National Party of South Africa was an Afrikaner dominated white South African nationalist political party that controlled the South African government from 1948 to 1994. It was founded in 1914 by J.B.M. Hertzog as a result of disagreements between him and the leaders of the South African Party, which he then was a member of. In 1948 its leader Daniel Francois Malan became Prime Minister of South Africa, and the party began instituting apartheid in South Africa. However, apartheid was only one among a variety of issues that helped bring the National Party to power. Most people who voted for the National Party in 1948 were voting more against the previous United Party led by Jan Smuts than for Malan's National Party. This was because of Smuts's support of the United Kingdom in the Second World War, and other issues that irritated Afrikaner voters such as the poverty of Afrikaners, the competition from native Africans for jobs, the urbanization of Afrikaner towns, and the threat of communism, which the Afrikaner voters generally felt Smuts had wrongly handled and felt that the problems were partially his fault. South African President FW de Klerk, the last South African government leader to belong to the party, disbanded apartheid in the 1990s and allowed all adults of all races to vote for the first time in 1994, which resulted in the National Party being voted out of office.
National Party of South Africa
Questions and Answers
Q: What is the National Party of South Africa?
A: The National Party of South Africa was a white South African nationalist political party that was dominated by Afrikaners and governed the country from 1948 to 1994.
Q: Who founded the National Party of South Africa?
A: The National Party of South Africa was founded by J.B.M. Hertzog in 1914 as a result of disagreements between him and the leaders of the South African Party, which he was a member of at the time.
Q: Who became the Prime Minister of South Africa in 1948, and what did he do?
A: Daniel Francois Malan, the leader of the National Party, became the Prime Minister of South Africa in 1948 and began instituting apartheid in the country.
Q: Was apartheid the only reason why the National Party came to power?
A: No, although apartheid was an important issue that helped bring the National Party to power, most people who voted for them in 1948 were voting more against the previous United Party led by Jan Smuts.
Q: What were some of the other issues that irritated Afrikaner voters and led them to vote for the National Party instead of the United Party?
A: Some of the issues that irritated Afrikaner voters included the poverty of Afrikaners, the competition from native Africans for jobs, the urbanization of Afrikaner towns, and the threat of communism, which they felt Smuts had wrongly handled and felt that the problems were partially his fault.
Q: Who was the last South African government leader to belong to the National Party, and what did he do?
A: FW de Klerk was the last South African government leader to belong to the National Party. He disbanded apartheid in the 1990s and allowed all adults of all races to vote for the first time in 1994, which resulted in the National Party being voted out of office.
Q: When did the National Party lose power in South Africa?
A: The National Party lost power in South Africa in 1994 after FW de Klerk disbanded apartheid and allowed all adults of all races to vote for the first time.