1894 Cape Colony parliamentary election

Elections to the Parliament of the Legislative Assembly for the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope were held in early 1894, and saw the victory of the incumbent Rhodes-Afrikaner Bond alliance. It was the last election before the Glen Grey Act, and also before British Bechuanaland joined the Cape Colony.

Cecil Rhodes
Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr (Onze Jan)
Cecil Rhodes (left), Prime Minister of the Cape since 1890, was again returned with the support of Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr (right), leader of the Afrikaner Bond.

Results

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Map of the results by constituency.

Parliament was dissolved on 19 December 1893. Turnout was 73%, an increase on the 67% seen in the last Assembly election in 1888.[1]

The Afrikaner Bond won 35 of the 76 seats in the House of Assembly, which gave the Rhodes administration a comfortable majority when combined with Rhodes' 14 supporters in the Assembly.[2] The core opposition, largely led by James Rose Innes, John X. Merriman, and JW Sauer had only around 18 seats.[3][4]

PartySeats
Rhodes-Afrikaner Bond alliance49
Opposition18
Others9
Total76

2nd Rhodes Ministry

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Rhodes and his ministry would remain in office until its collapse following the Jameson Raid.

Portfolio Minister Term start Term end
Prime Minister Rt Hon. Cecil Rhodes
(MLA, Barkly West)
17 July 1890 12 January 1896
Colonial Secretary Pieter Hendrik Faure
(MLA, Namaqualand)
4 May 1893 12 January 1896
Colonial Treasurer Gordon Sprigg
(MLA, East London)
4 May 1893 12 January 1896
Attorney-General William Schreiner
(MLA, Kimberley)
4 May 1893 12 January 1896
Commissioner of Public Works John Laing
(MLA)
4 May 1893 12 January 1896
Secretary for Native Affairs Sir John Frost
(MLA, Queenstown)
4 May 1893 12 January 1896
Secretary for Agriculture
Source: The Old Cape House by Ralph Kilpin, pg.172

References

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  1. ^ The Cape Parliament, 1854-1910 by J. L. McCracken, pg.33-34
  2. ^ The Afrikaner Bond, T.R.H. Davenport, p.152
  3. ^ CECIL RHODES, THE GLEN GREY ACT, AND THE LABOUR QUESTION IN THE POLITICS OF THE CAPE COLONY, Richards James Thompson, pg.98-99
  4. ^ Sank, Yvonne Pauline (October 1955). The Origin and Development of the Cape Progressive Party (1884-1898) (Master of Arts thesis). University of Cape Town.