<P> General Louis Botha headed the first government of the new Union, with General Jan Smuts as his deputy . Their South African National Party, later known as the South African Party or SAP, followed a generally pro-British, white - unity line . The more radical Boers split away under the leadership of General Barry Hertzog, forming the National Party (NP) in 1914 . The National Party championed Afrikaner interests, advocating separate development for the two white groups, and independence from Britain . </P> <P> Dissatisfaction with British influence in the Union's affairs reached a climax in September 1914, when impoverished Boers, anti-British Boers and bitter - enders launched a rebellion . The rebellion was suppressed, and at least one officer was sentenced to death and executed by firing squad . </P> <P> In 1924 the Afrikaner - dominated National Party came to power in a coalition government with the Labour Party . Afrikaans, previously regarded as a low - level Dutch patois, replaced Dutch as an official language of the Union . English and Dutch became the two official languages in 1925 . </P> <P> The Union of South Africa came to an end after a referendum on 5 October 1960, during which, a majority of white South Africans voted in favour of unilateral withdrawal from the British Commonwealth and the establishment of a Republic of South Africa . </P>

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