The Labour leader, John Christie, died during the South African general election, 1953. His successor, the last Labour leader Alex Hepple, tried to pursue a socialist policy as well as maintaining relations with groups like the African National Congress. His policies proved to be far too left-leaning for the majority Afrikaner-electorate and led a sound defeat in the 1958 election, in which Labour gained 0,23% of the votes and lost all of its remaining seats. The Labour Party was dissolved soon after the election.
