Page:The constitution ("grondwet") of the South African Republic.djvu/11

 31. The Volksraad shall consist of at least twelve members possessing the following qualifications, namely:—

They shall be between 30 and 60 years of age.

They shall have been enfranchised burgers during three years;

They shall be members of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Church;

They shall be resident, and shall possess fixed property in the Republic.

Anybody of notoriously bad character, or who has had a degrading sentence passed on him, shall not be eligible. Volksraad members shall not be related to each other in the degree of father and son, full or half brothers, or uncle and nephew by consanguinity.

Coloured persons and bastards shall not be admitted to the Councils of the State.

Everybody who can supply proof contrary to the above shall be at liberty to send the same to the President of the Executive Council before any such member shall have taken his seat. In case such evidence shall be sufficiently convincing, the President of the Executive Council shall hand the same, before the opening of the session, to the Chairman of the Volksraad, and shall urge the removal of the member in question.

32. The members of the Volksraad shall be elected by a majority of the votes of the People. Every burger who has attained the age of twenty-one years or more shall be entitled to vote, provided he be a member of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Church. The members of the Volksraad shall be elected for a term of two years.

33. The election of Volksraad members shall be absolutely free (public), and an equal number of members shall be elected for each district. The electors of any one district may also record their votes for a person residing in any other district.

34. Any enfranchised burger who shall deem it his duty to bring charges against the President or any member of the Executive Council on account of misdemeanours or crimes in connection with their respective offices, shall be at liberty to hand in such charges to the Chairman of the Volksraad (addressed to “The Honourable the Chairman of the Volksraad”), who shall deal with the same as the circumstances may require.

35. The election of members for the Volksraad shall take place in the month of March. Six members shall be elected in each district by a majority of votes to take their seats as representatives of the People. The Field-Cornets shall make timely provision for the handing of the election lists to the respective Landdrosts, and the latter shall see that these lists are immediately sent to the Executive Council.