William White | Lab | 234 |
| MAZOE 891 (64.8%) | †Edward Walter Lionel Noaks | UP | 467 |
| MAZOE 891 (64.8%) | Alexander Macintyre Hutchinson | Ref | 110 |
| QUE QUE 793 (71.6%) | †Charles Walter Leppington | UP | 290 |
| QUE QUE 793 (71.6%) | Edward Empson Webb | Lab | 243 |
| QUE QUE 793 (71.6%) | John William Watkinson | Ref | 35 |
| RAYLTON 1,243 (70.7%) | †Lawrence John Walter Keller | Lab | 440 |
| RAYLTON 1,243 (70.7%) | William Hives Eastwood | UP | 439 |
| SALISBURY CENTRAL Two members 2,257 (66.6%) | †Jacob Hendrik Smit | UP | 1,125 |
| SALISBURY CENTRAL Two members 2,257 (66.6%) | Robert Thomson Anderson | UP | 848 |
| SALISBURY CENTRAL Two members 2,257 (66.6%) | James Kerr Taylor | Lab | 335 |
| SALISBURY CENTRAL Two members 2,257 (66.6%) | Roger Edward Downes | Lab | 315 |
| SALISBURY CENTRAL Two members 2,257 (66.6%) | Charles Olley | Ref | 245 |
| SALISBURY CENTRAL Two members 2,257 (66.6%) | †Neil Housman Wilson | Ref | 204 |
| SALISBURY DISTRICT 966 (76.4%) | †Godfrey Huggins | UP | 519 |
| SALISBURY DISTRICT 966 (76.4%) | † Thomas Nangle | Ref | 219 |
| SALISBURY NORTH Two members 2,016 (69.7%) | Vernon Arthur Lewis | UP | 1,208 |
| SALISBURY NORTH Two members 2,016 (69.7%) | †Percival Donald Leslie Fynn | UP | 1,198 |
| SALISBURY NORTH Two members 2,016 (69.7%) | William Lane Mitchell | Ref | 233 |
| SALISBURY NORTH Two members 2,016 (69.7%) | William Martin | Lab | 172 |
| SALISBURY SOUTH 1,240 (71.5%) | †George Henry Walker | Lab | 435 |
| SALISBURY SOUTH 1,240 (71.5%) | Alexander Daniel Kirstein | UP | 350 |
| SALISBURY SOUTH 1,240 (71.5%) | Mrs. Otilia Liebermann | Ref | 101 |
| SELUKWE 818 (68.7%) | †Robert Dunipace Gilchrist | UP | 416 |
| SELUKWE 818 (68.7%) | Ernest Edward Fitzroy Blackwell | Ref | 146 |
| UMTALI NORTH 864 (66.9%) | †Donald Murray Somerville | UP | 429 |
| UMTALI NORTH 864 (66.9%) | Albert Holman | Lab | 149 |
| UMTALI SOUTH 761 (75.7%) | †Jonathan Hunter Malcolm | Lab | 329 |
| UMTALI SOUTH 761 (75.7%) | Edgar Cuthbert Fremantle Whitehead | UP | 247 |
| VICTORIA 943 (76.6%) | †William Alexander Eustace Winterton | UP | 641 |
| VICTORIA 943 (76.6%) | John Davidson | Ref | 81 |
| WANKIE 689 (57.9%) | †Alexander Robert Thomson | UP | 258 |
| WANKIE 689 (57.9%) | William McDonald | Lab | 141 |

## Byelections
### Hartley

James Joseph Conway died on 10 May 1935, leading to a byelection on 4 July 1935.
| Constituency | Candidate | Party | Votes |
| HARTLEY | Roger Edward Downes | Ref | 202 |
| HARTLEY | Charles Malcolm Davenport | UP | 146 |
| HARTLEY | Thomas Alfred Kimble | Lab | 79 |

### Selukwe

Robert Dunipace Gilchrist resigned on 30 June 1935, leading to a byelection on 28 August 1935.
| Constituency | Candidate | Party | Votes |
| SELUKWE | Max Danziger | UP | 353 |
| SELUKWE | Henry Frederick Edensor | Ref | 182 |
| SELUKWE | Ernest Millington | Ind UP | 117 |

### Umtali South

Following his death, there was a byelection to replace Jonathan Hunter Malcolm on 15 September 1936.
| Constituency Electorate and turnout | Candidate | Party | Votes |
| UMTALI SOUTH 800 (62.0%) | James Brown Lister | Lab | 244 |
| UMTALI SOUTH 800 (62.0%) | Edgar Cuthbert Fremantle Whitehead | UP | 153 |
| UMTALI SOUTH 800 (62.0%) | William Arthur Rail | Ref | 99 |

### Salisbury North

Following his resignation on 31 July 1936, there was a byelection to replace Vernon Arthur Lewis on 21 September 1936.
| Constituency Electorate and turnout | Candidate | Party | Votes |
| SALISBURY NORTH 2,035 (54.9%) | Harry Bertin | UP | 595 |
| SALISBURY NORTH 2,035 (54.9%) | John Richard Dendy Young | Ref | 522 |

### Eastern

John Louis Martin died on 28 May 1938 and a byelection to replace him was held on 15 August 1938.
| Constituency Electorate and turnout | Candidate | Party | Votes |
| EASTERN 751 (81.4%) | Jacobus Petrus De Kock | UP | 222 |
| EASTERN 751 (81.4%) | Douglas Abrahamson | UNP | 160 |
| EASTERN 751 (81.4%) | Reginald Herbert Bruce Dickson | Ref | 150 |
| EASTERN 751 (81.4%) | Roelof Hendrik Venter | Lab | 79 |

### Hartley

Following his death, there was a byelection to replace Roger Edward Downes on 30 August 1938.
| Constituency Electorate and turnout | Candidate | Party | Votes |
| HARTLEY 584 (76.7%) | Henry Hamilton Beamish | Ind | 144 |
| HARTLEY 584 (76.7%) | Thomas James Golding | RP | 125 |
| HARTLEY 584 (76.7%) | Leslie Manfred Noel Hodson | UP | 118 |
| HARTLEY 584 (76.7%) | Thomas George Gibson | Ref | 61 |