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 the beginning of, the beginning, beginning, responsible and/or government:
“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965)
“As the end of the century approaches, all our culture is like the culture of flies at the beginning of winter. Having lost their agility, dreamy and demented, they turn slowly about the window in the first icy mists of morning. They give themselves a last wash and brush-up, their ocellated eyes roll, and they fall down the curtains.”
—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
—Bible: Hebrew Psalms, 111:10.
“Becoming responsible adults is no longer a matter of whether children hang up their pajamas or put dirty towels in the hamper, but whether they care about themselves and others—and whether they see everyday chores as related to how we treat this planet.”
—Eda Le Shan (20th century)
“I feel a sincere wish indeed to see our government brought back to it’s republican principles, to see that kind of government firmly fixed, to which my whole life has been devoted. I hope we shall now see it so established, as that when I retire, it may be under full security that we are to continue free and happy.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)