page_title: Transvaal Colony
section_title: Progression to Union
hierarchical_section_title: Transvaal Colony / Progression to Union
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Minengebiet im Transvaal, Südafrika English: City and Suburban Gold Mine, Johannesburg, South Africa
context_page_description: The Transvaal Colony was the name used to refer to the Transvaal region during the period of direct British rule and military occupation between the end of the Second Boer War in 1902 when the South African Republic was dissolved, and the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910. The borders of the Transvaal Colony was larger than the defeated South African Republic. In 1910 the entire territory became the Transvaal Province of the Union of South Africa.
context_section_description: In May 1908, Jan Smuts, Transvaal Colonial Secretary proposed a gathering of representatives from all four colonies and decide on a customs and railways agreement and included a proposal that the colonies appoint delegates to discuss a constitution for a united country in the form of a National Convention. The objective of the convention was to find a solution to the political, racial and economic problems encountered by these colonies and find common ground between Boer and the English. On 12 October 1908, the thirty white delegates of the four colonies met in Durban under the Chairmanship of Sir Henry de Villiers. Twelve delegates came from the Cape Colony, eight from the Transvaal and five each from the Orange River and Natal Colonies representing a gathering of sixteen from an English background and the remaining fourteen were of Boer origin.
  The main issues discussed was whether the four colonies would become a country made up of a union or a federation. Who would be allowed to vote and the number of voters who would make-up a constituency in a rural and urban seat. All three objectives were eventually finalised with South Africa to become a union which was the wish of both the Liberal British government and Jan Smuts. On the question of black enfranchisement, the British government was prepared to accept the final wishes of the National Convention. The colonies of the Transvaal, Orange River and Natal wanted no black enfranchisement while the Cape Colony wished to keep what limited enfranchisement it had for all other races. A compromise was reached and all the colonies wishes concerning their racial make-up for enfranchisement was accepted, though subject to a repeal by a two thirds majority in both houses of parliament. As to the objective of rural and urban constituencies, it was decided to allow fifteen percent fewer constituents for a rural seat while an urban seat would have fifteen percent more constituents. This system for the constituencies would ensure that the Afrikaner would dominate politics in years to come and would be one of the many reasons why Jan Smuts would lose the 1948 election, sweeping D.F. Malan to power and the beginning of Apartheid. The results of the negotiations at the Convention became the draft South Africa Act which was released for viewing on 9 February 1909. By 19 August 1909, the South Africa Act passed through the Houses of Commons and into law.
  As to the question of black enfranchisement, the views of British and Boers were similar with Alfred Milner stating in a speech in 1903, that he believed in white superiority and thought the black man was not ready to rule and had similarly persuaded the Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain to allow a future united white government to decide the question of the black franchise.
caption: Aerial photography of gold mines, taken by Eduard Spelterini in July 1911
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