Treaty of Peace and South West Africa Mandate Act 49 of 1919 established the local framework for the administration of South West Africa by South Africa. It was ratified in 1921 and in 1923, the Council of the League of Nations adopted a resolution that the administrator of a mandate could not confer nationality upon the native inhabitants, leaving them stateless. This was not the case for white settlers and South Africa granted the status of British subject to Germans residing in the territory from 1924. In 1926, South Africa passed the British Nationality in the Union and Naturalisation and Status of Aliens Act. Under its terms, persons born in the territory, persons born abroad to a father who was a British subject, or persons born upon a British ship became British subjects. Additionally, persons who had resided or been employed by the crown for an accumulated five years over an eight-year period, who were literate (in a language of South Africa), and intended to reside in the territory, were allowed to naturalise. Naturalisation or denaturalisation of a father automatically changed the status of his minor children. However, children who had been denaturalised could request reinstatement within one year of reaching majority. Widows who had originally been British subjects, whose foreign spouse had died, were also allowed to naturalise. Under the provisions of Chapter III, Section 12, foreign wives of British subjects automatically became British subjects upon marriage and British women who married foreign husbands automatically lost the status of British subject upon marriage.
