Southern Rhodesian general election, 1933
The Southern Rhodesia general election of 6 September 1933 was the third election since the colony of Southern Rhodesia was granted self-government. It is notable as one of only two general elections in Southern Rhodesia which led to a defeat for the sitting government, as the Reform Party won a narrow majority of two seats in the Legislative Assembly. Their victory was to be short-lived.
Franchise and Electoral procedure
No changes were made in the franchise or the procedure of elections since the previous election, the Electoral Act, 1928 being unamended.
Electoral districts
Shortly before the election, a last-minute decision was made to revise the boundaries of electoral districts which were exceptionally large or exceptionally small. The Shamva district, to the north-east of Salisbury, was found to be too small and was abolished and merged with most of the Mazoe district; the remaining parts of both were added to Lomagundi district. In Salisbury itself, the two-member Salisbury South district was reduced to one member, and a new two-member Salisbury Central created, with knock-on effects to Salisbury North.
Outside of these changes the boundaries were the same as used in 1928.
Political parties
The Progressive Party, which had won four seats to become the official opposition in 1928, merged with the County Party and reorganised itself as the Reform Party in October 1929.
Summary result
Electorate: 28,515 Turnout: 73.3%
| Party | Seats in 1928 | Candidates | Elected | Unopposed | Popular vote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | |||||
| Rhodesia Party | 22 | 30 | 9 | - | 8,145 | 38.3 |
| Reform Party | 4 | 27 | 16 | - | 8,065 | 37.9 |
| Rhodesia Labour Party | 3 | 12 | 5 | - | 3,731 | 17.5 |
| Independents | 1 | 9 | - | - | 1,347 | 6.3 |
| Totals | 30 | 78 | 30 | - | 21,288 | 100% |
Results
- Ind – Independent
- Lab – Rhodesia Labour Party
- Ref – Reform Party
- RP – Rhodesia Party
| Constituency Electorate and turnout |
Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BULAWAYO CENTRAL Two members 2,114 (68.1%) |
Donald Macintyre | Lab | 681 |
| †James Cowden | RP | 616 | |
| †Harry Bertin | RP | 597 | |
| Edward Jonathan Davies | Lab | 467 | |
| William Ewart Kay | Ref | 271 | |
| Henry Darling | Ref | 249 | |
| BULAWAYO NORTH Two members 2,092 (70.0%) |
John Banks Brady | RP | 681 |
| †Allan Ross Welsh | RP | 761 | |
| Patrick Bissett Fletcher | Ref | 551 | |
| William McDonald | Lab | 322 | |
| Francis Leslie Hadfield | Ref | 303 | |
| George Arthur Pingstone | Ind | 148 | |
| BULAWAYO SOUTH 1,279 (67.6%) |
†Harry Herbert Davies | Lab | 587 |
| Henry Arthur Cloete | RP | 278 | |
| CHARTER 685 (78.0%) |
†Ernest Lucas Guest | RP | 426 |
| Servaas Daniel Le Roux | Ref | 108 | |
| EASTERN 951 (73.2%) |
†John Louis Martin | RP | 347 |
| Ernest Plewman De Kock | Ref | 147 | |
| William Hendrik Boshoff | Ind | 125 | |
| Johannes Arnoldus Christiaan Kruger | Ind | 77 | |
| GATOOMA 878 (81.0%) |
William Sydney Senior | Ref | 318 |
| Thomas Alfred Kimble | Lab | 261 | |
| †George Munro | RP | 132 | |
| GWANDA 708 (75.1%) |
Sir Hugh Grenville Williams | Ref | 292 |
| † George Mitchell | RP | 240 | |
| GWELO 1,070 (75.7%) |
Frank Delano Thompson | Ref | 345 |
| † Howard Unwin Moffat | RP | 279 | |
| William Harrison | Lab | 186 | |
| HARTLEY 634 (80.1%) |
†Roger Edward Downes | Ref | 281 |
| Robert Atherton Comyn | RP | 121 | |
| William Ernest Heydeman | Ind | 106 | |
| INSIZA 729 (70.0%) |
†Stephen Martin Lanigan O'Keeffe | Ref | 307 |
| John Parke Richardson | RP | 170 | |
| Leo George Robinson | Ind | 33 | |
| INYATI 782 (72.1%) |
†Charles Spearman Jobling | Ref | 329 |
| Benjamin Walter Durham | RP | 235 | |
| LOMAGUNDI 854 (71.6%) |
Lewis Aloys MacDonald Hastings | RP | 365 |
| Thomas William Williamson | Ref | 246 | |
| MARANDELLAS 834 (70.6%) |
Reginald Herbert Bruce Dickson | Ref | 329 |
| †Luke Lot Green | RP | 260 | |
| MATOPO 998 (80.5%) |
†Robert Alexander Fletcher | Ref | 299 |
| Ernest Arthur Maxwell | Lab | 296 | |
| Roland Mortimer Daniel | RP | 208 | |
| MAZOE 893 (74.5%) |
†Edward Walter Lionel Noaks | RP | 346 |
| †Mark Douglas Claxton | Ind | 319 | |
| QUE QUE 819 (74.5%) |
Charles Walter Leppington | Ref | 308 |
| †James Murdoch Eaton | RP | 189 | |
| Stanley James Edwards | Ind | 113 | |
| RAYLTON 1,271 (77.7%) |
†Lawrence John Walter Keller | Lab | 519 |
| Henry Robert Barbour | RP | 370 | |
| Carl Hoghoj Olsen | Ref | 80 | |
| William Davies | Ind | 18 | |
| SALISBURY CENTRAL Two members 2,294 (67.7%) |
†Jacob Hendrik Smit | Ref | 1,125 |
| Neil Housman Wilson | Ref | 835 | |
| Charles Olley | Ind | 485 | |
| Milton Evan Cleveland | RP | 343 | |
| Mrs. Gladys Maasdorp | RP | 316 | |
| SALISBURY DISTRICT 1,028 (74.1%) |
Thomas Nangle | Ref | 391 |
| †William Muter Leggate | RP | 371 | |
| SALISBURY NORTH Two members 1,978 (73.1%) |
†Godfrey Martin Huggins | Ref | 993 |
| †Percival Donald Leslie Fynn | RP | 747 | |
| Edgar Pope Vernall | Ref | 642 | |
| William Smith | RP | 508 | |
| SALISBURY SOUTH 1,267 (79.6%) |
George Henry Walker | Lab | 458 |
| William Harold Kimpton | Ref | 314 | |
| Hyam Schwartz | RP | 237 | |
| SELUKWE 851 (78.4%) |
†Robert Dunipace Gilchrist | Ref | 507 |
| Mrs. Ethel Tawse Jollie | RP | 160 | |
| UMTALI NORTH 911 (77.1%) |
Donald Murray Somerville | Ref | 371 |
| †Charles Eickhoff | RP | 263 | |
| William Anderson Logan | Lab | 68 | |
| UMTALI SOUTH 843 (75.2%) |
†Jonathan Hunter Malcolm | Lab | 370 |
| Norman Innes | RP | 264 | |
| VICTORIA 1,032 (72.4%) |
William Alexander Eustace Winterton | Ref | 475 |
| Ernest George Birch | RP | 272 | |
| WANKIE 720 (65.1%) |
†Alexander Robert Thomson | RP | 246 |
| Frederic Philip Mennell | Ref | 133 | |
| William Doull | Lab | 90 |
Changes during the assembly
There were no byelections during this Assembly. In August 1934, most of the Reform Party merged with the Rhodesia Party to form the United Party.
References
- Source Book of Parliamentary Elections and Referenda in Southern Rhodesia 1898–1962 ed. by F.M.G. Willson (Department of Government, University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Salisbury 1963)
- Holders of Administrative and Ministerial Office 1894–1964 by F.M.G. Willson and G.C. Passmore, assisted by Margaret T. Mitchell (Source Book No. 3, Department of Government, University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Salisbury 1966)
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