1987 South African general election information

1987 South African general election
166 of the 178 seats in the House of Assembly; 84 seats needed for a majority
Registered	3,031,414
Turnout	67.84% ( 7.94pp)
State President before election; P. W. Botha; National	Elected State President ; P. W. Botha; National

General elections were held in South Africa on 6 May 1987. The State of Emergency cast a cloud over the elections, which were again won by the National Party (NP) under the leadership of P. W. Botha, although for the first time it faced serious opposition from the right of the South African political spectrum. The election resulted in the creation of the Second Botha Cabinet, which held power until 1989.

The right-wing opposition came in the form of the Conservative Party (CP), which opposed even the limited powersharing with Indian and Coloured South Africans that had been implemented by the NP as part of a package of constitutional reforms in 1984. The CP was led by a former chairman of the Broederbond and NP cabinet minister, Andries Treurnicht, infamously known as Minister of Education under the Soweto riots. Following the election, in which the CP extended its 17 splinter MPs to win 22 seats, it replaced the Progressive Federal Party (PFP) as the official opposition in the House of Assembly.^[1]

The election year also saw important political developments to the left of the NP. During 1987 Denis Worrall resigned as the South African ambassador in London to return to politics. Together with Wynand Malan (who had resigned from the NP) and Esther Lategan he formed the Independent Movement to fight the general election. Only Malan won a seat and the partnership consequently disintegrated. Denis Worrall and others subsequently went on to form the Independent Party (IP), while Esther Lategan and others formed the National Democratic Movement.

Partially as a result of the split in the votes to the liberal anti-NP parties, the PFP lost seven of its parliamentary seats as well as its role of official opposition. The New Republic Party (NRP), formerly the United Party continued its disintegration and lost seven of its eight seats.

^ Smith, William E (18 May 1987). "South Africa: A Lurch to the Right". Time Magazine. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013.

[1] Smith, William E (18 May 1987). "South Africa: A Lurch to the Right". Time Magazine. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013.

1987 South African general election information

and 30 Related for: 1987 South African general election information

1987 South African general election

2024 South African general election

1994 South African general election

2019 South African general election

2009 South African general election

2004 South African general election

1999 South African general election

1989 South African general election

2014 South African general election

1948 South African general election

1910 South African general election

1987 general election

Elections in South Africa

1958 South African general election

1915 South African general election

1933 South African general election

1974 South African general election

1921 South African general election

1953 South African general election

1961 South African general election

1938 South African general election

1977 South African general election

1970 South African general election

1943 South African general election

1920 South African general election

1924 South African general election

List of elections in South Africa

1981 South African general election

1929 South African general election

1966 South African general election

Politics of South Africa
This article is part of a series on the

Constitution Bill of Rights
Executive President Cyril Ramaphosa Deputy President Paul Mashatile Cabinet Departments Shadow Cabinet
Legislature National Council of Provinces Chairperson Amos Masondo National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula Leader of the Opposition John Steenhuisen
Judiciary Chief Justice Ray Zondo Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya Courts Constitutional Court Supreme Court of Appeal President: Mahube Molemela High Court Magistrate's courts Electoral Court
Elections General 1910 1915 1920 1921 1924 1929 1933 1938 1943 1948 1953 1958 1961 1966 1970 1974 1977 1981 1984 1987 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 2024 Municipal 2000 2006 2011 2016 2021 Referendums 1960 1983 1992 Political parties
Administrative divisions Provinces Districts Metropolitan municipality District municipality Municipalities (list)
Foreign relations Department of International Relations and Cooperation Minister: Naledi Pandor Diplomatic missions of / in South Africa Nationality law Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
Related topics Human rights National debt Political assassinations Protests Repression Social Welfare Taxation
Provincial Politics Politics of the Eastern Cape Politics of the Free State Politics of Gauteng Politics of KwaZulu-Natal Politics of Limpopo Politics of Mpumalanga Politics of the Northern Cape Politics of North West Politics of the Western Cape
South Africa portal Other countries
v t e