Rhodesia Nyasaland approves new Constitution

[Ian Smith]

"Sit Nomine Digna"
"May she be worthy of the name"

ACT

TO INTRODUCE A NEW CONSTITUTION FOR THE
SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC OF RHODESIA-NYASALAND
 

 

IN HUMBLE SUBMISSION to Almighty God, Who controls the destinies of peoples and nations,

 

Who gathered our forebears together from many lands and gave them this their own,

Who has guided them from generation to generation,

Who has wondrously delivered them from the dangers that beset them,

 

We declare that we,

 

ARE CONSCIOUS of our responsibility towards God and man;

ARE CONVINCED of the necessity of standing united and of pursuing the following national goals:

 

To uphold democratic values and civilized norms

To safeguard the integrity and freedom of our country,

To uphold the independence of the judiciary and the equality of all under the law,

To secure the maintenance of law and order,

To further the contentment and the spiritual and material welfare of all,

To respect and to protect the human dignity, life, liberty and property of all in our midst,

To respect, to further and to protect the self-determination of population groups and peoples,

To further private initiative and effective competition;

 

ARE PREPARED to accept our duty to seek world peace in association with all peace-loving peoples and nations; and

 

ARE DESIROUS of giving the South African Republic of Rhodesia Nyasaland a Constitution which provides for elected and responsible forms of government and which is best suited to the traditions, history and circumstances of our land:

 

BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED by the State President and the Federal Assembly of the South African Republic of Rhodesia Nyasaland, as follows:

 

PART I

THE REPUBLIC

 

1. The South African Republic of Rhodesia Nyasaland, consisting of the Republic of Rhodesia and and the Protectorate of Nyasaland, shall continue to exist as a Federation under that name.

 

2. The Official Languages of Rhodesia Nyasaland are English and Afrikaans.

(a) The official long-form name of Rhodesia Nyasaland shall be displayed both in English (South African Republic of Rhodesia Nyasaland) and Afrikaans (Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek van Rhodesië-Njassaland)

 

3. The National Anthem of the Republic shall be “Rise o Voices of Rhodesia”.

 

4. The laws of the South African Republic of Rhodesia Nyasaland protect the rights of all ethnic and race groups in Rhodesia Nyasaland and firmly prohibit the application of apartheid or any racial segregation policy.

          (a) All the Laws of the Republic shall be in accordance with fundamental human rights.

(b) All citizens irrespective of color and race can take part to political activities provided they can fluently speak and write in English or Afrikaans.

 

PART II

THE STATE PRESIDENT

 

5. The head of the Republic shall be the State President.
 

6. The command-in-chief of the Rhodesia Nyasaland Security Forces is vested in the State President.
 

7. The State President of the South African Republic of Rhodesia Nyasaland has the authority to declare Martial Law and exercise full authoritative power over the Nation.

 

PART III

FEDERAL ASSEMBLY

 

8. The Parliament shall consist of one house, namely, the Federal Assembly.

 

9. The legislative power of the Republic is vested in the Federal Assembly, which, as the sovereign legislative authority in and over the Republic, shall have full power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Republic.

 

10. The Federal Assembly shall consist of 70 members, each of whom shall be directly elected by the persons entitled to vote at an election of such a member in an electoral division. The Seats of the Federal assembly are equally distributed between black-rhodesians and white-rhodesians.

 

PART IV

EXECUTIVE POWER

 

11. Executive power is vested in the Cabinet of the South African Republic of Rhodesia Nyasaland.
 

12. The Head of the Cabinet is the Prime Minister.
 

(a) The Prime Minister is elected for a 6 months term.

 

PART V

FINAL DISPOSITIONS

 

a) Any changes to the Constitution must reflect and respect the democratic and human values the South African Republic of Rhodesia Nyasaland is built upon.

b) Constitutional amendments must be approved by at least 2/3 of the Federal Assembly.

c) The Constitutional Court can reject any law provided the values and rights expressed and guaranteed by this Constitution have been violated.

 

God bless the Republic
 

Signed in Livingstone,
The State President
The Federal Assembly


 

Edited October 29, 2013 by Ian Smith