Act No. 32 of 1961.
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, who are here in Parliament assembled, declare that whereas we
Are conscious of our responsibility towards God and man;
Are convinced of the necessity to stand united
To safeguard the integrity and freedom of our country;
To secure the maintenance of law and order;
To further the contentment and spiritual and material welfare of all in our midst;
Are prepared to accept our duty to seek world peace in association with all peace-loving nations; and
Are charged with the task of founding the Republic of South Africa and giving it a constitution best suited to the traditions and history of our land:
Be it therefore enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate and the House of Assembly of the Union of South Africa, as follows:―
Part I.
The Republic.
1. The Union of South Africa consisting of the provinces of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State as they existed immediately prior to the commencement of this Act, shall as from the thirty-first day of May, 1961, be a republic under the name of the Republic of South Africa.
2. The people of the Republic of South Africa acknowledge the sovereignty and guidance of Almighty God.
3. As from the date mentioned in section one, any reference in any law in force immediately prior to the commencement of this Act, in the Union of South Africa or in any other territory in respect of which Parliament is competent to legislate―
