1953 South African general election

1953 South African general election

← 1948 15 April 1953 1958 →

All 156 general roll seats in the House of Assembly
79 seats needed for a majority
Registered1,385,591
Turnout87.95% (Increase 7.71pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Lab
Leader D. F. Malan Koos Strauss John Christie
Party National United Labour
Last election 41.63%, 79 seats[a] 49.18%, 65 seats 2.57%, 6 seats
Seats won 94 57 5
Seat change Increase 15 Decrease 8 Decrease 1
Popular vote 598,718 576,474 34,730
Percentage 49.48% 47.65% 2.87%
Swing Increase 7.85pp Decrease 1.53pp Increase 0.30pp


Prime Minister before election

D. F. Malan
National

Elected Prime Minister

D. F. Malan
National

General elections were held in South Africa on 15 April 1953. The elections consolidated the position of the National Party under D. F. Malan, which won an absolute majority of the 156 elected seats in the House of Assembly, also receiving the most votes. Its first-time majority of the white electorate would be retained until the 1989 elections.

The United Party under J. G. N. Strauss, who had become leader after Jan Smuts' death in 1950, lost several seats, and suffered several splits after the election. The Labour Party leader died five days before the election. Cape Coloured voters voted for the last time in a general election until 1994, overwhelmingly for the United Party.
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