Question: Apartheid FAQ: How Did The Apartheid Government Come Into Power?
"I read that the National Party in South Africa gained power without having a majority of votes, is this true?" – Aubrey
Answer:
The United Party actually gained the majority of votes in the 1948 general election. But due to the manipulation of the geographical boundaries of the country's constituencies before the election, the Herenigde Nasionale Party, HNP, managed to win the majority of constituencies and took power. In 1951 the HNP and Afrikaner Party officially merged to form the National Party, which became synonymous with Apartheid.
