ony ▁was ▁neutral . ▁The ▁population ▁grew ▁from ▁around ▁ 1 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁to ▁ 3 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁and ▁to ▁ 3 4 9 , 0 0 0 ▁by ▁ 1 9 0 4 . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁South ▁Africa ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁the ▁col ony ▁was ▁still ▁controlled ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁moves ▁were ▁made ▁to ▁transfer ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁Union . ▁However ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁Bas ut ol and ▁opposed ▁this ▁and ▁when ▁the ▁National ▁Party ▁put ▁its ▁apart heid ▁policies ▁into ▁place ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁an nex ation ▁was ▁halt ed . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁a ▁new ▁constitution ▁gave ▁Bas ut ol and ▁its ▁first ▁elected ▁legisl ature . ▁This ▁was ▁followed ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁with ▁general ▁legisl ative ▁elections . ▁ ▁The ▁differ ing ▁f ates ▁of ▁the ▁se S oth o - spe aking ▁pe op les ▁in ▁the ▁Prote ctor ate ▁of ▁Bas oth ol and ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁lands ▁that ▁became ▁the ▁Orange ▁Free ▁State ▁are ▁worth ▁not ing . ▁ ▁The ▁Orange ▁Free ▁State ▁became ▁a ▁Bo er - ru led ▁territory . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Bo er ▁War , ▁it ▁was ▁colon ised ▁by ▁the ▁British , ▁and ▁this ▁col ony ▁was ▁subsequently ▁incorpor ated ▁by ▁Britain ▁into ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁South ▁Africa ▁as