▁Commonwealth ▁of ▁Nations . ▁It ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁and ▁was ▁hosted ▁by ▁that ▁country ' s ▁Prime ▁Minister , ▁Harold ▁Mac mill an . ▁ ▁While ▁Commonwealth ▁con ferences ▁were ▁normally ▁held ▁bien n ial ly , ▁this ▁conference ▁was ▁held ▁after ▁an ▁interval ▁of ▁only ▁a ▁year ▁as ▁the ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁conference ▁due ▁to ▁disag re ement ▁over ▁South ▁Africa ▁and ▁whether ▁the ▁country ▁should ▁be ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁policy ▁of ▁ra cial ▁seg reg ation ▁with ▁Mal aya ' s ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁demand ing ▁South ▁Africa ' s ▁exp ulsion . ▁▁ ▁South ▁African ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁H . F . ▁Ver wo erd , ▁attended ▁the ▁conference ▁to ▁give ▁formal ▁notice ▁that ▁his ▁country ▁was ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁republic ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁after ▁having ▁approved ▁the ▁constitution al ▁change ▁in ▁an ▁October ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁refer endum . ▁South ▁Africa ' s ▁application ▁was ▁opposed ▁by ▁the ▁leaders ▁of ▁African ▁states ▁under ▁black ▁majority ▁rule , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Indian ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁J aw ah ar l al ▁Ne h ru , ▁Mal aya ' s ▁Tun ku ▁Abd ul ▁Rah man , ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁non - white ▁Commonwealth ▁countries ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Canadian ▁prime ▁minister ▁John ▁Die fen b aker ▁due ▁to ▁South ▁Africa ' s ▁policy ▁of ▁apart heid . ▁Canada ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁white ▁Commonwealth ▁to ▁opp ose