page_title: National Convention (South Africa)
hierarchical_section_title: National Convention (South Africa)
caption_attribution_description: Afrikaans: Die eerste kabinet van die Unie van Suid-Afrika in 1910 onder leierskap van Eerste minister Louis Botha.[1] Agter: J.B.M. Hertzog, Henry Burton, F.R. Moor, C. O'Grady Gubbins, Jan Smuts, H.C. Hull, F.S. Malan, David Graaff Voor: J.W. Sauer, Louis Botha, Abraham Fischer English: The first cabinet of the Union of South Africa in 1910 under the leadership of Prime Minister Louis Botha Back: J. B. M. Hertzog, Henry Burton, F. R. Moor, C. O'Grady Gubbins, Jan Smuts, H. C. Hull, F. S. Malan, David Graaff Front: J. W. Sauer, Louis Botha, Abraham Fischer
context_page_description: The National Convention, also known as the Convention on the Closer Union of South Africa or the Closer Union Convention, was a constitutional convention held between 1908 and 1909 in Durban, Cape Town and Bloemfontein. The convention led to the adoption of the South Africa Act by the British Parliament and thus to the creation of the Union of South Africa. The four colonies of the area that would become South Africa - the Cape Colony, Natal Colony, the Orange River Colony and the Transvaal Colony - were represented at the convention, along with a delegation from Rhodesia. There were 33 delegates in total, with the Cape being represented by 12, the Transvaal eight, the Orange River five, Natal five, and Rhodesia three. The convention was held behind closed doors, in the fear that a public affair would lead delegates to refuse compromising on contentious areas of disagreement. All the delegates were white men, a third of them were farmers, ten were lawyers, and some were academics. Two-thirds had fought on either side of the Second Boer War.
context_section_description: The National Convention (Dutch: Nationale Conventie, Afrikaans: Nasionale Konvensie), also known as the Convention on the Closer Union of South Africa or the Closer Union Convention, was a constitutional convention held between 1908 and 1909 in Durban (12 October to 5 November 1908), Cape Town (23 November to 18 December 1908, 11 January to 3 February 1909) and Bloemfontein (3 May to 11 May 1909). The convention led to the adoption of the South Africa Act by the British Parliament and thus to the creation of the Union of South Africa. The four colonies of the area that would become South Africa - the Cape Colony, Natal Colony, the Orange River Colony and the Transvaal Colony - were represented at the convention, along with a delegation from Rhodesia. There were 33 delegates in total, with the Cape being represented by 12, the Transvaal eight, the Orange River five, Natal five, and Rhodesia three. The convention was held behind closed doors, in the fear that a public affair would lead delegates to refuse compromising on contentious areas of disagreement. All the delegates were white men, a third of them were farmers, ten were lawyers, and some were academics. Two-thirds had fought on either side of the Second Boer War.
  By the end of the convention, the delegates had drawn up a constitution that would, subject to some amendments by the British government, become the South Africa Act, which was South Africa's constitution between 1910 and 1961, when the country became a republic under the Constitution of 1961.
caption: The first ministry of the Union of South Africa under Prime Minister Louis Botha, in 1910. The front row - JW Sauer, Botha, and Abraham Fischer (left to right) - were all present at the National Convention, and JBM Hertzog (far left), FR Moor (second from left), JC Smuts (fourth from right), HC Hull (third from right) and FS Malan (second from right) were also present.
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