Apartheid

=== Commonwealth ===
South Africa's policies were subject to international scrutiny in 1960, when [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British Prime Minister]] [[Harold Macmillan]] criticised them during his [[Wind of Change (speech)|Wind of Change]] speech in [[Cape Town]]. Weeks later, tensions came to a head in the [[Sharpeville massacre]], resulting in more international condemnation. Soon afterwards, [[Prime Minister of South Africa|Prime Minister]] [[Hendrik Verwoerd]] announced a [[1960 South Africa referendum|referendum]] on whether the country should become a republic. Verwoerd lowered the voting age for Whites to eighteen years of age and included Whites in [[South West Africa]] on the roll. The referendum on 5 October that year asked Whites; "Are you in favour of a Republic for the Union?", and 52% voted "Yes".<ref>{{cite web|title=Apartheid part 06|url=http://www.okbuy.eu/info-apartheid-part-06/|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=19 September 2017|website=Prime okbuy.eu search gizmo|language=en-US|access-date=27 May 2020|archive-date=3 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703144915/http://www.okbuy.eu/info-apartheid-part-06/|url-status=live}}</ref>

As a consequence of this change of status, South Africa needed to reapply for continued membership of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]], with which it had privileged trade links. [[India]] had become a [[republic within the Commonwealth]] in 1950, but it became clear that African and South and Southeast Asian member states would oppose South Africa due to its apartheid policies. As a result, South Africa withdrew from the Commonwealth on 31 May 1961, the day that the Republic came into existence.