Letter: Coloureds' lost vote

Sir: I was surprised that Richard Dowden ('Apartheid: made in Britain', 18 April) did not mention the fact that the Coloured vote was guaranteed by the South African constitution.

When the Nationalist government passed an Act to abolish it, in 1951, the case went to the South African Supreme Court and Chief Justice Centlivres ruled that the Act was invalid.

Since they could not amend the constitution, the Nationalists passed the Supreme Court of Parliament Act making Parliament a superior court of appeal. This body duly overruled the Supreme Court and the Act came into force.

Yours sincerely,

CHRISTOPHER LUSH

Travellers' Club

London, SW1

19 April