Government tables the third Constitution of the Republic of South Africa before the House of Assembly

Date: 5 May 1983
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

In 1983 the South African government passed the third Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The Conservative Party opposed the Constitution, while the Progressive Federal Party abstained. It was read a second time on 18 May of the same year. Subsequently it was approved by the ruling National Party (NP) majority. The Constitution created the tri-cameral parliament, providing for separate houses for White, Coloured and Indian groups. It excluded African people, on grounds that they were citizens of homelands. Consequently, they had no rights outside of their homelands. The Constitution also declaredP.W. Botha both the formal and executive head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the South African Defence Force (SADF).

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How we know this

01South African History Online, ‘South African Constitution 1996’, [online], available at www.sahistory.org.za (Accessed: 12 April 2013)
02O’Malley, P. ‘1983’ from Nelson Mandela Center of Memory, [online], available at www.nelsonmandela.org.za (Accessed: 12 April 2013)

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2019, May 2). Government tables the third Constitution of the Republic of South Africa before the House of Assembly. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0129914

South African History Online (2019) 'Government tables the third Constitution of the Republic of South Africa before the House of Assembly', South African History Online, 2 May. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0129914 (Accessed: 25 July 2026).

South African History Online, Government tables the third Constitution of the Republic of South Africa before the House of Assembly [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0129914, (accessed 25 July 2026).

"Government tables the third Constitution of the Republic of South Africa before the House of Assembly." South African History Online, 2 May 2019, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0129914. Accessed 25 July 2026.

South African History Online. "Government tables the third Constitution of the Republic of South Africa before the House of Assembly." South African History Online. May 2, 2019. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0129914.