1933 Southern Rhodesian general election explained

General elections were held in Southern Rhodesia on 6 September 1933, the third elections 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.

Electoral system

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.

Results

By constituency

Constituency
Electorate and turnout
CandidatePartyVotes
BULAWAYO CENTRAL
Two members
2,114 (68.1%)
Donald MacintyreLab681
James CowdenRP616
Harry BertinRP597
Edward Jonathan DaviesLab467
William Ewart KayRef271
Henry DarlingRef249
BULAWAYO NORTH
Two members
2,092 (70.0%)
John Banks BradyRP681
Allan Ross WelshRP761
Patrick Bissett FletcherRef551
William McDonaldLab322
Francis Leslie HadfieldRef303
George Arthur PingstoneInd148
BULAWAYO SOUTH
1,279 (67.6%)
Harry Herbert DaviesLab587
Henry Arthur CloeteRP278
CHARTER
685 (78.0%)
Ernest Lucas GuestRP426
Servaas Daniel Le RouxRef108
EASTERN
951 (73.2%)
John Louis MartinRP347
Ernest Plewman De KockRef147
William Hendrik BoshoffInd125
Johannes Arnoldus Christiaan KrugerInd77
GATOOMA
878 (81.0%)
William Sydney SeniorRef318
Thomas Alfred KimbleLab261
George MunroRP132
GWANDA
708 (75.1%)
Sir Hugh Grenville WilliamsRef292
George MitchellRP240
GWELO
1,070 (75.7%)
Frank Delano ThompsonRef345
Howard Unwin MoffatRP279
William HarrisonLab186
HARTLEY
634 (80.1%)
Roger Edward DownesRef281
Robert Atherton ComynRP121
William Ernest HeydemanInd106
INSIZA
729 (70.0%)
Stephen Martin Lanigan O'KeeffeRef307
John Parke RichardsonRP170
Leo George RobinsonInd33
INYATI
782 (72.1%)
Charles Spearman JoblingRef329
Benjamin Walter DurhamRP235
LOMAGUNDI
854 (71.6%)
Lewis Aloys MacDonald HastingsRP365
Thomas William WilliamsonRef246
MARANDELLAS
834 (70.6%)
Reginald Herbert Bruce DicksonRef329
Luke Lot GreenRP260
MATOPO
998 (80.5%)
Robert Alexander FletcherRef299
Ernest Arthur MaxwellLab296
Roland Mortimer DanielRP208
MAZOE
893 (74.5%)
Edward Walter Lionel NoaksRP346
Mark Douglas ClaxtonInd319
QUE QUE
819 (74.5%)
Charles Walter LeppingtonRef308
James Murdoch EatonRP189
Stanley James EdwardsInd113
RAYLTON
1,271 (77.7%)
Lawrence John Walter KellerLab519
Henry Robert BarbourRP370
Carl Hoghoj OlsenRef80
William DaviesInd18
SALISBURY CENTRAL
Two members
2,294 (67.7%)
Jacob Hendrik SmitRef1,125
Neil Housman WilsonRef835
Charles OlleyInd485
Milton Evan ClevelandRP343
Mrs. Gladys MaasdorpRP316
SALISBURY DISTRICT
1,028 (74.1%)
Thomas NangleRef391
William Muter LeggateRP371
SALISBURY NORTH
Two members
1,978 (73.1%)
Godfrey Martin HugginsRef993
Percival Donald Leslie FynnRP747
Edgar Pope VernallRef642
William SmithRP508
SALISBURY SOUTH
1,267 (79.6%)
George Henry WalkerLab458
William Harold KimptonRef314
Hyam SchwartzRP237
SELUKWE
851 (78.4%)
Robert Dunipace GilchristRef507
Mrs. Ethel Tawse JollieRP160
UMTALI NORTH
911 (77.1%)
Donald Murray SomervilleRef371
Charles EickhoffRP263
William Anderson LoganLab68
UMTALI SOUTH
843 (75.2%)
Jonathan Hunter MalcolmLab370
Norman InnesRP264
VICTORIA
1,032 (72.4%)
William Alexander Eustace WintertonRef475
Ernest George BirchRP272
WANKIE
720 (65.1%)
Alexander Robert ThomsonRP246
Frederic Philip MennellRef133
William DoullLab90

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