Page:South Africa Act 1909.djvu/3

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South Africa Act, 1909.

A.D. 1909.

Governor-General.

9. The Governor-General shall be appointed by the King, and shall have and may exercise in the Union during the King’s pleasure, but subject to this Act, such powers and functions of the King as His Majesty may be pleased to assign to him.

Salary of Governor-General.

10. There shall be payable to the King out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Union for the salary of the Governor-General an annual sum of ten thousand pounds. The salary of the Governor-General shall not be altered during his continuance in office.

Application of Act to Governor-General.

11. The provisions of this Act relating to the Governor-General extend and apply to the Governor-General for the time being or such person as the King may appoint to administer the government of the Union. The King may authorize the Governor-General to appoint any person to be his deputy within the Union during his temporary absence, and in that capacity to exercise for and on behalf of the Governor-General during such absence all such powers and authorities vested in the Governor-General as the Governor-General may assign to him, subject to any limitations expressed or directions given by the King; but the appointment of such deputy shall not affect the exercise by the Governor-General himself of any power or function.

Executive Council.

12. There shall be an Executive Council to advise the Governor-General in the government of the Union, and the members of the council shall be chosen and summoned by the Governor-General and sworn as executive councillors, and shall hold office during his pleasure.

Meaning of Governor-General-in-Council.

13. The provisions of this Act referring to the Governor-General-in-Council shall be construed as referring to the Governor-General acting with the advice of the Executive Council.

Appointment of ministers.

[1]14. The Governor-General may appoint officers not exceeding ten in number to administer such departments of State of the Union as the Governor-General-in-Council may establish; such officers shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor-General. They shall be members of the Executive Council and shall be the King’s Ministers of State for the Union. After the first general election of members of the House of Assembly, as herein after provided, no minister shall hold office for a longer period than three months unless he is or becomes a member of either House of Parliament.


  1. For establishment of Departments of State and appointment of King’s Ministers see Govt. Notice No. 1 of 1910, and for the functions of the various Departments of State see Govt. Notice No. 8 of 1910 (Gazette Extraordinary, 31st May, 1910, p. 4), as amended by Govt. Notice No. 201 of 1910 (Gazette, 15th July, 1910, p. 469).