Солтүстік Родезиядағы 1924 жылғы сайлаулар және үкіметтік жауапкершілік

General elections were held in Southern Rhodesia on 29 April 1924, the first elections to the new Legislative Assembly following the granting of responsible government to the colony. The result was a comprehensive victory for the Rhodesia Party, which had been formed by the supporters of responsible government, who won 26 out of the 30 seats.

No change was made to the basic electoral procedure which continued to be the single non transferable vote, or First past the post system, cast by means of the secret ballot. The Letters Patent granting the colony the right to self government in 1923 made no change to the pre existing franchise. The law provided that voters must have been resident in Southern Rhodesia for at least six months, and have the ability to complete the claim form for the electoral register in their own handwriting if the registrar required, and to write from dictation 50 words in the English language. In addition, voters had to meet one of three criteria for their financial means: either occupy property worth £150 in their Electoral District, or own a registered mining claim within the colony (for which residence was not required), or receive annual salary of £100 in the colony. The Letters Patent created a legislative assembly with 30 members, and for simplicity the 15 electoral districts set the previous year for the Legislative Council were used for the new assembly, but with each district returning two members. Voters were therefore entitled to two votes.

Since the previous election, and the grant of responsible government, the Responsible Government Association had organised itself under the leadership of Sir Charles Coghlan into the Rhodesia Party and been appointed as the new government. In addition the Rhodesia Labour Party, which had been formed some years before, entered into the election. However a substantial number of candidates fought as Independents on their own record. In general these candidates represented small farmers, small businesses and mining interests.

The Labour Party had supported the Responsible Government Association in its campaign for a separate government for the colony, and in opposition to union with South Africa, and members of both parties hoped to reach agreement on an allocation of seats between them so that they did not oppose each other. Negotiations were unsuccessful and where candidates of the parties were fighting for seats, the fight between them became bitter. The independent candidates were also in opposition to the 'establishment' party and many stressed the need for a strong opposition in the new Assembly.

ConstituencyElectorate and turnoutCandidatePartyVotesBULAWAYO CENTRAL1,493 (54.8%)†Francis Leslie HadfieldRP420James CowdenRP397Septimus Leonard John SteggallLab249Harry Joseph SonnenbergInd217William George Durbin MorsmanLab194Frederick FisherInd159BULAWAYO DISTRICT1,253 (62.3%)Frederic Philip MennellRP499Alexander Robert ThomsonRP492Harry Herbert DaviesLab335George Walter PriceLab234BULAWAYO NORTH1,490 (62.9%)†Sir Charles Patrick John CoghlanRP830Robert James HudsonRP771William DaviesLab274BULAWAYO SOUTH1,486 (69.0%)Charles Folliot BirneyRP631Henry Robert BarbourRP469Lawrence John Walter KellerLab408George MitchellInd303Robert John DentLab241EASTERN1,617 (64.2%)Charles Edward GilfillanInd590John Louis MartinInd576Lewis Aloys MacDonald HastingsRP552William Matthias LongdenRP359GWELO1,456 (66.0%)David Campbell Duncan MunroRP572Max DanzigerRP527John Charles Jesser CoopeInd401James Henry EdwardsInd257James White RossLab165HARTLEY1,519 (58.2%)Sir Ernest William Sanders MontaguInd426Osmond Charteris Du PortRP422Richard Wright AlbertsonInd379Burton Ireland CollingsRP275Robert Hawker FutterInd267MAZOE1,351 (50.4%)Sir Francis James NewtonRP624John Wallace DownieRP579William MartinLab159MIDLANDS1,321 (70.6%)†Robert Dunipace GilchristRP415†William James BoggieRP307John AustenInd307Henry Tyndall BrettInd260William HarrisonLab184Miss Ellen Constance SteedmanInd150†Walter Douglas Douglas JonesInd130George Alexander CampbellLab111NORTHERN1,387 (54.7%)†William Muter LeggateRP612James Murdoch EatonRP608†John McChleryInd296SALISBURY NORTH1,876Percival Donald Leslie FynnRPunopposedGodfrey Martin HugginsRPunopposedSALISBURY SOUTH1,454 (58.1%)Harry BertinRP595George Frederick ElcombeRP433Milton Evan ClevelandInd329George Harold JohnsonInd208Albert Edward WetherillLab125UMTALI1,598 (60.1%)Charles EickhoffRP506†Mrs. Ethel Tawse JollieRP404William Robb LoveLab378James Allin MethuenLab299Francis Rudolph MyburghInd206Thomas Benjamin HulleyInd130VICTORIA1,353 (52.0%)†Howard Unwin MoffatRP539Lucius Knapp RobinsonRP469John Albert HallidayInd399WESTERN1,282 (51.8%)†Robert Alexander FletcherInd476John Parke RichardsonRP375William Elliot ThomasRP306William Edward GreenLab171

Note: As the Midlands result was a tie between Boggie and Austen, the election was determined by a drawing of lots, which was supervised by a Judge of the High Court, on 15 May 1924.

Sir Francis Newton resigned on 26 August 1924 on appointment as High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Southern Rhodesia, precipitating a byelection in his electoral district which was held on 26 September 1924. ConstituencyElectorate and turnoutCandidatePartyVotesMAZOE1,351 (53.6%)Percy Sidney InskippRP394John William DunlopInd RP330

George Elcombe resigned his seat on 10 January 1927 and a byelection was held on 8 March 1927. ConstituencyElectorate and turnoutCandidatePartyVotesSALISBURY SOUTH1,454 (64.9%)Frank William Frederick JohnsonInd406John William DunlopLab362Burton Ireland CollingsRP175

William James Boggie died on 8 February 1928 and a byelection was held on 18 April 1928. ConstituencyElectorate and turnoutCandidatePartyVotesMIDLANDS1,374 (47.5%)Arthur James TaylorRP352Alexander Louis Wynand Koch WorsthornePP301

There were a number of changes within the assembly. Robert Dunipace Gilchrist 'crossed the floor' to sit as an opposition Independent in 1925. He was followed in May 1927 by Francis Leslie Hadfield and Max Danziger. In June 1927, the Progressive Party was formed by Harry Bertin, Robert Alexander Fletcher, Robert Dunipace Gilchrist, George Edward Gilfillan, Francis Leslie Hadfield, Frank William Frederick Johnson, John Louis Martin, Frederic Philip Mennell and Sir Ernest William Sanders Montagu. This party campaigned for a pro white immigration policy, the development of Matabeleland, and establishing African reserves. It was opposed to monopolies, and sought reform and depoliticisation of the Civil Service.