1983 South African constitutional referendum
In 1981 the Senate was abolished and replaced with the President's Council, which was an advisory body consisting of sixty nominated members from the white, coloured, Indian and Chinese population groups.The right wing of the ruling National Party (NP) rejected this proposal and a group of its MPs, led by Dr. Andries Treurnicht, a cabinet minister and the leader of the NP in the Transvaal province, broke away to form the Conservative Party (CP) in order to fight for a return to apartheid in its original form.However, Botha continued to be in favour of implementing the President's Council proposal and in 1983 the NP government introduced a new constitutional framework.The New Republic Party led by Vause Raw supported the new constitution, although it continued to call for black representation in Parliament.[2] The United Democratic Front (UDF) was launched as a non-racial coalition to oppose the referendum and the subsequent elections for the coloured and Indian chambers in parliament.
South AfricaConstitution of 1983Tricameral ParliamentColouredIndianblack AfricansSenatePresident's CouncilP.W. BothaconstitutionalNational PartyAndries Treurnichtcabinet ministerTransvaalConservative PartyapartheidNew Republic PartyVause RawProgressive Federal PartyEnglish languageRhodesia voted yesRhodesiaUnited Democratic FrontBeaufort WestCape TownEast LondonGeorgeKimberleyPort ElizabethDurbanPietermaritzburgOrange Free StateBloemfonteinKroonstadGermistonJohannesburgPietersburgPretoriaRoodepoortSouth African Institute of Race RelationsGovernment Gazette of the Republic of South AfricaElections and referendums in South AfricaGeneral electionsProvincial electionsMunicipal elections1995–96politiesKingdom of MapungubweDutch Cape ColonyMthethwa ParamountcyNdwandwe KingdomCape ColonyZulu KingdomNatalia RepublicNatal ColonySouth African RepublicGriqualand EastGriqualand WestGoshenStellalandNieuwe RepubliekUpingtoniaKlein VrystaatOrange River ColonyTransvaal ColonyUnion of South AfricaTranskeiBophuthatswanaCiskeiPre-colonialBantu migrationsBattle of Salt River1652–1815French Huguenot settlementKhoikhoi–Dutch WarsXhosa WarsBattle of MuizenbergBattle of BlaauwbergAnglo-Dutch Treaty of 18141815–1910Mfecane1820 SettlersGreat TrekBoer RepublicsTransvaal Civil WarMineral RevolutionWitwatersrand Gold RushSouth African WarsSouth Africa Act 1909National Convention1910–1948South West Africa campaignMaritz rebellionRand RebellionGreat Depression1946 African Mine Workers' Union strikeBantustans1948 general electionApartheid legislationPass lawsInternal resistanceColoured-vote constitutional crisisDefiance CampaignCongress of the PeopleFreedom CharterWomen's March 19561957 Alexandra bus boycottSharpeville massacre1960 republic referendumInternational isolationUN Resolution 1761UNSC Resolution 591Academic boycottDisinvestmentConstructive engagementTar Baby OptionSporting boycottOlympicsRugby unionRivonia TrialDurban MomentBorder WarIsrael–South Africa AgreementMafeje affairSoweto UprisingWeapons of mass destruction