The governor-general of the Union of South Africa ( af, Goewerneur-generaal van Unie van Suid-Afrika, nl, Goeverneur-generaal van de Unie van Zuid-Afrika) was the highest state official in the Union of South Africa between 31 May 1910 and 31 May 1961. The Union of South Africa was founded as a self-governing Dominion of the British Empire in 1910 and the office of governor-general was established as the representative of the monarch. Fifty-one years later the country declared itself a republic and the historic link with the British monarchy was broken. The office of governor-general was abolished. Some of the first holders of the post were members of the British royal family including Prince Arthur of Connaught between 1920 and 1924, and the Earl of Athlone, who served between 1924 and 1931, before becoming the governor general of Canada. As in other Dominions, this would change, and from 1943 onward only South Africans (in fact, only

Afrikaner Afrikaners () are a South African ethnic group descended from Free Burghers, predominantly Dutch settlers first arriving at the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th and 18th centuries.Entry: Cape Colony. ''Encyclopædia Britannica Volume 4 Part 2: ...

s) held the office. The office was established by the South Africa Act 1909. Although the governor-general was nominally the country's chief executive, in practice he was bound by convention to act on the advice of the prime minister and the

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

of South Africa.

Republicanism

The Afrikaner-dominated National Party, which came to power in 1948, was avowedly republican and regarded South Africa's personal union with the United Kingdom and other realms within the Commonwealth of Nations as a relic of British imperialism. In the interim, the National Party used the governor-general's post as a

sinecure A sinecure ( or ; from the Latin , 'without', and , 'care') is an office, carrying a salary or otherwise generating income, that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service. The term originated in the medieval chu ...

for retired National Party ministers. The two governors-general appointed after 1948, Ernest George Jansen and

Charles Robberts Swart Charles Robberts Swart (5 December 1894 – 16 July 1982), nicknamed ''Blackie'', was a South African politician who served as the last governor-general of the Union of South Africa from 1959 to 1961 and the first state president of the Republ ...

, chose not to wear the traditional court uniform nor even to take an oath of allegiance to the monarch. In 1957, '' God Save the Queen'' ceased to have equal status with ''

Die Stem van Suid-Afrika Die Stem van Suid-Afrika (, ), also known as "The Call of South Africa" or simply "Die Stem" (), is a former national anthem of South Africa. There are two versions of the song, one in English and the other in Afrikaans, which were in use earl ...

'' as a national anthem, and the Union Flag similarly ceased to have equal status with the

South African flag The flag of South Africa was designed in March 1994 and adopted on 27 April 1994, at the beginning of South Africa's 1994 general election, to replace the flag that had been used since 1928. The flag has horizontal bands of red (on the top) ...

. However, it was not until 1960 that Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd advised Governor-General Swart to hold a referendum on the issue. After several protests regarding the lowering of the voting age to 18, and the inclusion of white voters in South West Africa, on 5 October 1960 white South Africans were asked: ''Are you in favour of a Republic for the Union?'' The result was 52 per cent in favour of the change. Swart, the last governor-general, asked Queen Elizabeth II to relieve him of his duties on 30 April 1961, after he signed the new republican constitution into law. Chief Justice

Lucas Cornelius Steyn Lucas Cornelius Steyn, PC, QC (21 December 1903 – 28 July 1976) was Chief Justice of South Africa and, as such, acted as Governor-General on two occasions. Early life Steyn was born in 1903 on a farm in the Orange River Colony, shortly af ...

became Officer Administering the Government under a transitional arrangement until 31 May 1961, when the Republic of South Africa was declared and Swart became the first

state president of South Africa The State President of the Republic of South Africa ( af, Staatspresident) was the head of state of South Africa from 1961 to 1994. The office was established when the country became a republic on 31 May 1961, albeit, outside the Commonweal ...

List of governors-general of South Africa

The following is a list of people who served as governor-general of South Africa from independence in 1910 to the establishment of a republic in 1961. Symbols : Died in office.

Flag of the Governor-General

File:Flag of the Governor-General of South Africa (1910-1931).svg, 1910–1931 File:Flag of the Governor-General of South Africa (1931-1953).svg, 1931–1953 File:Flag of the Governor-General of South Africa (1953-1961).svg, 1953–1961

Notes

{{British dependencies governors 1910 establishments in South Africa 1961 disestablishments in South Africa History of South Africa South Africa

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

South Africa and the Commonwealth of Nations

Republicanism

List of governors-general of South Africa

Flag of the Governor-General

See also

Notes