By democratic process, the Union of South Africa last week became a state headed for authoritarianism. In a final debate the Senate voted itself into helplessness, leaving legislative and administrative power securely in the hands of a fanatical Nationalist Party committed to disenfranchise all citizens of mixed blood.
Democracy has always been rather shallowly rooted in South Africa, but one of its bastions was the Senate, a review body with power to bring about a joint session of Parliament to reconsider bills deemed by the Senators to be unwise. For four years...
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