The Beginning of Responsible Government
The Cape Colony was brought under responsible government in 1872. Under its previous political system, the government ministers of the Cape reported to the British colonial Governor of Cape Colony, and not to the locally-elected Cape Parliament. This changed in 1872 when local politician John Molteno - with the backing of Governor Henry Barkly - instituted responsible government, making ministers responsible to Parliament and becoming the Cape's first Prime Minister. The Cape remained under responsible government until 1910, when it became the Cape Province within the new Union of South Africa. An important point to be made about the political system of the Cape under responsible government, was that it was the only state of southern Africa to have a non-racial system of voting. Later however - following the Act of Union of 1910 to form the Union of South Africa - this multi-racial universal suffrage was steadily eroded, and eventually abolished by the Apartheid government in 1948.
Read more about this topic: History Of Cape Colony From 1870 To 1899
Famous quotes containing the words beginning, responsible and/or government:
“I should be glad if all the meadows on the earth were left in a wild state, if that were the consequence of men’s beginning to redeem themselves.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“We are responsible for actions performed in response to circumstances for which we are not responsible.”
—Allan Massie (b. 1938)
“The Government of the absolute majority instead of the Government of the people is but the Government of the strongest interests; and when not efficiently checked, it is the most tyrannical and oppressive that can be devised.”
—John Caldwell Calhoun (1782–1850)