ABSTRACT
In 1951, the War Veterans' Torch Commando entered the South African political arena in response to the NP government's attempts to remove coloured voters from the common voters' roll. Despite its mass appeal, the Torch Commando's role on the South African political stage was short-lived. After the 1953 general election, the Torch dissipated, its exit as sudden as its appearance two years previously. Whatever its origins, the Torch's immense popularity raises a number of questions concerning its appeal to ordinary white ex-servicemen. Although coloureds were the obvious victims of the government's 'rape of the constitution,' the Civil Rights League observed that the NP government had also undermined other freedoms, directly affecting white voters. As economic historian Anthony Lumby has pointed out, gold mining not only requires high levels of investment in exploration and plant, but is also highly cost-sensitive since rising costs cannot be passed on in the form of a higher gold price.
