In 1961 South Africa withdrew their membership of the Commonwealth of Nations. (See below for more information)
In 1910 the Union of South Africa (now the Republic of South Africa) was created from four former British colonies.
After the Second Boer War (1899 – 1902) Britain took control of the Transvaal Colony and the Orange River Colony and wanted to unite them with her other colonies in the region. In 1907 governments were introduced to these two colonies successfully and on the 12th of October 1908 the National convention met to plan a union of the four British colonies. The resulting proposals (which were outlined by the governments of these colonies) were passed by the parliament of the UK and King Edward VII proclaimed that the formation of the Union of South Africa would be complete on the 31st of May 1910.
The Union of Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and the Orange Free State meant that each of their parliaments were dissolved and replaced with one House of Assembly and the senate of South Africa. South Africa became a self governing dominion of the British Empire with Louis Botha as its first Prime Minister and South Africans began to use their new currency, the South African Pound.
On the 11th of December 1931 the UK government passed the “Statute of Westminster Act” giving certain dominions of the British Empire more control over the governance of their countries. The statute meant that the UK government could no longer legislate on behalf of those dominions and gave each member of the former British Commonwealth of Nations the chance to create their own laws and legislation under their own governments. The Union of South Africa, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and the Irish Free State were all members of the British Commonwealth of Nations.
Laws against the rights of the majority black population began in 1913 legislated by the first government of the Union and restricted land ownership for the black majority to less than 10% of the country. When the National Party came to power on the 4th of June 1948 black rights were restricted even more including the right to vote.
On the 5th of October 1960 a referendum was held in the country on changing the constitution to a republic (with only white South Africans given the right to vote). The vote went in favour of a South African Republic by 52% and consequently on the 31st of May 1961 the Union of South Africa became the South African Republic and the country also left the Commonwealth of Nations on this day.
