This was a Man [A study of Hendrik Verwoerd]

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The birth certificate of Hendrik Verwoerd. It reads: "No. goot9S. On this day, t g September lgol, there

appearedbefore ourmuni cipalo% cialofthemunicipality of Agnsterdaml %'ilhehnJohannes Verwoerd, by profession a gmcerv a7 years old, residing here, who stated to us that on the 8th of this rnomh, ia the afternoon at 4 o' clock, in the house at No, l 6, Jacob van Lennep Quay in this municipality, there was born a child of tbe male sex from his wife Anje Strik, no profession, residing hem, and to this child the christian names Hendrik Frensch were given. This statement was taken in the presence of Hendrik van meek, by profession an olliciaiv Sa years old, residing at Onderamstel, and of Heter van Dongen, by profession an wi I

ollicial, yo years old, residing here. From these details this document was dra»~, which was signed by us, the deponent and the witnesses, after being read." The signatures of the father and the two witnesses follow.

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4 A photocopy of the Ver)voerd family's entry in Amsterdam's Register of Population. The natnes of the members of the family, birth dates and places, father' s professions, movements of familymembers, etc., are u)dicated. The date of departurt: for South Africa, t6 October t9o3) appears under the heading "Dagteeltening der

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down their arms and r eturned to t heir destroyed farms The two Vierkleurs were hauled down, to be replaced by the "spider flag", as the Boers called the

Union Jack. At No. I6 Jacob van Lennep Quay, on the wide canal the Boer def'eat was mourned as much as it

misery, bitterness towards "hensoppers" (capitulators) and "joiners" who now emerged from the dark and tried to rejoin their old communities. Some could not stomach defeat and left for the New AVorld to seek a new life, a new freedom, a new dream. But from Holland WVilhdm Verwoerd brought his family to the Cape, to l ive and work among the Boers. He had skilled hands and began as an artisan, but soon became a building contractor. The Verwoerds settled in AVynberg and threw in their lot with the Afrikaners, a nation of less than half a million, im-

was mourned by the old President, who now lived in the attracnve town of Hilversum, near Amsterdam.

poverished by t h e w a r a n d n o w s t r uggling for survival. The summer of I go4 brought new sorrows. The embalmed body of President Kruger arrived in Cape Town on its last journey to Pretoria. But the sorrow held inspiration, in the President's "testament" to his

Cape Town in l goS showed none of the deep scars borne by the quiet interior, the country without farm houses and cattle, the utter wreck across the Orange River — as Lord M i l ner described the two former Boer republics. Among the Boers there was grief and

people: "Seek in the past ail that is good and beautiful, shape your ideal accordingly and try to realise that ideal for the future. It is true, much of what has been built up, is at present destroyed, broken, fallen down. But with unity of purpose and power, what now lies fallen, can once again be raised."

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~ elessly Hertzog, De W et , and t h e a i l in g b u t c tible Steyn continued th e struggle. L o r d er was perturbed at seeing the Afrikaners uniting s htical parties: the O r a ngia-Unie in t h e F r e e '., Het Volk i n t h e T r a nsvaal. %%hen Hendrik sxerd„six years old, entered Sub A i n O c t ober at the Lutheran Primary School in W y n berg, ssible government had already been granted to vo colonies. In the Transvaal Het Volk was in x; a few xnonths later the O rangia-Unie w o n ree State elections. x Lutheran Prixnary School was a white building t trees where Fraulein Bahlcke held sway. From sae in Mortimer Street the young Hendrik could 'to the school in a f e w m i n u t es. Half o f h i s -and-fxAy schoolmates were German-speak'ke others Dutch and English. 'k Verwoerd grew up like any boy: he played l when there was time, got up t o m i schief for t his mother punished him b y l o cking hi m i n 4mom — not that it helped much, for the hathofFered in turn. He was a lively child. The two had plenty of fu n w i t h a sm all C ap e cart "-goat which their father bought them. T h e ir

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sister Lucie, who was born at the Cape, joined them in their games. Hendrik helped to care for the goat; he also weeded the garden with his mother. At school he was restless. The teacher often sent him to stand outside the class-room; once he simply walked home. Once he had mastered the AB C, he read omnivorously. Later on the imaginative Rudyard Kiphng became his favourite; he remained especially fond of Puck of Poolc's Hil/. There were aho the 6rst books in A&ikaans, such as J. H. H. de baal's adventure stories. He enjoyed reading the historical noveh of D'Arbez, written in Dutch with a South African setting. Towards t h e e nd o f N o v e m ber x 9 x a H e n d r i k V erwoerd left the L u theran Pr imary School to g o to Southern R hodesia with h i s m o ther, sister and brother. His father had preceded them to Bulawayo six months before t o a ssist th e D u t c h R e f ormed minister, th e reby ha ving a t t a ined an i d e al. S i nce coming to the Cape, he had been do~ m i s sionary work axnong Coloured labourers, preaching in back streets, in prisons and on remote farms. Now he had quahfied as a Iay preacher, entitling him to assist in a congregation.

Conditions in S o uthern R h odesia differed m u ch from those in the country they had just left.Maereas the four South A&ican colonies had been united since May 3xst, xgxo, in the Union of South Africa with the former Boer general Louis Botha as its first Prixne Minister, Rhodesia was still being adxninistered by the Chartered Company founded by Rhodes. And whereas in South A&ica the movement for the recognition of A f rikaans had gathered force and momentum, the language in Rhodesia was English. Hendrik Verwoerd's first contact with hi s new country was violent. After the protracted, tedious train journey, following on their long separation, he was so pleased to see his father at the station that he jumped from the train which was still moving. His knees were badly grazed. Tlie Verwoerds moved into part of the old Daisyfield church orphanage which N'ilhelm V erwoerd had cleaned and furnished. Often he had to leave his family for long periods at a stretch to visit remote members of the congregation by train or b icycle. Their days together therefore drew the family ties much closer. On S a turday nights the house was q uiet as the father prepared his sermon for t he following day, but Sunday afternoons were times of joy. The family would go for long walks, enjoying nature and taking a great interest in the Rhodesian trees and plants. At M i l ton H i g h S c hool, H e ndrik V e r woerd's exceptional talents soon became eiddent. In xgx5 be won a Beit scholarship, and his name was added to the school's roll of honour, He gained highest marks in English literature in the whole of Rhodesia, and beat many English-speaking pupils at school debates in their own language. He also took an interest in sport, and was made wicket keeper and captain of the school's second cricket eleven. Later the adventurous boy travelled through large tracts of virtually untamed country. At week-ends and during holidays he and his friends went on long hikes and cycling tours, and sometimes travelled by oxwagon — even through areas known as lion country. Some of his school friends later disclosed that they often s~mn in crocodile-infested rivers while one of the group covered his &iends with a g un . O n ce

t he young Verwoerd and a & i end r a n a remote trading store while th e o w ner t ook a h o l iday. Everything he undertook, the lean youth did with dedicated zeal. He reacted ardently to news from South Africa, news about the Boer people who were also his people, There the initial seniblanm of unity after Union had fallen apart when Hertzog was left out of the new Cabinet. Hertzog, with his cry of "South A&ica first!" and his D e K i ld t speech in x gx2 ( The time has come not to allow South Africa to be governed any longer by non-South Africans, by people who have no truelove for South Africa" ). In xgx< this led to the foundation of the National Party in opposition to the South A&ican Party of Botha and Smuts. The young Hendrik Verwoerd wholeheartexuy supported the Hertzog fine. As he himself wrote later, "Ever since I was in short pants, I have been a Nationalist and Republican". ~'hen the Great %Var between Germany and the Allies broke out in xgx4, Botha and Smuts invaded German l i est A&ica at the request of the British. Rebellion broke out among the Afrikaners. A sxnali handfixl, practically unarmed, the rebels were doomed at the outset. But the nation rallied. To relieve the burden of fines and civil claims borne by the convicted rebels, money was collected spontaneously. "Helpmekaar!" (" Help one another!") became the watchword. T he friction and confusion of the times led to President Steyn's death in xgx6, and he was buried at the Vrouemonument in Bloemfontein. In addition, the Rebellion caused bitter d ivisions among the A&ikaner people — Hertzog supporters against Botha supporters, rebels against loyalists — which were not to be healed for xnany years.

Brandfort was a s mall, t ypical Free State town, about thirty-five miles from Bloemfontein on the road to the north: quiet, almost moribund, with h i gh bluegums and dusty streets. Named for the popular ~i de n t J a n B rand, whose favourite slogan was "Au win be well if everyone does his duty", the town was founded to block the gateway through which the Basutos intermittently a t tacked t h e F r e e S t a t e.

Because of its proximity to the capital, it never grew beyond its small bel~ n ings and xx.mained a r ural

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Here on the Free State highveld, with its &ostw hitened winters and glowing summer d ays, i t s droughts and locusts and thundexstorms, the Verwoerd family settled in xgx7. The move had been a forced one. When the Dutch Reformed congregation of Bulawayo appointed a second minister, lay preacher V erwoetd found himself out o f w o rk . A f t e r h i s sacrilices and perseverance this was a blow indeed. But once again there was relief. Within a w eek he received a led:r offering him the post of colporteur (book-sal~ ) for t h e D . R . C h urch in t h e F r ee State. This he accepted, and he now had to live in Brandfort — in the congregation of the chairman of the Church's colportage commission. He bought the only available house and renovated it. T h e f r ont room was turned into a shop where he vvould also

sell books and school

statione ry.

The children did not adjust easily to the new school. T he language and subjects were different, a n d Hendxik had to catch up on some of them in private classes. The amiable boy soon made new &iends, however, and in sport he became the crack By-half of the school's rugby team. He also played a sound game of tennis. At home he liked helping Lazarus, the young Griqua boy who worked in the shop and garden, with his spade-work. They had a lot of fun with two black horses in their care, Often they raced across

the veld. Some afternoons they went for a swim in the spruit or scrambled into the low-lying hills surrounding the toxwm. But whatever the day brought, it always ended with f amily devotions, in w hich Lazarus also took his place, Hendrik Verwoerd keenly followed events in the world about him, both in South Africa and abroad. He remained an avid reader, and occasionally his father had to order books &om overseas for hixn. He was well informed about the seemingly endless war in Euxupe which squandered hundreds of hves every day. German West A f rica had been subdued by Botha long ago and placed under South A &ican military controL

There was a change of course in the war wh en L enin a n d T r o tsky's B olsheviks dethroned t h e Russian Czar i n N o v e mber x gx 7, instituted a "Dictatorship of the proletariat" and withdrew their country from the wa r a g ainst Germany. I n i tially the rulers of the intended workers' paradise — without capitalists, private enterprise or private ownershipwere somewhat shaky in t h e saddle. Sut M o t her Russia tied the red babushka 6rxniy on her head and brandished the hammer and sickle in her h ands. And Lenin said: "We stand unyielding for the Red Terror against the capitalist classes." At home, the young Verwoerd was pleased that the National. Party showed many gains in South A&ica. When at last an armistice was reached in Europe, it did not mean the end of human xnisery. An inIluenza epidemic ravaged the world. Tens of thousands died. In South A&ica nearly n , ooo W h ites and xz8,ooo Coloureds succuxnbed to th e G r e at 'Flu. Apart &om Lucie, the whole Verwoerd faxniiy were ill. T hey all r ecovered, but H endrik could not w r it e h i s xnatriculation examination b efore February the following year. He gained Iirst place in his province and fxfth in South A&ica.

The old Victoria College had celebrated its attainment of fuII status as the University of Stellenbmch only a year before Hendrik V erwoerd enrolled in xgxg as a t heological student. I n V a n d e r S t el's Town of Oaks arenowned past provided the foundation for an even greater future. Nobody yet realised how great the past would prove to have been, but the list of old boys already contained the names of J . C. Smuts, J. S. M . H e r tzog, D, F . M a la n a n d

J. G. Strijdom. For the newly arrived youth it was a t ixne of initiation, adjustment to student life and attending classes. But there were many events which drew his attention. In July igxg the peace treaty between Germany and the Allies was signed. A League of Nations was founded to keep world peace. South West Africa was made a mandatory of South A&ica.

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y. %hen the Verwoerd family moved to Southern

Rhodesia, Hendrik Verwoerd proved at the Mlton High Scbool in Suiawayo that he was a gifted pupil and a good orator

achievements at the Milton High $ Verwoerd Bei ihtrsary tmd h. school s toll of honour

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to. Hendrik Verwocrd (right) photographed as a stuilcnt tn t920.

ts. The Students' Representative Council of the L 'niversity of Stellenbosch in t9sa. H. F. Verwoerd, 8~ , i s

second from lett in the back row. Directly in front of him is Miss E, Schoombee„B.A., who was later to become his wife. The full list of names is: Back Row; C, Hall, H. F. Verwoerd, O. Rode, A. Dekker, D. J. ~ Middle Row: B, J. du Toit, P, C. Malan, Miss E. Schoombee, D. Blignault (chairman), Miss M. Murray, C. J. Blom, K. Greyling. Front Row: J. G. Malan, G. de la Bat (vice-chairman). Insets: Miss R. Leisk, H. Scholcs

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F . V er w o e r d w h i l e h e w a r ot iedyintt for ti ie do ctorate.

Hi • steadies were financed mainly by buesaries and loans.

He did briNantlg at' university and showedmarked gifts of leadership

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tS. H. F. Verwoerd, M.A., third kern the right in the middle row, as chairman of the Steilenhosch Students' Representative Council in x9ss. The members of the council are: Back Row t P.J. du Toit, J. V. E. Potgieter, J. Buhr, J. P. A. Lochner, O. Rode, H. S. van der Walt, J. F. O' Grady. Middle Row: A. Dekker (vice-chairman), Mss H.J. Booysen, P. J.J. Louw, Miss H. Vogts, H. F. Verwoerd (chairman), Miss R. A. Leisk. Front: B. J. de IQerk.

On August a7 Ge neral 3otha died suddenly, and japan Christiaan Smuts became the second premier of the Union of South Africa. Hendrik Verwoerd was a b r illiant student. He would sit at his table for hours concentrating on his work. He often gained full ma r ks in s ubjects like Hebrew. Yet he found time for other student activities. He played rugby and tennis, liked swixnxxting, went on long hikes with student societies. Another student on these tours was Betsie Schoombee, kom Middeiburg in the Cape.

As always at u n i versity, there were c onstant turbulences and undercurrents among the students. In these years, after all the death and destruction and misery of war, manitind was beginning to discover again that life was worth living, and among the younger generation of a young nation 6nding its feet, much could be expected. A spirit of national pride and patriotism was abroad. The students gave expression to their f i l i n gs in songs and xnusic; theatrical and xnusical tours to rural a reas were undertaken. "Intervarsity" took shape now that

Stellenbosch and Cape Town both had u ni versities. Conductors and pianos and huge crowds of students appeared at the annual rugby battles. Just as his father and mother had worked for the Boer women and children in South A&ica, Hendrik Verwoeid an d h i s f e llow-students now collected money for the distressed of Europe. They decided to live frugally in order to contribute more — although most ofthem were by no means wealthy. In igni the first students moved into the new, halfcomplete residence Dagbreek, which later became the most famous men's residence of the university. One of them was Hendrik Verwoerd. The students were lyrical about the new building. One of them wrote, "With its bold, broad &ontage on Victoria Street, it commands the admiration of all who pass. Its foundations are broadly based on the earth, the roof high an d l i g ht. Th e re it s tands, immovable, massive, challenging." B u t ins i de th e y di d n o t actually have the world on a string. The studentspaired off in small apartments — had to scrub and polish the floors themselves, make the beds and take t urns in c o oking. S oon t h e p l ac e wa s k n own a s "Hongerly" ( S tarve ). However, Hendrik V e rwoerd was a fine cook. On d ays when it was his turn, he and his roommate ate well. At the end of i g n i h e was given the B.A. degree sum tutuk, but because of a inatter of conscience, he never continued at the Theological School. This was ail he ever said about it himseK His &iends, however, told a story o f t h e s crupulous and u n equivocal honesty which made up another facet of the friendly, hard-working, considerate young student's character. Aher writing their admission exmninations for the School, the group of intending theological students had to announce themselves at the Groote Kerk in Cape Town. There the final arrangements for admission would be made. In the old building, suHused with history, where Anreith's powerful lions support the pulpit fr om which the domineesbring His Word to the congregation, they had to appear before the examining cormnission. Every one also had to produce a testiinonial from his clergyman. Hendrik Verwoerd had no testimonial. He explained that he belonged to the congregation of Brandfort, but as he seldom

came there, he did n ot k now the clergyman personally. How could he ask him for a t e stimonial' ? This requirement, however, could not be dropped: a testimonial had to be submitted. He would have to write to Brandfort. Hendrik Verwoerd was equallyfirm. Such a document would be false. It we nt against his conscience, and he p r eferred to w i t h d raw his ap plication for admission to the Theological School. In the following year he enrolled at the university as an M.A. student in psychology.

Very soon the young student's qualities of leadership came to the fore. He was elected chairman of the D ebating Society an d o f t h e P h i losophical Society, and later became head student of Dagbreek. In ignis he served with Betsie Schoombee on the Students' Council. The students discussed with dismay the miner's strike on the Rand. It was a result of the country' s weak econoinic position, the stream of young A&ikaners to the cities which increased unemployment, the reduction of the miners' wages. Within a f ew days, twenty thousand Whites were on strike. Cominunist infiltrators exploited the republican ideal. A mass meeting decided to declare a workers' republic in Russian style. When some of the strikers tried to prevent workers &om returning to the mines, fights took place with the police. Prime M i nister Smuts dedared martial law, called in the anny and had the striking miners' headquarters bombed. There were s treet battles. When t h e " revolution" ended i n March, two hundred and thirty people, among them fifty policemen, were dead. The G overnment t ook d r astic a ction against strikers who had committed offences. Special courts were instituted; a number of strikers were hanged, others given prison sentences. Some had a l ready been shot without trial. A judicial commission deared the Government, but the Labour Party, supported by the Nationalists, rejected the report as "p o l i tical". Workers joined the Labour Party in large numbers. At the end of ig a a He n drik Verwoerd obtained

the M. A . de gree rum laude. In tg aS he started on a doctor's degree and became chairman of the Students' Representative Council. As student leader he showed Hair and dynamism. Since the university had abolished the wearing of g owns, the graduation ceremony at the end of t h e year ha d b e come altogether d r ab. T h e S t u dents' Representative Council decided on a g ala week to end the year on a festive note. Although most of the work had to be done by the council as the students' co-operation was slack — for w h ich t h e c ~ an rebuked them in his annual report — the week was a great success. With a "colossal dinner" and an " exuberant student festival" this "week of jubilation" was concluded, according to chairinan Verwoerd. Other, m o re serious, pro posals were made. H e requested the new Students' Representative Council to set up a labour bureau to arrange holiday employm ent for students. Today this Bureau is one of t h e S.R.C.'s most useful institutions. Further, Hendrik V e r woerd requested an annual loan to a needy student in order to build up a bursary

fund "as an evidence of our true national feeling". Unfortunately lack of funds handicapped the university,

and the i dea could not b e

t a ken u p i m mediately.

The year iga4,,Hendrik Verwoerd's final year, also brought the realisation of other ideals. In their struggle against the common " enemy", the Labour and National Parties had joined forces. In one byelection a f te r a n o t her t h e y o u s ted G o vernment candidates, until G eneral Smuts, after a d efeat at W akkerstroom, resigned as Prime M i n ister. I n t h e s ubsequent general election i n June the N a t ional and Labour Parties were swept i nt o o flice. James Barry Mu n nik H ertzog became South A&ica's third premier. At the end of the year Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd graduated as a Doctor of Philosophy, specialising in psychology. He had already been appointed lecturer. During this vacation he toured the four provinces with a team of excellent speakers to inform the public about their specialist fields. It was part of a campaign to make the university known and to help fundraising. The gifted Dr, Verwoerd won two bursaries, but accepted the smaller, German offer, as he thought that it would p better opportunities for research.

rovide

z. Professor Doctor

The Weimar Republic, as Germany was known after the war, was lie~ i n p a l m y d ays. But theywere a rtificial — manufactured in t h e U . S .A. I n t g z 5 A merican and o t her f oreign i nvestments led t o modernisation and growth of industry, public services and the railways. After the nightmare yeats when German currency had p lunged into nothingness, obliterating savings and undermining the middle class, and when mighty men and companies went bankrupt, everything seemed fine for a c h ange. Who could expect that the palmy days would last only a few years'? Who gave a thought to Adolf Hitler, who had recently been released af'ter spending a year in prison because he and his Nazis had attempted to take over a provincialgovernment by force? V'ho cared about .%kin P which the former corporal, with his black cowlick and toothbrush moustache, wrote in

Hitler when the test came? "Live! Live! Life is worth living!" was the current slogan.

prison: his ideas about a state without an opposition of traitors, his Herrmvolkof pure blood who would rise above all inferior people ? The elections gave the Nazis a smashing defeat. Early in t ez5 the people elected Von Hindenburg as president. The seventyseven-year-old field marshal was their symbol of a glorious past, they thought he would lead them to fresh triumphs. How were they to know that the Nazis were steadily gnawing away inside, that a new monetary crisis would shake the republic, that President Von H i ndenburg would b e u n able to r e sist

exceptional young man. In t9s7 Betsie Schoombee arrived in Europe to ~ H endr i k V e r woerd. She herself had an outstanding academic career; B.A. ram luuk; Teacher' s

amp as;

This was the Germany in which the young Dr. Verwoerd arrived. Europe was a r i c h e xperience for him. He had always eagerly widened his knowledge about the world. Now he could see with his ovtm eyes, hear with his own ears. He attended the universities of Leipzig, Hamburg and Berlin, studiml, planned, dreamed his dreams of the future. While he was in Berlin, the editorship of a newspaper was offered to hi m & o m S outh A & ica. H e d e clined. "Why '?" a surprised &iend wanted to know. Because his people needed him more in the field of education, was the reply. He wanted to accumulate experience as a teacher, and then try to become Minister of Education. His friend did not regard this as an unattainable goal: the world was wide open to this

Diploma ann Anuk, B. Ed. mnt luude, M.A. in Afrikaans and Netherlands. They were a happy couple: the tali, fair man and the petite, dark girl. After the wedding: a tour through Europe, a visit to the United States, them home again to the task awaiting them.

Back in South A&ica they found a nation still in snuch of itself. Thaxxks to legislation by Dr. Malan as Minister of the Interior, A&ikaans was an o%cial language next to Dutch. The young literature had already grown into its second generation of poets. There was a steady Bow of plays and prose works. B ut the ne w S outh A &ican Ha g n e arly le d t o civil war. Finally a coxnpromise restored the peace: orange, white and blue with two small Vierkleurs and a Union Jack in the middle. Yet the country which the new "U nion Flag" symbolised was freer than before, 6mnks to the Balfour dedaratiou which Hertzog obtained at t h e I m p erial C onference of

xgz6x "They (Britain and the doxninions) are autonoxnous communities witlxin the B r i tish Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate the one to the other in an y a spect of their internal or external aHairs, although united by a common allegiance to the throne and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations." Particularly Hertzog's racial bi l ls in terested the young scholars the political rights of the Coloured in the Cape were to be extended throughout the country; Hertzog wanted to repeal the Cape Bantus' &anchise on the common electoral roll, and institute seven White membexs of Parliament and four Senators for the Bantu, set up a Bantu Council, enlarge the Bantu areas. As it turned out, the Prime Minister did not obtain the necessary two-thirds xnajority to enact the bill. An attempt to segregate the Indians ran into strong resistance, followed by a new attempt at repatriation to India. When the V e rwoerds stepped off th e t rain at Steiienbosch, they possessed eleven pounds and seven pence. A large case of books took care of the eleven pounds in &eight charges. For the rest of the month, until the arrival of tus salary cheque, they had to live in the red. T hese were days of turning every penny over twice — but happy days for the young couple, happy years. Immediately Dr. Ve rwoerd was promoted to professor in Apphed Psychology and Psychotechxucs. He was twenty-six. In the new department he could use his knowledge to train psychologists who, in turn,

would proxnote vocational assistance, train~ of and better handling of the human factor in conunerce and industry. His giAs were exceptional. He dictated pages of notes oA' the cuK A student once tried to ensnare him and asked him to repeat a long, involved sentence. Prof. Verwoerd compliedword for word. Other members of t h e V e r woerd f amily also attended university. Len obtained his D.Sc.; Lucie studied at Stellenbosch under her brother. At Bxandfort Mr. Verwoerd had for some years been managing his own bookshop — the "Suid-A&ikaanse Kristelike Boe khan del". At the beginning of xgug Prof. V erwoerd was requested to open the academic year. His subject was "The University of Life". He was a special kind of

appren tices

orator: he delivered a long, involved speech without a single note. Thirty years later he once again opened Steiienbosch academic year, suxnxnixxg up his previous speech as follow~: "The basic thought I then proclaimed, was that the university, with its monastic origin, its isolation from workaday life, no longer played the same part in modern times. The university and life had become one. If in the university, the student was not brought doser to that which would be of importance to him throughout his whole life, then the modern university lmd failed in its duty: I d i d e mphasise, however, that the university had in lact become such." The university should prepare a student for a vocatxon. "A vocation meant much more than the means to care for one's own interests. In the 6rst instance it created the opportunity of d o ing somettung for someone else, and ultimately doing something for one's own people, even though each person could l ay only one little b r ick i n th e wall b eing b uilt b y the generation of which he formed part. Hence I emphasised that p r eparation for a v o c ation w hich was the university's one connection with the l ife of every student, at t h e same time also formed the with the nation and the connection of the

university

nation's growth. Thus it would not only be a preparation for s el6shness, but a pre p a ration f or sacri6ce."

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tS. Betsie Schoombee and Hendrik Vcrwoerd during a visit to his parents at Srandfort. His sister, Lucie Verwoerd, is on the right.

t6. Dr. Verwoerd was a fine sportsrnan, but hts studies and work took first place. Here he is a

member of the University of Stellenbosch's second tennis team for tgs4/aS. The whole team is: Sack Row: D. B. Smuts, C. Potgieter, Dr. H. F. Verwoerd, M. van droller, J. A. S. Oberholster.

Front Row: J, R. van der Merwe, J. A. Lochner (secretary), A. G. Roux.

t 7. In the twenties and thirties the poor White problem caused much anxiety. In tgSy Prof. Verwoerd was one of the leaders of the national congress convened in Kimberley to combat the problem. Standing: Ds. A. D. Luckhoff, Prof. R. W. lbdcochs, Ds. P. van der Hoven, pmf. H. F. Verwoerd, Ds. P. J. Pienaar, Ds. P. J. van Vuuren, Dr. J, H. Botha. Seated: Ds. P. du Toit, Ada. E. G. Jansen, Ds. Wm. Nicol, Ds.J. R. Albertyn, Ds. D. P. van Huyssteen.

Thegoung scholar demonstratedhis brhef that a umversitp should

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18.Dr. Verwoerd was appointed professor at the age of s6, and hecame head of the Department Sociology and Social Work in 193s. His new ~ ent e d ucatml social workers.

Further he emphasised that the university was preexninently an i n stitution which should not only

Not au was well with the country and w ith the National Party. In the xgzg election the party won an overall majority, but there was suspicion axnong English-speaking South Africans. The party's Labour any lost ground. A&ikaner republicans were dissatisfied with the Balfour declaration. They feared that General Hertzog would acquiesce in this freedom.

to unemployment in the cities or to the miseries of a road worker's existence. The Afrikaner nation, still shaky afier the destruction of the Anglo-Boer War, was in dire straits. Aided by the Government and the Carnegie Corporation of America, the D .R . C h urch had been doing research about the " poor W h ite" p r oblem since xgz7. When Prof. Verwoerd was appointed in xg3a ashead of the new department of Sociology and Social Work at the U n iversity of Stellenbosch, the Carnegie report appeared, The c ommission mtimated that of a total population of x,&oo,ooo %'hites, more than 3oo,ooo could be regarded as poor Whites. Axnong Afrikaners, the situation was in fact proportionately xnuch worse. Virtually all the poor Whites were Afrikaans-speaking; therefore nearly one-third of the A&ikaners were poor Whites. True to his ideal of the university as a servant of the public, Prof. Venvoerd in his new department helped to train social workers who would go outau over the country. The nation-wide calamity weakened the Government. Although England left th e g old standard, South Africa, as the world's largest gold producer, clung to it. The public began to believe that Hertzog's stubbornness was causing their misery. When the opportunistic Tielman R oos, who ha d p r eviously resigned &om the C abinet for health reasons, returned to politics, demanding a non-party government and abandonment of the gold standard, the situation changed completely. The Government left the gold standard; the economic situation improved. Tielman Roos was still trying to form a new government, but in February Hertzog and Smuts agreed that the National Party and the South African Party would co-operate on a more or less equal basis. The

(In fact South Africa beche a

public rejoiced.

refiect knowledge, but aho widen and extend it. The university realised that it should seek not only theoretical knowledge, but also knowledge which was useful to the community. The education of the students themselves was of the greatest importance, as they were the leaders of the future. "Thus (I conduded with these words, if I rmnexnber

correctly): if a university was great in the life of a nation, then the whole nation would become great. The xneasure of the success of the university was the success of the whole nation in whose life it played its part, If the university could not succeed in thinking sublimely, being great and moulding great men; if the university was not deeply rooted in the soil of its own nation; if it could not be distinctive as its national community was — then nothing could become of that nation." The university's task was service to the nation. Prof. Verwoerd took part in the hfe of his people. When Mr. S. P.le Rouz, a young M.P. and in later years Minister of Agriculture, met the young scholar during a train journey, he was astounded by Prof. Verwoerd's pohtical insight and knowledge.

sovereign inde-

pendent state in xggx when the Balfour dedaration was ratified in the Statute of %Westminster.) W'orse was to follow. In October x gzg the American share market crashed because of over-speculation. The Depression hit the Union in the following year. In addition, the country was living through its worst drought. Farmers in particular suffered. They had no income. I n t erest became overdue, m ortgage s were called up. Many went bankrupt. They escaped

But in the Cape, Dr. M alan and his followers distrusted Smuts. I n N a t a l a s ection of t h e S outh African Party felt that they had been betrayed to the Nationalists. But Hertzog and Smuts had such over-

whdming support that those who thought otherwise could only wait and see. In May xgSS the Coalition's candidates won x~ of the x5o seats. The dissatisfied factions, however, were still unhappy. A n K nghsh group — the Dominion Party — broke away in Natal.

Dr. M a lan an d e ighteen Nationahst members of Parliament seceded from G enerals H ertzog and Smuts, who subsequently merged their par ties into the United Party. The time of the "Smelters" (Fusionists) and the "purifled" Nationalists had come. Although small i n p a rliamentary numbers, the Nationalists had the support of the cultural and intellectual leaders who had previously formed a spearhead ofHertzog's power. The leading fig in the virile generation of new Afrikaans poets who began

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publishing their work in the thirties, were outspoken n ationahsts. Prof, U e rwoerd, too, supported Dr . Malan. Once again the Afrikaner people were bitterly divided. Hertzog launched sharp attacks against the "Malanites", an d t h e N a t ionalists fought back. Hertzog was particularly bitter about a sesni-secret cultural organisation, the Afrikaner Broederbond, which was founded in the twenties and of which Prof. Verwoerd also became a member. It was a time of strife and conflict among A&ikaners.

In t93y the Armasorgraad(Council for Poverty Relief) of the D.R. C h urch again organised a congress in Kimberley on the poor W'hite problem. Dr. Verwoerd was one of the organisers and a member of the executive. After the opening he imm~ te l y held the floor. He spoke on "The war against poverty and the reorganisation of welfare work". Every aspect of the problem was put into lucid perspective. Solutions should not create new problems, he said. "Our dilemma is that, in the interest of the country, the poor White ixriit obtain increased prosperity, but — also in the country's interest — this must not be obtained in a way that will make the economic side of the Coloured or Native problem insoluble." The slogan "Sack to the platteland!" would not work. Poverty should be prevented and social levels raised. Among other suggestions, he proposed that a new government department for social welfare should be instituted. This proposal became one of the congress resolutions. Other proposals, too, were conflrmed. He was elected chairman o f t h e c o ntinuation committee which had to implement the resolutions.

He lived according to his precepts to the full extent of his capabilities. He served in the Cape housing organisation. H e t e stifled before commissions on welfare work and unemployment. He became codirector of a housing scheme for the poor.

The frtst children were born in the Verwoerd family. The parents inculcated a sense of independence in them. As soon as they could handle money, they had to buy things for thnnsdves. The professor did not believe in sermonising, and rarely took part in the housekeeping. But he could not bear untidiness. If something had to be done, he Bred to help. Once h e fltted hot-water piping in th e h ouse. H e w a s aim th e " h o m e d o c tor " f o r t h e l i t t l e ac c idents; thorns in bare feet or grit in the eye were his department. With his students Prof. Verwoerd was popular, according to his sister t.ucie, who obtained an M.A. degree in Sociology under him. She laterbecame a social worker. He organised his university department ably, but in many flelds in which he was trying to help his people, he cmne up against official unwillingness and slackness. He would have to make his old student dream come true by becoming a member of the government if he really wanted to achieve anything. In addition, the division among A frikaners dismayed him: they had to be brought together before they would once more be a nation, More firmly than ever he believed in a republic for the peaceful coexistence of all population groups. The colour question was also becoming urgent. Hertzog could get his Bantu legislation accepted only in diluted form; the position of the Coloureds remained unchanged. When persecution by the Hitler regime brought an increasing number of Jews to South Africa, Prof. Verwoerd with some other professors raised objections in t 936. T he y f e l t t h a t t h ese p eople d e prived struggling A&ikaners of opportunities. Henceforth, however, Dr. V erwoerd was to be branded as an anti-Semite and a Xazi. WVhen the editorial chair of a new Nationalist daily newspaper in Johannesburg was offered to him in the following year, he did not hesitate in accepting.

g. Editor-in-Chief

A button was pushed. Machines sprang to life. White reams of paper were fed on to the rollers. Type plates began to rotate. Cutting, folding.. . t hen the first copy of the new newspaper dropped from the press. Its name: Dir Transvakr. T he date: x October, i' ? . The owners and publishers: Voortrekkerpers Beperk. Among the V.I.P.'s attending the occasion were

Dr. D. F. Malan and Mr. J. G. Strijdom — both directors of Voortrekkerpers — and Dr. Verwoerd. In a brief speech Dr. Malan said, "You have heard the rumble of the machines —Dk? ranswkr has arrived." Mr. Strijdom said, "Dk Transvafrris an act of faith." In the erst editorial the editor-in-chief stated, *'Dk Transvakr has come with a v ocation — it comes to serve a nation by letting the sound of a faithful and n oble nationalism echo wherever its v oice m a y reach. Fxom this vocation it will talre its inspiration; this endeavour will shape its character." Loyal to his belief that a republic would and should be established, Dr. Verwoerd in one of the 6rst issues dedicated Die Transvalerto the republican ideal. To his astonishment Dr. Malan and soxne other directors opposed him on t h i s point, D r . V e r woerd l ater reminisced. They had in fact hoped that he would help to daxnpen Transvaal republican ardour. "I explained my strong belief in a republic, and offered to resign immediately, as I sa w n o o ther way than always voicing a strong republicanism in Dio T r ansvakr."

But Senator Willie Hofmeyr, chairman of the board, supported his views, and he was able to continue. "In subsequent years Dio Transvakr becaxne one of the forexnost pleadcrs of the republican cause." Dr. Verwoerd's stand led to an intimate and lifelong friendship with Mr. Strijdom, the "Lion of the Waterberg", an equally ardent republican. Apart from these private disagreements, Dr. Verwoerd and his paper had to face their 6rst major test almost ixnmediately: the May i g88 general election. Although National Party candidates drew about a quarter of a million votes, only a? were elected. The T ransvaal r eturned only o n e N a t ionalist M . P . : Strijdom, Yet the party sensed that it was gaining ground.

The year x gg8 became "the year of miracles". It was the year of th e symbohc ox-wagon trek to commemorate the heroic Great Trek and the battle of Blood River one hundred yearspreviously. Corduroy suits, vslskoens, bxocaded waistcoats, long chintz dresses and koppiesappeared as old V o o rtrekker

customs were revival. Men grew a variety of beards — Dr. Verwoexd had a typical Paul Kruger beard. As the wagons Rom various treks approached their 6nal destinations, enthusiasm reached fever pitch. To

Afrikanexs the simple pageantry was no longer only a picturesque tribute to their pioneering ancestors. It became a pilgrimage. National enthusiasm and unity mere stronger than ever before. The Verwoerd family took an active part in the festivities. The republican ideal was put forth constantly in Dr. Verwoerd's artides. To him a republic was "the proper solution for removing the divided patriotisxn and loyalty of xnany people, so that South Africa alone will claim their loyalty". On x December, x AS he delivered one of the xnost important orafions of the festival — at Middelburg in the Transvaal: "Each nation has symbols which contain a profound meaning and rouse intense pride and patriotism. Mostly it is because their roots go far down into the nation's history, and because they have a rich tradition. . . . B y t h emselves, such symbols count f or nothing. A flag is merely a piece of doth, and an ox-wagon is only a wagon, more often than not an old and shabby one. But what counts, is what it symbolizes, not what it is. The ox-wagon represents the heroic era of the A&ikaner's history; it is today the symbol of the birth of our nation. All the tributes paid by the masses gathering around it, are not the worship of an idol. The wagon has only created an opportuxuty to express our nationalism, our patriotism, our admiration for our heroes, our gratitude, and to pray for further guidance on the Road of South A&ica." The ox-wagon also brought a message for the present and th e f u ture. T h e V o o rtrekkers were devoutly religious and surprisingly united despite their differences, because they all felt the urge for freedom. They had no warlike intentions against the natives. Although large tracts of the interior were depopulated by w a r r ing t r i bes, th e V o o r trekkers negotiated with the landowners. Then the dispersed xnbes returned and i n creased to u n precedented numbers. Clear divisions had always been xnaintained between WA6te and non-%hite — and this at a time when the philosophy of equality after the French Revolution was spreading its influence all over the world. "In other words, their actions were not simply self-evident; they testified to a deeper insight." Thus the symbolic ox-wagon trek also brought its

message. "The wheels roiling &om the Cape to the Limpopo not only received a series of celebrations, and mere not only greeted by hero-worshipping multitudes. They had also to pass thousands of Afrxka e road-workers — not people mho labour with pride on the Road of South Africa, but impoverished men who seek there a last refuge against total ruin," This had to end. The inspiration of the centenary should fulfil itself in action. "And let this action be the raising « the poor Afrikaner,through our acceptance of the trek to the cities and into the business world — the trek to economic independence for our nation, just as our forbeaxs trekked towards personal and po»tical &eedom. The struggle mill be no less difficul. Jibes and wounds. . . w i l l be our fate. But nothing must stop us. . . " On x6 D ecember tens of thousands massed at Monumentkoppie just outside Pretoria, where the foundation-stone of the massive Voortrekker Monument was laid. The syxnbolic Ossewaxrekgave birth to two ne w Afrikaner movements. The first was Dr. J. D, Kesteil's Reddingsdaadbond, which aimed at the economic betterment of the Afxikaner. The second was the

Ossewa-Brandwag, under Colonel Laas,an ofhcer of the D efence Force, which undertook to safeguard the ideals of the Great Trek and to proxnote Afrikaans culture.

Transvakr journalists came to know Dr. Verwoerd as a calm, &iendly and hard-morking editor.He knew how to inspire them with a few words. A slight iciness in the normally benevolent blue eyes said more than the sharpest rebuke. He wrote his editorials with his habitual thoroughn exs, amending phrases so frequently in order t o achieve perfection that his copy became a t y pesetters' nightmare. Often Mrs. Vermoerd sat up with her husband till late at night while he read his articles to her, and she would sometimes suggest revisions. At home he was a considerate, beloved fatherOften, returning home late, h e sat reading &om t he books the children ha d b o rrowed &om t h e

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library. In the mornings and afternoons he minutely scrutinised all the newspapers that were brought to his of6ce. T W'hiie Dr. V e r woerd was preparing for th e i m portant National Economic Congress to be held in Bloemfontein in October, new threats were dawning in Europe. H i t ler seized Czechoslovakia and made new territorial demands on Poland. Great Britain, with France as her ally, promised to protect Poland against aggression. Hitler was contemptuously unc aring, bu t B r i t ai n a n d F r a nc e s t ood 6 r m . O n Sunday, g September, x939, World War II broke out. T he U n io n P a r liament wa s i n s e mion fo r t h e purpose of extending the term o f t h e Senate. The news arrived and General Smuts took his opportunity. On M o nday General Hertzog announced in the House of Assembly that an u n b r i dgeable split had developed in the Cabinet. He was convinced it would be disastrous to j oin th e w ar. T h e N a t ional Party supported him. When the votes were counted, Smuts won a m a r gi n o f t h i r t een. H e r tzog r esigned th e following day. South Africa declared war. Despite their opposition to the war, A&ikaners were overjoyed th at th e y w e re u n i t ed a g a in. S e venty thousand packed th e s lopes of M o n u mentkoppie, Hertzog and M alan were heroes. With raised arms the multitude promised "that we take each other' s hand on the Road of South A&ica, never to lose it again

Politics and war did not bring food and clothes. The National Economic Congress took place as planned on 3, 4 and 5 October in the Bloexnfontein City Hall. There were more than seven hundred delegates froni all over the country. Dr. J. D. Kestell was the patron, Dr. Verwoerd a member of the Congress committee. He dehvered a lecture on "Consumer Associations". The Afrikaner's cultural and social struggle, he said, would be won only if he could gain economic strength. "We are almost over-orgnxised at the cultural level, and under-organised economically." During the previous twenty years A&ikaners had gained in comxnerce, but usually only as owners of small 6rms, as

shop-assistants or factory workers. "This forces us to conclude that the A & ikaner should wit h r esolution and determination endeavour to g ai n h i s r i g h tful share in commerce and industry, and that h e must do this fax more earnestly and w i t h g r e ater p erseverance than has been shown in his cultural and even in his political struggle." The Alrikaners had three weapons: the power of capital, the power of their labour and t h eir buying power. Their buying power was about g xoo million a year. If only a small part of tlus went to Afrikaans firms, it c o uld w o r k w o n ders. H e s u ggested that Afrikaners should organise themselves in consuxner associations which b o ught &o m A f r i k aans u ndertakings or from enterprises which showed goodwill towards the Afrikaner and Ins language. The congress accepted Dr. Verwoerd's suggestions, and also gave full b acking to the p u b lication of a buying guide listing of Afrikaans undertakings. Soon afterwards Dr. Verwoerd reported that he and two Tranmaln new~e n w e re compiling the guide. He also served in t he E c onomic Institute which was nominated as a continuation body of the congress.

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Political development and " E ngland's war' encouraged the ideal of a republic cut loose from the British Crown. T hi s reflected Dr. V e rwoerd's point of mew, which he consistently voiced in Die Transvakr. A republic remained the best method o f b r i nging together A f 'rikaners an d E n g l ish-speaking S outh A&icans. General H ertzog disagreed: the English should first be "converted". These disagreements over a republic handicapped re-uni6cation. Dr. Verwoerd and Mr. Strijdom were sceptical about the whole idea. Re-unification with General Hertzog could be achieved only by compromise — and neither of them had much faith in compromise. The N a tional Party was a p a rty of

principle, EfForts at re-unification continued nevertheless. Hertzog's followers founded a Volksparty (Peop)e's Party) as they thought this would facilitate re-uni6cation. There were squabbles about words and phrases.

At last, inJanuary 1 ggo, it was announced that agree ment had been reached and that a HermigdcP'asionak Party 0J VolksPartp {Re-united National Party or

There were the Greyshirts and the New O rder who were definitely National Socialist.

Volksparty) was to be founded. Dr, Verwoerd served on the interim federal council which had to compile

a draft p ro p r e

o f principles and action.

In ig4o Dr. V erwoerd's mother became seriously ill at Brandfort. He fetched her to Johannesburg immediately. Treatment was ineffective. She was buried in the Braamfontein Cemetery in Johannesburg. As time went on, Afrikaners became resdive. AII

kinds of committees sprang up, giving adam. Mnn Hitler's spring offensive crushed allied resistance in Europe, fear grew that the war might end while the Afrikaner leaders were still conferring. A rumour t ha t General H ertzog and his faithful lieutenant, M r . N . C . H a v enga, were prepared to cooperate wit h G eneral Smuts to d e clare a great republic of Southern Africa, offended the General, 4'hen the congresses to consider re-uni6cation took place towards the end of t he y e ar, t h eir p rospects were dark. Trouble broke out immediately at the Free State congress. General Hertzog wanted his own p r ogramme discussed. The congress refused. General Hertzog objected that the rights of English-speakers were not entrenched strongly enough in the draft programme of the federal council. He took his hat and, with Mr. H avenga and other followers, leA the hall. It was the end of his long political career. He resigned from Parliament and retired to his farm WVaterval in the Eastern Transvaal. On at November, ig~ he died aI'ter an operation in Pretoria and was buri« o n h i s farm. A multitude came to pay 6nai tribute. Hertzog's retirement emphasised the confusion in Afrikaner ranks. It vms a t i m e of questions, recriminations, explanations. T here was the A Irikaner Party, founded by a number of Hertzog men who left the H.N.P. There was the Ossewa-Brandwag, under its new leader, Dr. H ans van Rensburg — former Administrator of the Free State — tending to National Socialism.

The war years were times of confusion. Emergency measures were enacted, people interned, guns caEed in. There wa s p e trol r ationing, food shortages, censorship. Among Afrikaners there was a wave of bitterness against volunteers who signed the "red oath" to Iight anywhere in Africa and wore distinctive orange IIashes on their shoulders. There were constant clashes between the "rooi-lussies" and civilians. Pretoria saw skirmishes between students and soldiers. The o I Iices of Di r. T r ma~vdrr were attacked. Sabotage increased; the O.B. was blamed. The whirlpool sucked around Dr. V e rwoerd. In October ig41 four masked men stopped him at his home and threatened to arraign him b efore the O.B.'s %Var Council. Dr, Verwoerd ignored them and walked on. A Johannesburg newspaper accused Dr. Verwoerd of having his spiritual home doser to Berchtesgaden — Hitler's mountain retreat — than to South Africa. Dr. Verwoerd sued for libel, but lost the case. He was associated with the drafting of an interim republican constitution. This was in a pe r iod of rapprmlinmnt between the H.N.P. and the 0. 8 ., for

which a UnifyingCommittee had been nominated. T he Ossewa-Brandwag published the d r aft i n a hundred thousand pamphlets. Dr. M a ian later exphUled that "this particular draft was made at tbe tine as a basis of discussion for the Un +mg Committee, but before the committee could do so, the O.B. grabbed the draft and published it as their plan". The harm, however, had been done, The whole matter caused great dissension. Further negotiations failed. Dr. Verwoerd express« himself sharply in Di c T r a lsvukragainst the false prophets: "Movements towards unity have become nothing but poEtical traps to promote self-interest by manipulating opponents into a corner on questions of public sentiment," he wrote. Finally the H.N.P. went so far as to forbid its members to join the O B, thereby ruining the moveinent.

t9. 'Hnoughout the cnninsinn of the war yearsDk Traarcakr, af which Dr. Verwoerd became the Srst editor-in~ef in tggy, remained the forthright champion of the repubhcan ideaL

ao. In the "year of wonders", tl68, the year of the symbolic ox-wagon trek, the Verwoerds joined their people in celebration. Together they revived the customs and dreN of Voortrehher times.

s x. The plight of the nation called the leaders together once again in xgg9 — to the great National Econoxnic Congress. Dr- Vexwoerd read one of the papers, and hecaxne a member of the Economic Institute which had to ixnplement the congress resolutions. Front Row: Dr. p. J. Meyer, isixs, J, Pellisier, I. M Lombardy

Prof. L.J. du Plessis, Dr. N. Diederichs, Mxs. M. Gunxher, W. A. Hohneyr, Dr. g. P. van der Walt. Middle Row: Dr. A. Hertzog, Ds, P. J. du Toit, Dr. H. F. Ve~xxerd, Dr. M. S. Louw, G. Lots, J. H. de Vos, D. Mostert, Dr, G. E. N. Ross, Dr. T, E, Donges, Dr. A. J. R. van Rhyn. Bach Row: Ds. P. van der Hosea, Prof. G. CronjE, R. P. Botha, J. J. Bosman, J. G. van der Mexwe, D. J. M. Jordaan, C.J. Schlebusch, Prof. C. G. W. Schumann, A. J. van Zyl, M. F. de Koch.

Aceditor in chief /i-eii-ved with his peopk andfor a republic

In the xg4g election the H.N.P. won only fortythree seats. The splinter groups were swept out of Parhament. The partyhad to forge ahead. Although Dr. Verwoerd oAen spoke in public and served in high executive positions of the H.N.P. on the Rand and in the Transvaal, he rexnained unknown to the general public. His medium was the newspaper, and to the ordinary reader the editor is a legend, a voice oH-'stage, a finger writing on the wall while the

election — this time in the Cape, in Kixnberley District. In Europe, Germany was in ashes, Nazism dead. But the red octopus crawled over half a continent. Behind the peace the ~ er an d sickle threatened. The Nationalists did not sit stilL A socio-economic

man behind the hand r~

Dr. Verwoerd prepared himself for a new phase in his life. He bought the farm Wonderfontein near Devon where he kept dairy cows. He was absorbed in his farming. He helped to build a dairy stall with his own hands, and paid particular attention to feed supplies. When he was on the farm, nothing escaped his attention. Coming home &om a walk in the veld, he could report on ever >~ he h ad seen on his way. He read farming xnagazines with zealous interest. When his eighty Frisians came into milk, he had two photographs of each taken for his albuxn. Every c ow*s production was accurately noted. I t w a s a

inv is i ble. To thexn, it

wasDie Tranwakr speaking, guiding, keeping republicanism alive. His opponents knew better than to underrate him. They were already beginning to create the bogeyVerwoerd. U n der th e h eadline "Merciless, humourless drive to secure isolated Afrikanerdom", next to one of the few unfiattering photographs of Dr. Verwoerd in existence, a South African English

magazine wrote inJanuary x~5: "Behind the N.P.'s drive to secure a firm foothold on the Witwatersrand, recognised to be the key to the political situation in South Africa, is the brain of Dr. H. F. Verwoerd." One of his polifical opponents over many years, Mr. Marais Steyn, later wrote, "I first becaxne aware of his personality as a young journalist in Johannesburg soon after he had become the editor of a rival newspaper in xg37. We could see that we were dealing with a personality as editor of that newspaper, the 'Transvaler',who knew what he wanted, beheved that he knew how to get what he wanted, and who was setting about the achievement of his plans with vital determination and tireless application." An extensive study of the South African opposition during the war years also shows Dr, Verwoerd, next to Mr. Strijdom, as the most important figure of the H.N.P. in the Transvaal. A very enco~ g ev e n t f o r th e party was the by-election in W a kkerstreom in x~ - t h e h istoric seat which forced Smuts's resignation in xgzg and ushered in the rise of Nationalism. The H. ib.P. took the seat again. In xg4g the party won another by-

plan was put forward. The party explained its policy for the solution of the colour question: apartheid.

model farm. The farxn visits were only for relaxation. In politics he was a very busy man. Dr. V e rwoerd kept Bk Trunswkr on the road to a r e public. Tr ue to h is views, his newspaper boycotted a South A&ican tour by the British Royal family. On the day of their arrival in Johannesburg, Die T r unsvakr contained only a brief report warning its readers that, due to the presence of certain visitors from overseas, a traffic jam could be expecl.ed in the city. In xg47 an important chapter in Afrikaner national unity was written. Dr . M a lan and M r . H a v enga, leader of the Af'rikaner Party, reached an election agreement. Subsequent amalgaxnation of their parties was not excluded. It was decided that the Afrikaner Party would nominate eleven candidates. One of them was Mr. B. J. Vorster in Brakpan. In xg4B Dr. V m woerd resigned as editor of Die

Transvukrand sought election in Alberton.

a4. Dr. Verwoerd, who became a Senator in r ~8, here occupies his bench — in the back row on the left, third frotn right.

Erom back-bencher to key minister in furogears

sg. Sen. Dr. H. F. Verwoerd, made Minister of Native Allairs in Dr. Malan's cabinet in t95o.

4.. The Honourable

Nobody expected it — neither the United Party, nor the Nationalists. But as the results were broadcast, it becaxne progressively clear: first that the Nationalists could win and then that they were going to win. The K N .P. won seventy seats, the Afrikaner Party nine, against sixty-five for the United Party and Labour's six. If the three Native representatives were added to the opposition, the new Government had pg seats against an opposition of yy, There were joyful celebrations and parades. In triumph Dr. Daniel F Malan travelled to Pretoria to become the Union*s fourth Prime Minister. Dr. Verwoerd, however, was defeated by the U.P.'s Marais Steyn. In Standerton General Smuts hixnseif was beaten, but he was later given a safe Pretoria seat. According to the stipulation that a new Governxnent could dissolve the Senate within one hundred and twenty days, this body — in which the U.P. had a majority of thirty-three mexnbers — was reconstituted

thoroughly for the parliamentary session. As his field of study he chose the single aspect of South African politics which he regarded as decisive: the Native question. When the V e rwoerds travelled to C ape Town for the August session, there were seven children, five boys and two girls; the eldest already a student at Stellenbosch, the youngest a baby. On 3 September, xg48; Dr. Verwoerd made his maiden speech in P a rliament. The r a ngy young professor had become a robustly built man. His hair was already greying. He spoke inthe No Confidence debate in which, among other matters, the Leader of the Opposition had found it r egrettable that t he Government did not p u t t h e f ull i m plications of apartheid to the electorate. From publications issued by the party, Dr. V e rwoerd built up a p i cture of Government policy which was a revelation even to some of his own people. "The apartheid pohcy has been described as what

in July. Because of the absence through illness of a U.P. member i n t h e N a ta l electoral college, an independent Government supporter was elected. Thus the Government obtained a majority of one — ux against ao. One of the new Transvaal senators was Dr. V erwoerd. When he heard that he wm to become a senator, Dr, Vexwoerd immediately began studying the rules and customs of the Senate. Then he prepared hixnself

one can do in the direction which one regards as ideal. Nobody will deny that for the Native as well as for the European, complete separation would have been the ideal if it had developed that way historically. If we had had a White South A&ica in the sense in which we have a w h ite England and a w h i te Holland and a white France, and if there had been a Native state somewhere for the Natives, and if this white state could have developed to a self-suppoxting

ranglais

condition as those European states have developed by themselves, then we should certainly not have had the &iction and the difhculties which we have to-day." This would be thc ideal condition. And even if it could not be achieved, it was good to realise that it was the ideal. "In every Raid nf life one has to fix one's eyes on the stars, to see how close one can come

The new minister morlfe~

tirelesslyfor theideal freedoms of separate

to achieving thc very best, to achieving perfection. For that reason, I say this: keep in view what pro-

mises to be best for your country and try to approach it within the realm of what is practical." Step by step he analysed apartheid: Total segregation was the ideal, but a p r actical

impossibility. There should be residential separation, also among

ethnic groups. The Bantu could work in White areas, but he would not achieve political rights in these areas "though, at the same time we are now going to give him civil

rights in his own territories such as he enjoys nowhere

a6. Dr. Verwoerd pointing to a map of Bantu concentrations in South Africa which he had prepared himself for use at political meetings.

at present. That will be the place in which to achieve lus ideals. The Native who becomes a lawyer, or the

Native girl who becomes a nurse or teacher or whatever the case might be, will in the first place be able to provide his services there in his own community. However, as soon as the Native comes into an area of a European community, then he will have no such political rights there, there in the White man's country. But the reverse is also true. If there are Europeans who have to go into the Native territories — and they

will only go there because they have to in order to help the Natives — they will not enjoy any political rights there". Apartheid was a lways coupled with j u stice justice to Whites as well. "It is very easy to argue the whole matter in such a way that it can be viewed only from the point ol' view of the Native, but you must

also survey it from the point of view of the Europeans. Indeed, it is not the Native whose future is being threatened, it is that of the Europeans; the European is really the person who should say; 'My rights must be protected'." For him apartheid was his country's only "road to the stars". For many, however, it remained merely a guarantee of "White baasskap".

ay. South Ainca would become one great Bannsstan sf the Opposition's way were chosen, the Minister said.

i.W ag, So. Sometimes he addressedenormous crowdsof people, sometimes small groups in the veld where he spoke through an interpreter to an attentive audience. The Minister never tired of bringing his message of a just c~ f stence.

3t. On the way to South West Africa to visf t more Bantu territories. From left

to right; Dr. W. W. M. Eiselcn, Secretary of Native Affairs, Mrs. and Dr. Verwoerd and Mr. F. E. Ments, M.P., member of the Native Aifaits Oommission.

gs. The Bantus paid tribute anth

tradtttonal gtAs-

like this shield and assegai.

t'ai

gg. Breathing-speH. The Verwoetth 6shing on the Ohavango in the Caprivt-Zxpfd,

The path of the new Government was not strewn, with roses. Capital Red the country. There was a storm over the release of pohtical prisoners - "an insult to those killed in action". The Opposition press struck up to the tune of "Don't give them a sporting chance". The Government's parliamentary majority was piti-

fuii> small. The President of the Senate sometimes had to use his casting vote for the Government. In addition, the new stablemates were still trying their traces. Dr. Malan wanted to do away with the Coloured &anchise on the common roll; Mr. Havenga said, "That is not Hertzog's way". Purther problems arose over former

O.B. members who stood as craner Party candidates, and the party withdrew &om the provincial elections. Although General Struts was one of the founders of the United Nations — the new guardian of world peace and harmony — the watchdog had been growling at its own "Oubaas". Now it was barking loudly about the treatment of Indians in South A&ica and the Union's mandate over South West A&ica. The Government refused to budge. By degrees apartheid sorted the population into traditional posi-

t ions. Separate facthttes wn e m s tttuted o n C a p e Peninsula trains, separate facilities were arranged in post oflices and o t h e r p u b l i c p l a ces. M a r r i ages between Whites and non-Whites were prohibited. A young nation looked at the wider world. When Conununism threatened to s t rangle Berlin, South African fliers helped to keep a life, line open. Dr. Malan went to London and presented the Commonwealth with a solution to its most pressing problem. India was a republic — how could she stay in the Commonwealths Solution: A new Commonwealth, with the British sovereign at the head, without constitutional function. Right of entry was no longer dependent on loyalty to the British crown. There were other events. In J'anuary, t g4g Zulus in N atal dashed with the I n dian population. On t 6 December in the same year the nation inaugurated t he Voortrekker Monument at P retoria with t h e greatest gathering — a5o,ooo people — which South A&ica had yet seen.

In igloo important poEtical shifts occurred. General

Smuts died after a long illness; Mr. J. G. N. Strauss took over as Leader of the Opposition. Dr. Verwoerd became Minister of Native AFairs. Xever was a man better equipped for a t a sk: strong in b ody a nd intellect, his course charted by the star which he had known for a long time. It would not be easy. It needed work — sixteen, eighteen hours a chay. Prejudices had to be broken down, suspicions allayed. There was the remarkable story of the new Minister who spoke to the Senate for four-and-a-half hours: explaining his Government's Bantu policy, analysing, defending, answering questions at length. He stood like a patient schoolmaster, somebody wrote — like a patient schoolmaster who had to explain a diFicult lesson to his dass. He never tired of explaining. He visited the Bantus in their own reserves — in all four provinces and in

South West Africa. Sometimes he spoke to small groups in the veld, sometimes to a multitude. He received a straw hat as a gift, drums, shields, assegais, sheep ance cattle, pots of beer. Songs of praise were composed in his honotu', he was greeted as "Rapula" — the man who brought rain. Everywhere he ex-

Dr. Verwoerd's single-mindedness did not pass unnoticed. His drive and, energy &ightened his opponents. Again they started workixg on the old bogeyman image. They discovered a former Rhodesian schoolmate

who remembered Verwoerd as a friendless boy. There were whispers that he became an atheist at Steilenbosch — that was why he had to cease his theological studies. The image did not need to be consistent. They mocked his dedication, said that he believed in God *s approval of apartheid. He had studied in Germany long before the Nazis came to power — yet he was said to have picked up the germ of Nazism. They made sly remarks about his defeat at Alberton, said that Malan was pleased when Strijdom lost his right hand man. Malan did not even want hizn in the Senate, they said — yet he was made a key minister within two years. Verwoerd — apostle of apartheid. Verwoerdfor White "baasskap". V erwoerd, the unyielding. Verwoerd, the merciless. Verwoerd. the dictator. Dr. Uerwoerd paid little attention to this criticism. He built up a streamlined department in which he knew every cog and wheel.

pounded his message of justice for all, of peaceful co-eastence in a great country. The leopard has white and black spots, he said, but wherever you knife it, red, blood will Row. He visited slums — "black spots" where human dignity was trodden in the dust — and sam to it that model townships were created. He was carried forward by his own qualities, his faith in his ideals, and the support of his wife. Of his capabilities oflicials liked to tell the story of the 61e which was brought to him for a decision. But, said the Minister, this had been decided several years ago; he thought he had written the decision on green paper. The Sle was paged through, the green paper found. At that stage there were oooo files, virtually every one with notes in Dr. Verwoerd's waiting. %whenever she could, Mrs. Verwoerd went along on his traveh. Back in the aircraft after a visit to South West A&ica, she pulled oF her h usband's shoes, massaged his feet in her lap while he slept. He was always laughing, even in times of crisis. He always believed that troubles would pass, but that a nation and its dreams would live on.

Time went on. The hand which wanted to lead South Africa to a new future, grew 6rmer. The Group Areas Bill was enacted to dehmit separate residential areas for all racial groups. The Suppression of Communism Act followed to stem the Red tide. The Government lived up to its beliels by sending a Right squadron to Korea to aid the war against Communist aggression; the Soviet Consulate in Pretoria was dosed down. The country'seconomy grew. The A&ikaner, too, had found his way: the Second National Economic Congress of ig5o reported progress. The poor 'N%ite problem had passed. The men of igag had not laboured in vain. The Government stimulated further growth. Sasol would manufacture petrol &om coal. There was opposition — just as in the twenties, when the &s t Nationalist government founded Iscor. Bantu pohcy became law: Bantu authorities were given increased powers, reference books were substituted for passes, Bantu education was reorganised.

3$. Two convinced republicans walk under the arch of Rags. Since hecolllUlg acgllatnted

in t937, Dr. Verwoerd and Mr. J. G. Strijdom strove together for the realisation of their dree Bl.

g5. Dr. Verwoerd and Mr. J, G. Strijdam.

f A free repubk eo justice to all remained theaim

'

Sg, Three ieadesswho would bring their country so a republic step by step. from right to left:

Dr. D. F. Malan, South Africa's fourth premier, Mr. Strijdom, his successor, and Dr. Verwoerd, who took over on Mr. Strijdom's deaih.

T he T om linson Commission was w orking o n a broadly based report on thc development of the Bantu homelands. The H.¹ P . an d the Afrikaner Party merged to reform the National Party. In t95a three hundred years

of European civilisation in South Africa were celebrated with pomp and splendour. But there was restlessness as well. Bantus were incited to protest. Particularly active was the African National Congress. In t g5o a demonstration on the Rand ended in a dozen dead. Then Bantus went over to passive resistance: wilful transgression of apartheid

laws. In the U.N. the newly independent African states, together with the Asians, had grown to a p owerful voting bloc. South Africa's racial policies were decried and she was threatened with bitter retribution. South A&ica's old Western friends hesitated, some became openly critical. F or several years th e c onstitutional struggle t o 50

remove the Coloureds from the common electoral roll dominated politics. Th e G o vcrrunent's plans were d eclared invalid b y t h e A p p eal C o u rt . I t w a s a n entrenched clause; the Constitution could be changed

only by a majority of two-thirds. The Opposition and its press protested. Torch C ommandos m a rched t h r o ug h Q i e s t r eets w i t h Haming torches. Parliament was "besieged". The Opposition roused enthusiasm for the election of t955. All eHorts were combined in a United Front. Election day was on s5 A p r il . T h e N a t ional Party

increased its majority in the House of Assembly to twenty-nine. O n t o O c t ober D r . M a l a n a n n ounced that h e would retire.

Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom became South Africa's fifth Prime Minister — not without diSculties. Dr.

Malan indicated that he would prefer 5Ir. Havenga as his successor. The f~ of the N a tional caucus, however, were clear. Mr. Havenga stood down and Idt politics. Mr. Strijdom was nominated unanimously. In his cabinet Dr. Vexwoerd remained Minister of Native Affairs. Premier Strijdom's fixst task was to s olve the Coloured &anchise question. He enlarged the Senate to achieve the required two-thirds The Gordian knot had been cut. During the xg~5 session Dr. Verwoerd made his first complete statement of policy in three years — in

majo rity.

previous sessions his budget vote had been dominated by discussions of Bantu education. At first he aired a few ideas on this controversial subject. "The infiuence of the school can and should be twofold. There is firstly the moulding of the individual child according to aptitude and talent, and secondly there is the moulding of the underdeveloped comxnunity by means of the school.. . I t is because education under provincial and missionary control could not coxnply with the second requirement, that the Department of Native Affairs which, &om the nature of the matter, Qunks and plans in terms of communities, had to take over this task." He criticised the old system, "I wonder whether hon, Senators know that it i s n ews to the great majority of the Bantu people that it is not at ail the fixnction of good education to wean the students &om the ways of their own people, and to free them &om their community. They really thought that nothing elsecould be done... That you may remain a Bantu, that your Bantu language can become a medium to civilization, and that you and your whole community together with you in t his manner can achieve far quicker a higher spiritual, social and economical level of living, is for them a brand new and almost unbelievable thought. "It is a surprise for them to be called up to serve on school committees and on school boards — and that moreover in co-operation with Bantu authoritiesbecause it was told thexn that Bantu authorities were established to keep the Native primitive. For the first time they now hear the other side of the story." Dr. Verwoerd, however, warned against expecta-

tions of spectacular reforms and quick results. A new willingness to serve on the part of the teacher and a strong vocational inspiration were necessary to deliver him from the rhythm of the old system to which he had grown accustomed. But he believed that it would come about, for the new approach held out, the ideal for the building of a Bantu community, while the biggest promise of the old system was the escape it offered to a sxnall percentage from its own community. He covered the whole field: migrant labour, the reserves, the urbanisation of the Bantu. Then he concluded, "I characterize in contrast to that the apartheid pohcy as a policy of growth from its own roots, &om its own institutions and from its own power. That is the policy of slow development: by means of mother tongue and by means of environmental education to make literate and useful people of them within their own circle. By stabilizing the land for the best use thereof„by site-and-service schexnes for good economic accommodation for all; from traditional tribe through tribal authority to area authority and to territorial authority; by elementary education for all to the creation of a broader basis upon which progress is possible, for the foremost and the strong personalities among the Bantu, through coxnmunity service to constructive leadership."

While the U n i t ed P arty c rumbled, trying to r e vitalise itself with a new leader, Sir De Villiers GraaH; the National Party grew in strength. Mr. Strijdom's health, however, declined. But he was to see the fixifiiment of further ideals. The Union Jack was o%cially struck. South A&ica took over the naval base at Simonstown &om Britain. The Government accepted "Th e C a l l o f S o u th A&ica" as the national anthexn. But the peat ideal for which Strijdom lived, remained unachieved. There was constant talk and argument and dreaming about it. "During the last f ew years before the lamented death of M r . J. G. Strijdom," Dr. Verwoerd reminisced, "we ail began to reahse that if th e R epublic were not established within the next fi ve-year period, the t im e could

possibly pass for ever." There were those who thought that greater national u n it y should come 6rst, and

greater progress shown in the racial problem. He and

was sufhcient — but the Prime M i n ister would no t hear of it. In April, t 958 Mr . Strijdom led his party to new v ictories in the general election. For the Erst ti m e the Nationalists gained more than a hundred seats. Dr. Verwoerd was elected in Heidelberg, Transvaal. But the Prime M i nister's health caused concern. In

Mr. Strijdom thought dMerently. Two questions, however, troubled Mr . S t r ijdom. He would have liked to see a republic leaving the C ommonwealth f o r t h w i th . M u c h d i s cussion a n d t hought caused him to abandon the idea. After Dr . Malan's attendance at the Coxxunonwealth conference in London this was no longer necessary. But how large should the majority for a republic be if it was to be

July he became seriously ill. Early on the morning of a@ August he died. "There was one matter on which nobody could doubt him," Dr . M alan said in a tribute. "He loved

declared' Dr. Verwoerd felt that a majority of one

his people."

It was twenty minutes to one. The door of the caucus room of the National Party swung open. Dr. Verwoerd was visibly moved when he appeared on the Senate steps. Next to him, the caucus chairman and chief' whip, behind him, drawn around him, the other

them: "I shall cooperatereely f with au members of

National members ofParliament. He had become

delivered a short message in Afrikaans and English: "W'e ithe National Party ) believe that our duty binds

their leader a few minutes ago. Before the day was done, he would be South Africa's Prime Minister, The date: a September, tg58. The decision, of the caucus was a difficult one. There was tension when proceedings began punctually at to.go a.m. Altogether t76 Senators and members of Parliament were present. Candidates v ere nominated o rally. There were three nominations: Mr. C . R . Swart, Minister of Justice and Acting Prime Minister since Mr . S trijdom's death; Dr . T . E . D on g es, Minister of the Interior; and Dr. H . F . V e r woerd, Minister of Native Affairs. The vote was by secret ballot. In the first voting Mr. Swart was eliminated. Then the caucus elected Dr. Verwoerd with g8 votes against pg for Dr, Donges. The tension continued. WAmt next? It was the first time a National Party leader had been elected in this way. Then Mr. Sw a rt promised Dr. Ve rwoerd his support "a hundred-and-three per c ent". D r , Donges declared, "There may be differences about a candidate, but once a decision has been reached, unity is the watchword." D r . V e r a oerd t h anked

my party, whether they supported me on this occasion or not." Unity had been preserved in order to face the outside world. In front of the Houses of Parliatnent Dr, Verwoerd

us to South Africa as a whole, and we will continue to serve our country, as in the past, in the manner which seems best to us in accordance with the great principles — principles to which we will always remain loyal. I accept my election as a call to do my duty." Then he sped home to his waiting x~ife. That afternoon the G o vernor-General, D r . E . G . Jansen, summoned him to form a new cabinet. At Brandfort in the Free State old Mr. 4'Vilhelm Venvoerd was overwhelmed with cony atulations. Proudly he remarked, "M'hen I stepped ashore in Cape Town that day in > go3 with a two-year-old boy a t my side, I could never have thought that I w a s bringing South A&ica a Prime Minister." There was also disapproval. Overseas newspapers thundered: "The Union of South Africa's new Prime Minister is one of the country's most unyielding advocates of

%white supremacy. (He has) based his career on extrenusm. "He is virtually a dictator."

"The N.P.'s choice has fallen on the most extreme and intransigent candidate." "He is thc leader of a p a rty which preaches a Herrenvolk doctrine little diferent from that of the

Nazis." Opposition newspapers in South Africa were no less outspoken: "He is the incarnation of Sroedcrbond-Nationalist-Afrikaner extremism." Even among his party fellows there was a certain restlessness. Many would have preferred thc jovial Swart or the suave Diinges to this brilliant, but to

them, distant new leader. The next day the new Prime Minister had to undergo his parliamentary baptism. It was the first time in the country's history that a Prime Minister had to take over during a session. He had to appear virtuaUy unprepared. Dr. Verwoerd was almost late. TP rooo stopped in front of Parliament at a.t4, and he ran up the steps. Mrs. Verwoerd was left to 6nd her own way. There was only a minute to spare before the bells would stop ringing for the session to start. He hurried into the Assembly chamber a nd a f e w N a t i onal M . P . ' s greeted him with hear-hears. Dr. Verwocrd nodded quickly and sat down on the Prime Minister's bench.

The bells stopped ringing. "Mister Speaker!" the w ell-known call

r a n g d o w n t h e c o r ridor. T h e

Speaker's procession en tered. From the press gallery the journalists gazed down critically at Dr. Verwoerd. Onc of the political correspondents, Anthony Delius, later gave a striking summary of his impressions on that 6rst day: "I don't know how anybody expected itto begin.

Possibly a thunderous declaration of purpose or maybe, because a Prime Minister has certain privileges, with the longest recorded parliamentary speecli

87. For the first time in history the National Party chose its new leader by baHot nn a September iM8. Thc successful candidate waves to the crowds which coiicctcd in front of Parliament.

in history. "But Dr. Verwoerd sat there, Iookiing nervous and

eager to please, like a man waiting to he nailed to an interview about a job. His hair was too careful)y brushed and his suit looked very new. He sat on the edge of his bench seat, his feet almost on tip-toe, ready to leap up at a nod, make speeches, answer questions, or do w h atever else the H ouse should require of him.

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t 37. Welcome!

t 38. The opening of a party congress.

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15Q. The Natioi4il Party is tifty years old. Dr. and Mrs. Verwoerd drive to De Wildt, where GeneralHertzog made his famous speech in tgta which finally led to the foundation of the party. t50

The delovedhead of a fami7p

The Prime Minister ~its his e]derfy father at Brandfort t5g. Dr.and Mrs. Venvoerd anth three of their sons: Ifendrik, Christiaan and Wynand.

fr gI II t M. A happy family groupon the stoep in front of Libertas. x6y. Dr. Vcrwoerd congratulatrs his son Vttthehn on

t66. Grandparents, grandchildren and Punch.

obtaining his D.gc. (Geology) degree.

J4.

t ~8- t6t. An hour in the garden with one ofhi» grandchildren — Fran@)is du BoiN.

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xgg — t6t. An hour in (he garden with one ofhis grandchildren — 1"rangois du Bois.

A sPortsman among sPortsmen

t6a. Dr. Verwoerd chats to the two captains during a cricket Test at Newlands, Cape Town. On the left, Trevor Goddard of South Africa, and right, Mike Smith of England. In his youth Dr. Verwoerd was a usetui wicket-keeper.

t6g. A Matie rosette before Intervarsity at Coetzenburg, Stellenbosch. Dr. Verwoerd played Hy-half in his rugby days.

t 6@ In the pavillon with Ds.J. S. Gericke by

his side and Prof. H. B. Thol in kont.

t65. Dr. and Mrs. Verwoerd attend a rugby match at

Ne cglands.

t66. During a visit to a Wallaby match at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, a few boys take the opportunity to get Dr. Ve~oerd's autograph.

Relaxation fater the day's work

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t68. Dr. Verwocrd taking photographs at. Ubertas of Mrs. Verwocrd with a grandchiid on hcr arm.

• Sll • 10tI

t67. Dr. and Mrs. Verwoerd among the Bowers in the Croute Schuur gardens.

t69. Dr. Verwoerd was the erst Premier to visit every game reservein the country, FIere he isin the K ruger Park.

17o, Dr. Verwoc.rd's new house on his hohday farm, "Stokkiesdraai" (Playilrg hooky), on the banks of the Vaal River.

171. On the way to the milk shed. "Stokkiesdraai" was presented to him by admirers.

t 73- "Blaas-'n-Bietjie" (Rest-a-While) — Dr. Verwoerd's sea-side house at Betty's Bay.

rye.Dr. Verwoerd li ked to do carpentry when he was on holiday. Here at Betty's Bay be was often at his

workbench (on the left agidinst the wall ). On the right are ibe ctipboards he built hiniself to store his

Sshing-tacide.

Free State constituency presente6 to the Premier. Punch patiently sits it out sporting a sou'-wester.

.. while

t8z — t84. Angling remained the Prime Minister's favourite sport. Once he even hit world headlines when he boated a blueSn tunny of g68 lbs. after a two-hour stogie.

But the persistent attacks on the Prime Minister and his country left their marks. His hair grew white, the creases in his face deeper. Once he said in Parliament: "The members of the Opposition, including the Leader of the Opposition, and the press and others, have tried to concentrate this fight on me personally. They adopt the attitude that it is only I who stand in the way of a solution, namely the solution they want. It i s a lleged that only I s t and i n the way of peace with t h e o u t side world . L e t m e t e l l t h o se honourable members this very clearly: If I were convinced that I did not represent the will of the people, I would not remain in this place a moment longer. "It cannot be pleasant to anyone in these difficult tixnes to occupy this responsible position. It results in days and nights of worry and pain; it b r ings one no pleasure; it cannot mean anything for one personally. If I were to be selfish and consider my own comfort I would get out of here as quickly as possible. I stay here only because my conscience tells me that I dare not run away from the task with w h ich my people have entrusted me. The day, however, my party or the voters outside give me the clearest indication that they consider that the course in which I beheve, and earnestly believe, is wrong, they need not get rid of me, I shall leave of my own accord. The fact is just that I am convinced that whoever sits here, should be prepared to endure trouble for the sake of the future of his country. I am convinced that he will have to be prepared to suff'er for his convictions. I am convinced that the policy of separate development is the will of t he people, not o nl y o f t h e A f r i k aners or o f t h e Nationalists but of eighty or n i n ety per cent of the White voters of our country. I axn also convinced in my heart that the course we are adopting is the best for our Coloureds, because I am alraid that they will be destroyed if any other policy is applied. I am even c onvinced, although I h a v e h a d l ess contact wit h them than with the Coloureds, that this policy is also the best for the Indians in the country, because they t hexnselves will b e o p pressed if t h e w h ol e o f t h e country should have a Bantu government. I am also convinced that our course is the best for the great xnajority of ordinary Bantu in our country insofar as their welfare and prosperity are concerned, because

I axn perfectly convinced that receiving the franchise a t an early d at e w il l n o t ensure for t hem aU t h e prosperity we give th em a nd t h at t h e re w ill b e a dictatorship, just as in Ghana, froxn which the mass of the Bantu population will derive no benefit, I am therefore convinced, from the best and most honest motives and by the dictates of my conscience that it is my duty to stay on as the Prime Minister in the best interests of all sections of the population. For my own sake — for my own selfishness — I certainly do not choose to stay on. I wish that I could be spared what is now xny duty." The will of the people — yes, he would bow to that, as long as it was guided along the correct course, which was ahvays the task of the true leader. "Do not judge by what people say today," he often said, "but by what they will say in ten years' tixne, in the light of the complications of that time. >Ye must commit ourselves, not to what will merely please anyone at present; but rather to that which will be found to benefit the people permanently." $%'hile initially there were some Nationalists who distrustexl him, t hey c an e t o t r ust hi m w i thout reserve. He stood where others had fallen like leaves. He charted the course when others were at a loss. He became more than the leader of hispeople: he becaxne the symbol of the W h ite m a n's will for continued existence in A&ica. He became more than a leader and symbol; he was the prophet who had to look far into the future in order to make it good and p recious for his country. H e t ook hi s p lace in t h e hearts of his people, just as they knew that they were ahvays in his. He gave them five years of a Republic, as wonderful as i t w a s humanly p ossible to make them.

But they did no t b egin auspiciously. Capital again lied the country. Saboteurs planted bombs. The outside world doubled its threats. Early in x96x Mr . Dag Hammarskjold, SecretaryGeneral of th e U , N . , c ame to see th e " a p artheid country" for h i mself. What he saw, was apparently n ot at all b ad . A f ter a conversation with D r , Y e r -

woerd, he left again for the A&ican areas of unrest.

Beforehe could report on South Africa, he died in an aeroplane crash. His successor, U Thant, preferred not to see South A&ica because he could not bear the country. In the course of the year the U.N. even

did not at all feel like delivering the sixteen Buccaneer

bombers which South Africa had ordered from their predecessors. If this was the case, Dr. Verwoerd said,

South Africa would have to reconsider her agreement with Britain on the Simonstown Naval Base. Mr.

"censured" South Africa, but achieved little thereby, Two more men from the U .N . w ished to pay a visit. Dr. Verwoerd opened the door. They made their d ignified appearance: Mr . V i t torio C arpio of t h e

Wilson, after a troubled week-end, announced that South Africa could gct her aircraft. Dr. Verwoerd had won another round. An admirer presented him with a boat for the Vaal River. It was called: Soekanier

Philippines, chairman of the U.N.'s South West Africa Committee, and Dr. Salvador Martinez de Alva of Mexico, his deputy. They went to have a look

(Buccaneer). The new year tested Dr. Verwoerd as a diplomat. Rhodesia grew tired of England. She demanded independence. Words, words, words filled the air.

a t South West. They listened to evidence. Dr. D e Alva nearly drowned in the Zambesi. Mr. C arpio fished in the O k avango, but the fish were uncooperative. Then, together with Dr . V e r woerd and Mr. Eric Louw, they issued a fair statement: South West A&ica was no threat to world peace, there was

no military occupation, the Slack people lived welL Dr. De Alva left, Mr. Carpio became ill and stayed on. Naturally the Afro-Asians and their friends cauld not swallow the statement. Mr. Carpio and his companion would have to explain it to the U.N. No, they declared solemnly, they had made no statement. And,

Mr. Carpio added courageously, the visit had been extremely dangerous. While he was visiting Dr. Verwoerd, "somebody" had poisoned his coFee. Undisturbed by this little egg-dance, Ethiopia and Liberia insisted that the World Court pass judgment on South Africa about South West A&ica. South A&ica defended herself. Dr. Verwoerd was particularly interested in the case. The strategy was planned in

detail. Everybody expected a long drawn-out battle. It became a four years' war. Slack A&ica went further. T hey r efused South A&ican aircraA the right to over6y; South African Airways chose a new route. South Africa was barred

from the Olympic Games; and more world organisations expelled her. Some countries began boycotting

South Africa;dock-workers refused to handle South African cargo. Many countries instituted an arms embargo. Dr. Verwoerd knew anxiety for his country. But he did not waver. In t96@ there was a quarrel with Great Britain. Mr. Harold Wihon and his new Labour government

Britain wanted a Slack government but R hodesia remained firm. O n i i N o v e mber th e R h odesian Prime Minister, Mr. I a n Smith, made a unilateral declaration of i n dependence. Britain instituted a

boycott. It got world-wide support for sanctions. Wtuit of South A&icaP We shall continue as if nothing has happened, Dr. Verwoerd stated. "South Africa's view an d h e r f r i endly a t titude towards

Rhodesia will remain unchanged." In the end everybody had to agree: he had picked his way through the maze with a sure tread.

The Red Terror is unshakeable, Lenin had said, It put out its feelers into the heart of every country. South Africa did not escape. Saboteurs began toppling power pylons. Sut worse was to come. One night a hundred Bantus raged through the silent streets of PaarL Their goal was the police station, where they wanted to free some prisoners; when they failed,

they attacked a residential quarter, murdering and raising fire. Two young White people died, three old people were maimed. Poqo! was the cry that struck terror throughout the country. It was the work of Poqo. And there was Spear ofthe Nation — another secret oi ganisation. The Government would avert th e d anger, the

Prime Minister said. Mr. Vorster, now Minister of Justice, took action. The police struck. Poqo's back was broken, the Spear of the N a tion blunted. In Rivonia, Johannesburg, Security Police uncovered the Communist headquarters. Seventeen were caught, eight sentenced to life imprisonment. But that was not the end. On F r iday afternoon,

sg July,a young man walked into the mam concourse of the Johannesburg station and placed a brown suitcase next to a family on a bench. He asked them to watch it for him. Shortly afterwards a bomb ex-

ploded. Many people were injured; an elderly woman died of her wounds. Later, a a7-year-old exteacher, Frederic John Harris, was hanged for murder. That was the last major act of sabotage. The police continued their mopping up. Thousands of saboteurs and aspiring saboteurs Hed the country.

The constitutional battle was over. Now the country could start building, the Prime M i nister had promised. The Government took action inunediately. Where foreign capital had been siphoned away, the Government injected new m oney. I scor was expanded to the tune of R56o million — the first instalment of Ra,ooo million over twdve years. Overseas industrialists were encouraged to bring their factories to "the land of the future". The public were asked to save. In i96a the Government announced the Orange River power and water project. This would be a giant among the giants of the world. One of the new dams was named the Hendrik Verwoerd Dam. Indeed, t hi s w o uld b e on l y t h e b e g inning. Graphs rose. In i96g the building curve shot up: plans were valued at Rt7o milhon, of which R6a million was for homes. There were nearly twice as many new blocks of Hats as in the previous year. Factory buildings increased by 7a per cent. Sasol was going to expand with R6a million, South A&ican Airways bought new Boeing 7o7's for its overseas services. On the Johannesburg Stock Exchange shares swung upwards. Th e G overnment announced aid for an extensive oil search. A South African shipping company bought two mail vessels &om an established company; for the first time South A&icans could share in the service between their country and Europe. In i 965 the Nuclear Institute of the Southern Universites was opened near Cape Town. At P e lindaba in the T r ansvaal a town for nuclear research was "stamped out of the earth."

L mnugration increased to m eet t n e a e mana i o r technicians. The country expanded so rapidly that infiation threatened. Brakes had to be applied. The Government answered foreign arms embargoes with increased local arms production. South A&ica manufactured its own automatic riHes and anununition, as well as armoured cars. Although some people said the country was too small for such a project, the first Impala jets were assembled in South A&ica. They would finally be produced locally. The country' s naval po~er was reinforced with new frigates. There was talk of buying submarines. The Opposition sometimes tried to stem the tide, but Dr. Verwoerd would have none of it. Did they want to be branded as being careless about their own country's safety? "The Priine Minister is a destroyer in debate," Schalk Pienaar wrote &om Parliament. "Just look at the debating point he set out with. Did he understand Sir De Villiers correctly as feeling that the government was spending too little on defence? "No, Sir Div. protested — that was not what he had said. "Does the Leader of the Opposition then think that we are overspending on defence? "No, Sir Div. had never said that either. "Dr. Verwoerd; Well, if it is not too much and not too little, then it's just right." No wonder that Schalk Pienaar could remark: "There are easier things to do than replying when Dr. Verwoerd has spoken. One thinks, for instance, of hewing wood and drawing water."

And the people? What about the people of his country who lived here in all their diversity — white and brown and black? Before the Republic became a republic, there was a storm about th e C olour(@Is. Some Nationalists argued that the Bantus were getting their Bantustans. but that there would be no Colouredstmi and that the Coloureds should accordingly elect their own people to the White Parliament. In a p ress interview Dr. Verwoerd rejected this plan. Whites, Coloureds and Indians would have to devdop along paralld lines.

His eyes on the stars

to ensure thehappiness and prosperity of his people

re.The country had to be economically independent. Development of nuclear power was only one of the schemes. Here the Premier stands in front of a ventilation tower

at Pelindaba. t8y. South Africa prepares for her defence. Dr. Verwoerd

t86. The nuclear reactor Safari I is inaugurated.

Dr, A. J, A. Roux (middle) introduces Dr. Verwoerd to Sir William Penny of Britain.

stands on board of one of the Navy's new frittates, the Presiefertt Krlger, during matrix:uv~ in False Bay. With him are

l,he Naval Chief of Staff, Rear-Admiral H. H. Biermann, and the Commandant-Generalof the Defence Force, General P. H. Grobbelaar.

t 88. The Bantus will achieve separate freedoms in their own areas. Dr. Verwoerd and Mr. M. D. C. deWet Nel look at a number ol'presents from Bantu triM.

>89. Afrikaans- and Englishapeaking South Afriaun are hecosning ooe nation with two languages. Dr. Verwoerd attends an >Sso Setders'Truss banquet.

i9o, The Coloureds and Indians are to develop paraibj ro tbe Whites. Mr. Tom Swarts, chairman of the Coloured Advisory Boanl, welcomes the Prime Minister to a session where be a so make an important statement.

Towards the end of i g6 i he spoke before the Coloured Advisory Council, consisting of Coloured leaders from aII over the country. "It m. . . n e cessary to realize," Dr. Verwoerd said, there m a difl'erettce between differentiation and There ~ four ma i n g r o ups: %/hite, Gab~ I I nd i a n assd Bantu. As a point of departure ix «~ n s be accessed that the groups differed from ~t h e r H e n j e n e d the idea of integration. In the iaaf ms~ i t sso t shI mean a Black dictatorship |sr e s~ ro t fv. i a chsdmg the ordinary Bantu. A cent~ ~ raI srith th e X A6tes did not profit the CtdanreeIs sasadt either: then they would simply becca' ~

ng ca t d e . so be rounded up once every

aasd insmediately forgot ten. ' Xiy standpaisst is thers~ tha t i n c smtrast with this path of

as~ ta a L . S outh A f rica m ust choose the other direcxxm of pohcy L e t u s call i t t h e f our-stream po6cv. It is the oalv ~ th a t r etnains. According to

it, one accepts that there are four community groups which difFer from one another, and one must also accept that each group must have its independence, its opportuiuties and its right of government wi th in its own community." It was easier with th e Bantus, as they had t h eir homelands. A large number of Coloureds, however, worked on White farms, and an ever larger number in the cities. A way out had to be sought to give the

Coloureds the right to govern their own people, even i f they l i ved i n t h e s ame t errituries as thc W h i t e people. The f irst pr erequisite was that th e v arious races should be brought together in group areas. In such group areas the Coloureds would have their own opportunii.ies of employment, their c h u rches, their

schools, their own local government. Coloureds would

and health services. Within 6ve years the framewor k ought to be finished, within ten years all powers transferred to the Coloureds."

The Black stream could be diverted "fairly easily" into the proper channels, the Prime Minister had said. Not everybody agreed with him, Gen. Hertzog already had wished to expand the reserves, but the sluice gates were still closed. On a s January, i96a Ar. Verwocrd spoke in the House of Assembly. "In the case of the Transkeian authority the stage was reached where the body which speaks on behalf

of their national group specifically asked to be given a form of self-government. Thc Government then

arise who wanted to establish their own undertakings and industries. "They must be helped, and therefore a scheme is coming into operation to give the knowledge which perhaps the Coloureds do not yet have; i t will also supply the neccessary capital. I t i s a n Investment and Finance Corporation for Coloureds

declared its willingness tn grant self-goverrunent to the Transkei.. . I w a n t t o add that' this announcement will prove that thc policy of separate development is not just theory but practical politics. In fact its character is that of day-to-day practical politics.

.. .

plans from stage to stage as the Bantu progress. The granting of responsibilities will not be separate, unrelated steps, but f or m p a r t o f a pr o gressive d evelopment. . . " The T r anskei o n t h e r o a d t o i n d ependence i "Bantustans" had been a famihar idea for some time,

Service trades like bakeries, laundries, garages,

etc., can be established in residential areas... Certain industries cannot, however, be allowed in the residential areas and the Coloureds also have the right of a share in them. This does not create a problem, because in the defined industrial territories the Coloureds may also obtain stands." In order to solve the problems of the four-stream

policy, consultation would be neccessary. The required contacts would be created. In the first place the Coloureds needed local governments for their own townships. Then they should obtain control over services to their people throughout the country. For this a U n i o n C o ntrol Board fo r C o loureds was

required, "with actual, even legislative powers, and its own oScials (caO it a civil service) so that it can a ttend to th e a d ministration of i t s resolutions in different spheres. This Union Control Board can be regarded as a C o loured Parliament." For such a board an executive council would have to be created. This would be the Coloured Cabinet, in control of

rural settlements and vocational activities, of local governments, ofColoured education, and of welfare

That is to say, the Government implements its

but the Whites accepted them as something that would come "one day" — and then forgot about them again. Now they had arrived. Calmly the Prime Minister analysed the plan with all its implications. It was one of his great speeches. Although he consistently followed the way his predecessors had pointed out, it was said from now onwards

that he gave apartheid a "new look". Gradually Opposition criticism swung to the other extreme: Vcrwoerd wanted to give the land to th e Blacks, Verwoerd wanted tn break up thc country, Verwoerd was doing too much foi the Bantu. A radical rightwing Afrikaner group broke away to found a splinter party. They did not get much support.

Dr. Verwoerd's people believed in the voice of their leader. Together they faced the "new South Africa".

But what about his people? What of the Whites of the country? N ' hat o f t h ose for w hom h e f o ught, demanding justice in Africa for them too; for whom he created a booming econoxny; for whom he strengthened the country against attack from outside and inside? When would t he y b ecome one nation with its two languages, as he had foreseen? A s an A f r ikaans-speaking South A f r ican he h a d always offered the hand of friendstup to the Englishs peakers. But he did not l eave it at t h at. After t h e huge election victory in xg6x he included two Englishs peakers from outside Parliament in his Cabinet: M r . A. E. Trollip and Mr. Frank W aring. His opponents jeered, but the gesture clearly made an impression. In A p r i l , x 96a h e a d d ressed the Johannesburg b ranch o f t h e x 8ao Settlers T r u st, o p ening t h e c ampaign fo r a w o r t h y S e t t lers M o nument. T h e Government made the first contribution: Rxoo,ooo. I n h i s s p eech Dr . V e r w o erd r e called th e c o operation there had been between the two language g roups in South A f rican tustory; yet, he said, d i f ferences persisted. "In the past, the two sections of our population did not only part physically but spiritually. Much has passed during all these decades, even strife and hate. But as time passes it cannot last. Love and friendship, ever greater than hate, ever more binding

and ever more lasting, cannot do otherwise than take its place with us in the future." He lauded the Settler pioneers. He accepted their heritage with gratitude. "The English language is part of it. We regard the xauo Settlers as a symbol of all those, many of whom came later and some who came sooner, who left us this as one of the languages of South Africa; for let i t b e s aid once again, South Africans do not have one language for each section, they aU have two languages." There was a second heritage: the pioneer spirit. Even today it was still an inspiration. There was no longer a new country to tame, "but we have other visions. We seek to tame the atoxn and the universe. We think deeper and deeper into what is smail and further and further into what is huge and endless, but the strain of adventure is the same." No man, woxnan or child, however, could alone fathom the secrets or undertake tasks such as building

up industries. "It is always the task of the group or of the nation. Some leaders may be known to history, but the makers of history are the nations of the tixne." Nor was this all. The Settlers' heritage was clear w itness of t h e i r sense of self-preservation. "Self'preservation, such a grand and great factor in life, so often unjustly derided by those who feel safe under

more comfortablecircumstances, was a driving force in their lives. Sometimes they had to ride the wave of possible Black dominance with th e strength of their arms and the courage of their hearts — not because they did not desire peace, but because on the contrary, they did." Afrikaners and English-speakers together, heirs of V oortrekker and Settler. But w h a t o f N a t al ? T h e eyes of Afrikaans-speaking South Africa remained on this "English" province. Some sign had to come from Natal. In the year of hi s Settler speech, Dr. V e rwoerd went to Natal. He spoke in Pietermaritzburg. There was unpleasantness. Tear gas w as thrown i n t h e hall..'Vo, the sign had not yet come. But he did not give up. The following year he went again. "At the big meeting he held at D u rban in x96g," Mrs, Verwoerd said, "it was clearly proved that the

langua ge

process (of growing unity between the two groups) was taking place even quicker than expected. When we went to D u r ban, the tear gas episode of Pietermaritzburg the previous year was still fresh in our mexnories. We were therefore most surprised to xneet such an enthusiastic audience, a large part of it English, in Durban. "The party o r ganisers told u s a t t h e h otel t h at

people had been sitting in the hall since early afternoon. Some had been standing or sitting for hours before the two-hour speech. They stayed on, laughing and cheering at the right moments. It was a wonderful audience and an unheard-of experience." It was coming. Slowly, but th e signs were there. Events in the world and in A f r ica — where equality did not bring equalness — increased the pace. Rhodesia opened many eyes. It was clear that the people of the Republic were following th e wa y t o wards the d estination he ha d f o reseen: one nation w it h t w o languages. xgx

t 9 t. Waving goodbye to Iiaidclberg, 1'ransvaal, during the last election campaign.

7 t966

January. The Parliamentary session opened. Everybody was surprised when the Prime Minister did not take part in t he no -confidencedebate. He w o uld probably speak at a

l a t e r occasion. Rut h e said

nothing. go ' .hIarch E l ection. T h e n ation had t o p a ss judgment on the first five years of the Republic. The main result was a foregone conclusion, but what about

speak ers'

the English-

For the first time Natal showed a break-through, but not as large a~ expected. The Rational Party increased its seats to the new record of t 2fi. In a radio talk the Prime Minister looked into the future.

The Il ute people had only one loyalty. "It must be realized beyond all doubt that English- and Afrikaa~ p e a k ing citizens are united iri their support of the Government for the protection of then' Republic. It has been proved unequivocally throughout the c ountry that, n o rnatter what w en t b efore, the an«mpts to get together now, i n t h e i n terests of

prosperity, &miom and Il ute survival, have been crowned with success." Economically the Government was planning for stable prosperity. "This is why the Government has not aaly participated to such a large extent in the existing dev«iopment and is not only proceeding with

major projects, such as the Orange River water and p ower scheme, the search for natural oil and t h e

1,

t9a. On the way to his greatest pobtical triumph. ln the election of March t966 Dr. Verwoerd led the National Party to ovcrwhehrung victory. Bere Dr. and Mrs. Verwoerd walk to the platform at a mass meeting in Springs which concludes the campaign. In Dr. Verwoerd's footsteps are Mr. John Vorster, then Cob Ben Suitendag, his personal bodyguard, and Mr. Jack Steyl, secretary of the National Party in the Transvaak

Ilis Last Cabinet. Front: ~lr. D. C. II. I is. Dr. i. D ietferirhs. Ifr. P. Xf. k. Ic koux. %fr. 8. J, Schoetnan. Bv. Verwnerrl, State President Swart. Dr. T. F D n n lfes. Hen. )an de Klerft. 3fr. lt . .4 . %farce. Ar..tlhrrt Hertgog. Hack: Mr. Xlaraii X'iljocn. Dr. Hilemd %fuller. %fr. B. J. 'Votster. Sen. X. F.. Trullip. %fr. J. J, hest tit', Mr. P. W. Hutha. ~fr. Franft 'l'tarintt. %fr. Jan llaaft. '%fr. Xl. C. Botha.

st. N tm ministers and deputy tninisters are sworn in. Ftotn left to right: Mr. Blaar Coetzee, Mr. Marais Viljoen, Dr. Verwoerd, State President Svart, Mr. M. C. Botha, Mr. A. H. Vosloo, Mr. M. C. G. J. van Rensburg.

exploitation ol'copper and phosphates at Phalaborwa, but is also setting itself new targets." There would be

great nations of today, particularly the United States

a second Sasol, a third Iscor. "Plans to expand the Chemical Industry, to manufacture rubber and even to prepare forthe erection of nuclear power stations in the somewhat more distant future, are already being considered sensible aims, Although, until recently aircraft construction

ment and danger allow themselves to bc drawn into i mprudent action against the R e public, e.g. o n account of South West Africa or Rhodesia.. . T h e re is in fact no real reason why South Africa should bc put to the test internationally as ta her undoubted readiness to be put to fight for her survival. She does not want to interfere in anybody's affairs — either

was looked upon as too ambitious for a small countrys great progress has been made with the first industrial set-up for this purpose." In the international situation there was hope. "In spite of threats by mostly new, inexperienced and now partly disorganised states, one dares hope that the

and the United Kingdom wiH not to their own detri-

directly or on international platforms, such as at U,N. Iler policy is one of peace and friendship with a l l countries, including those in Africa and Asia, and she ofFers such aid as is within hcr power to all w ho desire it. Not even former hostility displayed towards

hcr will prevent her from oHering goodwill and cooperation." The course for White and non-White had been sct. "The negative approaches ofWhite rule forever over territories belonging to the Black man, or of ultimate black supermacy over the country of the White have been clearly rejected. A mandate has been given for the positive approach o f d e veloping t h e d i f f erent national groups of South Africa separately. In its own territory each nation will i n creasingly determine its o wn future as i t b e comes more capable of r u l i n g itscK The Government, acting as guardian, will not allow itself to be driven to such undue haste as has led t o disastrous results elsewhere in A f r i c a a n d h a s deprived the masses there of their democratic rights and freedom b y p l a cing t hem u n der t h e h eels of dictators and l anding t hem i n u n e m ployment and chaos. The development of the Bantu homelands must be such that it will promote the real well-being of all the r iembers of each national entity."

Hi concluded, "Five years of hard work lie ahead. The ii tizens of the Republic must work together in every sphere to build their country. They may have o nly one loyalty and one ai m . . . O u r s t ate will b e five years old soon. Let u s b ur y t h e h a tchet for a while and celebrate together. After that th e second five years of building of our nation and its assets must

follow."

name. It was, ho~ever, made easier by thc lact that the award symboliscd all who had preceded him and co-operated with him to realise the ideal of a republic. He proposed to hand the award of Rio,ooo back to the Trust with the request that the interest be used

for a post-graduate bursary in Medicine, in recognition of what thc medical profession had done for him after thc attempt on his life. pi May i9 66. The Republic was five years old. The c ountry-wide c elebration c u l m i n ated i n a gr e a t

gathering at Monumentkoppie. The multitude gave the Prime Minister a standing ovation.

For the past five years, Dr. Verwoerd said, wc had basked in the warmth of the Republic; we had been liappy and prosperous. If one looked at the past six~ years, the question arose: what di d on e see thereP He saw a h eroic nation w h ich had struggled from defeat to victory. He saw how, out of the apparent tangle of events, a clear luture had arisen.

He hoped that there would arise the writers and poets who would sing jubilantly of thc heroic deeds of their generation. This shnuld not be done according to th e fashion elsewhere in n a tions which had g rown old. W h a t w a s u gl y an d c a r nal should b e pushed aside, and that which was great and beautiful in modern history, should bc p r aised. "If only we could find such writers and poets of our t i me, how

So May. At a banquet the Hendrik Verwoerd Award was presenled to the Prime Minister for the great role

rich would we not feel? How rich would our people of the future bc, if they were told by such interpreters how the heart ol' the nation feels today — five years after this miraculous event, this great milestone in the history of our people." There was possibly still a s m all g r oup i n S o u th

he had played in South Africa's becoming a repubhc. Prof. H. B. Thorn, acting chairman of the trust, said

Africafor whom he could hold out no hope or comfort. This was the group who desired a multi-racial

that by holding a referendum, Dr. V erwoerd had in f act staked his entire political r eputation. H e w a s prepared to sacrifice his whole political future for the republican ideal. His judgment, however, was sound. "Future generations will be better able than we are

state or government by a Black majority. "To those few who seek to change all this into something wholly new which would br ing us io disaster and chaos as e lsewhere in A f r ica — for them I h a v e n o w or d t o say, and with them I h ave no patience."

today to gauge and judge Dr. V erwoerd's work. Let us therefore pay tribute to him as the most important builder of our R epublic." Dr. Verwoerd, in r eply, said that i t w a s di%cult for him to accept a mark of honour which bore his

peace, Its nearest neighbours need not bc envious, or anxious that South Af rica w o uld a t tack or e x ploit them. South Al'rica allowed nobody to i n t erfere in her own a8airs and would not in the afFairs of others.

rg6

The Repubhc of South Africawas a republic of

t94. The Republic of South Africa is ftve years old.

I47

t95. Happiness at the RepubHc's birthday celebrations.

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t99. — oor. The wedding of H. F. Verwoerd, junior. 'Hm minister is Ds.J. S. Geriche, the bride h6ss AhdaMarais.

aoa. Arrival on the l'arm Karreebosch, Beaufort West district, where the erst giant oil rig was erected in the endeavour to make South Africa independent in yet another iield.

sod. The lever is pressed to start drilling operations.

204. A toast to success.

so5. Guest of honour at a dinner given by theJohannesburg Stodr, Exchange. Dr. Verwoerd wws the Hrst South Alrican Premier on the Hoor of the Exchange. Walking ~vith him are Mr, Adam Line, generalmanager of the Exchange, hh. Eoyce Egar, mayor of Johannesburg, and Mr, V. H. Simmons.

so6. Dr. and ~%ks. Vertvoerd at the entrance to Parliament grounds at the start of the second session of the year in August.

j

ao7. Pacingthe microphone in the Cape Town studios of the South Alrican Broadcasting Corporation to speak to the nation after the World Court's favourable judgment in the South West Africa case.

208. Dr. Verwoefd leavillg after the broadcast,

• • I h ope that our voices, wherein we bear witness to our good intentions towards ail states and people, will extend to all the world so that it will come to its senses and protect us from international pressure and attack." June. The Prime Minister himself started the giant oil rig on the farm Karreebosch near Beaufort %Vest. The search for oil had begun in earnest. » July. Th e W orld Court delivered judgment on S«th 4'Vest. By the casting vote of the presiding judge~ Kthiopia and L i beria's applications were rejected. It was ruled that they had no standing to bring the case to court, In a radio talk, Dr. Verwoerd said, "The most important implications of the court's judgment is that attempts to use the Court's machinery as a basis for a drastic attack against South Africa in the Security Council has failed. "The Government presumes that the international campaign by those prosecuting the vendetta against S«th Africa wiU nevertheless continue. There are, however, indications that during and by means of the court proceedings, greater understanding and appreciation of South Africa's point of view has been achieved . . . I n c o n clusion I w ish to state that, though the judgment clearly gives us as a nation cause for gratitude, and while it will be accepted by many as an answer to their prayers, South Africans will not regard it as an opportunity to crow over opponents. We would rather see in it an inducement to devote ourselves anew to the guardianship which we accepted in respect of the lesser developed peoples of South and South Vilest AIrica." August. The second Parliamentary session of the year took its course. Dr. Verwoerd was still silent. There were important matters: South West Alricawhat next' T h e R hodesian question. The intended visit of Basutoland's prime minister. "Never fear," the people said, "Dr, Verwoerd knows what he's doing. He will speak when the time is ripe. His budget vote hasn't come yet." The people waited. Friday, ~ S e p tember. U nion B u ildings, Pretoria. Photographers and journalists had been arriving since eight o' clock. Eventually there were almost fifty.

Dr. Verwoerd arrived at g.4o. H e stood for a inoment to give the photographers their opportunity. Then he said smiling, "You' ll have a long wait!" and

chalked to his ofBce. A few minutes before r o.3o five o%cial cars stopped in &ont o f t h e U n i o n B uildings. Chief L eabua Jonathan, first Prime Minister of the nearly independent state of Lesotho, stepped out with his entourage. Chief Jonathan posed for the photographers with a smile. Then he was led to Dr. Verwoerd's ofIice, His

entourage made themselves comfortable in the waiting room of the Department of Foreign AfFairs.

The pressmen and photographers waited patiently. History was being made here. It was the first time that a South African premier and the premier of an AErican nation ha d c onsulted on S o uth A f rican territory. I nside, the m eeting between the f a therly D r . Verwoerd and the short, hefty chief with the broad smile was going well. Dr . V e r woerd showed his guest the historic Prime M inister's o%ce with its large Cabinet table where so many decisions concerning South Africa had been taken, Then they walked out on to the balcony. Dr. Verwoerd gestured towards the city where a rainless spring had failed to bring the jacarandas to life. Then they settled down to serious talks. Three hours passed before two of&hief Jonathan's advisers were called in. Probably their opinion was sought on the joint communique the two Prime Ministers were to issue. B y two o' clock the m eeting wa s o ver. M o r e pictures were taken. The Prime Ministers said goodbye, Chief Johathan had a broad smile. "The object of our meeting," the communique read, "was to get acquainted and to establish how. the good neighbourly relations and c o-operation could be arranged on which both had already made favourable public statements. XVe are pleased to be able to say that our meeting took place in a spirit of' goodwill and that it is quite clear that there is nm desire between our states to interfere in one another's domestic affairs but that the friendly relations between. these two independent neighbouring states will be: preserved.

aors. Dr. Vrrwocrd's last historic action was the first Pritne Mituster's coni'crence with a leader of a Shrk Alrican state in South Africa — with Chief Leahua Jonathan of Lesotho.

"As had been announced beforehand there was no attempt to open ncgotiatinns on any issue. That must await the full independence of Lesotho and will need careful preliminary investigations and proper consultation between expert oIIicials and possibly Ministers concerned. "Naturally, however, our discussions ranged over a wide selection of matters of mutual interest.. "It has been agreed that thc Republic of South Africa would do its best to aid Lesotho's Independence Celebration by assisting visitors and guests in transit in whatever way possible, and by providing transport

facilities for Basuto workers in the Republic within

existence and co-operation which should inspire all states, no matter what differertces ol' size, race or natural policies there may be." Saturday, 3 September. Dr. and M rs. V erwocrd spent the week-end at "Stokkiesdraai". He took his

new boat on thc Vaal River. He had a lengthy discussion with his youngest son Wynand about his future plans. That evening the Prime Minister, his son Krisjan, his larm manager, Mr. Wolfaar«lt, and his personal bodyguard, Colonel B. M . G . B u itcndag, played a

few games of snooker in tlie recreation-room. Thanks to a good shot by Dr. Verwoerd, he and the colonel

the limits sct by practical considerations providing they give early i ndications of their i ntentions to proceed ui I.esotho for the celebrations. Employers in South Africa are encouraged to give the necessary leave. "We t rust that t h e p eoples of our a n d o t her

won the last game. Sunday, g September. Restful hours of peace and q uiet. A c h urch service over the r adio, A w a l k . On Sundays, no work was done in Dr. V e rwoerd's home.

countries will support us in our cndeavours to further

his bodyguards wondered. It was a pu blic holiday,

that spirit of goodwill and approach to peaceful co-

yet he was going back to Pretoria. Usually hc stayed

t56

Monday, 5 September. Why was Doctor doing this P

a t "Stokkiesdraai" as long as he could. T hi s

time

he seemed, in a hurry to get away. That afternoon parents and children had dinner at Libertas. Dr. Verwoerd had insisted on it, arranged it himself. Later he drove to the homes of his married

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sons, Doctors wilhelm and Daan. He stayed half an hour with each. Tuesday, 6 September x966. Dr. and It:Irs. Verwoerd returned to C ape Town. L a ter i n t h e i n orning he attended a routine caucus meeting of his party. It was his budget vote that day. H e gave no itxdication of what he was going to say. That afternoon two of his bodyguards accompanied

him to Parliaxnent. At the entrance, warrant-of

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Pelser wished him luck, Dr. Verwoerd sxniled. He was quite prepared, whatever the Opposition was planning. Col. Buitendag entered with him . In front of his oflice a visitor was waiting: Mr.g. E. Potgieter, Chief Party W'hip, a f o r mer student of Stellenbosch days. Within three or four minutes the bells would start ringing for the session to start, The Opposition, the % i hip asked, would l ik e t o know whether the Prixne Minister intended taking the Hoor immediately? Ao, he would give Sir de Villiers Graaff the fxrst opportunity, and some more members froxn both sides of the House. A t the office door the W h i p s hook his hand i n congratulation — Dr. Verwoerd would celebrate his birthday in two days time. and the M'hip had to go up-country. Dr. Verwoerd thanked him with a smile, took his Iriend's hand in b ot h hi s ovw. T hen t h ey continued talking about the afternoon's debate, Suddenly the bells began to ring. Dr. Verwoerd sxniled as he walked into the House of Assembly. His snowy white hair was particularly neat, his carriage erect as always, Eyes everywhere followed him to his bench: from the packed public galleries, from the House itself, which was rapidly fxllixtg. At the entrance a messenger pressed into the House. "Impertinence>" thought a m ember who had been shouldered aside. The xnessenger had no business being downstairs. His name was Demitrio Tsafendas. He was a temporary messenger in the press gallery.

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a to. A last photograph. Dr. Verwoerd on the way from his oSce in Union Buildings after his conference ~ith Chief Jonathan.

'%Veil, tell the U.P.'s, will you, Pottie-" The ~ YVhip nodded and excused tumseif. Dr. Verwoerd took his lone place in his bench The bells were ringing. >Yhat Dr. Donges walked in behind the messenger. " on earth is the feUow adjusting his clothes for~" he thought, about to reprimand him. Then the man swung into the side alley and threw himself access Dr. Verwoerd's bench. Dr. Verwoerd looked up and smiled. He probably thought the man had stumbled. He raised his arm as if to help. The dagger found its mark four tunes. It was 2. Ef p.m. The bells were still ringing.

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there are seasons in tne me ol a nations ot prosperity or disaster,joy or heartache, love or hate. There are times when there can be silence only. Around the Parliamentary Buildings people iniUed, dumbfounded. The streets grew quiet as the news spread. In the cities, in towns and villages, on farSung farms people were aghast. Wmt remained 7 Tributes, sympathy, the final homage. "Madam, "Accept our tribute, for in him we achieved greatness i "Accept our love, for we loved him also; "Accept our heartache: you have lost more than we. His own Parliament paid him tribute. "Seldom has it been accorded to a leader to see in his lifetime so many of his and our dreams fulliiled. His eight years as Prime ll%nister, were eight years of phenomenal. growth, of sparkling life which, under the guidance of the ~ ig h t y, could be traced back to the amazing capacity for work, the clarity of mind and the indomitable will-power of Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd. He lived and worked in South Africa's service and he died in harness on the very scene of his greatest acliievements. His exceptional gifts of body, soul and inind he made available in full measure and with devotion to his country." — Dr. T. E. Donges, acting Prime >%6nister, "K%'hatever our differences may have been, his memory will live in South Africa. His integrity and sincerity will be respected and the manner of his going will b e d e plored as long as decent South Africans dwell in this land." — Sir de Villiers Graaff, Leader of the Opposition.

s i 5. Mourning women in front of Per)iumeni.

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H ENDRI K F R E N S C H VERWOERD B ORN: 2

S E P T E M B E R I 9OI

D IED" . 6

S E P T E MBER I 9

66

In time to come, much will b e spoken and written

about him. There will be viciousness and bitterness. But there are lasting things. There is thc vision of the future which somebody

once had. In thc T r anskci two black sculptors are at work. They regard the hills of their country; they think of the ruins of another Africa. Then they have Rnished.

Only the inscription remains. One of the sculptors turns to his fellow. "Tell me," h e asks. "Tell me, how do you write this name. Verwoerd?" On the day of his funeral there is the tribute of an unknown correspondent in an English-language news-

paper: "For Henk Verwoerd no ordinary statue of bronze

in public square or park. "High on a krans of the Drakensberg chisel his likeness, large and bold, where it will be seen for miles and miles. "His like will pass this way no more."

R EFE R E N C E S Alhgban, Garry, Venoocrd- thc cud. A kokback Jrom the future. Cape Town, Johannesburg,

(compilers), President Slcyn aan die record. OPcnbarc geskrifte en locsPrake van Marthinus 1961. 77reunis Slcyn.Bloemfontein, I 955. Bouman, P. J., tteootusie van dic consumes. Pelzer. A.N. (ediror), Verrcverdspeaks.Speeches Spicstbcctdvan 'n pdpcrk. (Translation.) Cape Cga — 1866. Johannesburg,I g66. To»n, Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, rg58. Roberts, Michael, and Tr o lhp, A,E.G., Coetsee, Gert, Hans Slrijdom. Icrurnsloop en The South Afncan Opporrtron I839 — sgdS. beteid vun Said-Afrika se vyfdc premier,Cape An essay in contemporary history. London, Cape Town, New York, 194y. Town, rg58. Dekker, G., Afn'kaansc Literatrurgcskicdenis. Rosenthal, Eric,South African surnames.Cape Towrl, 1965. Cape To»zr, Bloemfontein,Johannesburg, I g60,

De Wer, C. R., Th ree years u;ar.(Transla-

Thorn, H. B., and others (editors), Stctlcnbosch s866 — I966. Honderd j aur hoer onder-

wys. Cape Town, Ig66. Du Plessis, E. P., 'n Volk stacn op. Dic Van den Heever, C. M., GeneralJr. B. M Zkonomiesc Volkskongres cn daarna. Cape Herr Cog. (Translation,) Johannesburg, To»m, Pretoria, I g64, I 944. Hazan, Charles Downer, Afodem European Van der Walt, A, J. H., Wiid, J. A., GeyI2; Hislorr, New York, I958. A. L„and Kriiger, D. W., Gcskinknisvan Human, J.J., South Afiica I96o,Cape Town, Said-Afrika {second edition), Cape Town 1961. etc., s.a. Jacobs,J. F., Orunj c, blanje, blou. Die romanlick Van Jaarsveld, F. A., and Scbolrz, G. D. vun dic Vryslaalse dorPC. Johannesburg. (editors), Drc Bcpubtick van Said-A frika. Aglergrond, ontstaan cn toekoms. Johannes1952. Joubert Verwoerd, Mrs. S. A., N' ithctm burg, 1966, johannes Vcnvoerd,Johannesburg, rg65. Van Schoor, lvL C. E., Malan, S, I,, and Kamfer, Dirk, Dic etfdc uur,Cape Town, Oberhohrer, J. J. ( comp ilers), Christiaun I 962. ttudotph dc 8'ct I85d — sgemBloemfontein, 1954. Kruger,D. W., Pm d E rugcr(2 Vols.), Van Schoor, M. C. E., and Van Rooyen, Johannesburg, rg61 and 1965. Louw, Louis (compiler), Dmoic rg46 Jan J., ttcpubticke cnrepubtiker'ne.Cape Town Bloemfon tern,Johallnesburg I 960. rg64. 'n Blocmksing uit dic gcsknflc van "Dic Burger" sc polilickc kommcnlalor.Cape trofl.) Westminster~ 1902.

Town, 1965. Malan., D. F.~ AJrlkancr-Mlksccnllcut cn my

ervarings op die pad daarhcen,Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, r g5g. Malan, M. P. A., Dic .Vasionak Party vun Srmt-Afriku Igsd — sg64. Sy slryd cn sy prcstusies. Ig64. Malherbe,Mrs. K. ( comp iler), Die Bocrvroubock. Saamgcstet uit dic cerstc Afrikaunse

vroucblod "Die Boervrou".Pretoria, tg5o. Mostert, Dirk (compiler), Gedcnkbock van dic osscwaens op dic Pad vun Suut-Afnta. Beufeesc 1838 —1939. Cape Towrrr 1940.

Oherholster, J. J., and Van Schoor, M.C.E.

PcwsPaPcrs, lfdaguzines and other Publications

Dagbreek en Sondagnuus Die Burger Die Huisgenoot Die Landsrem Die S.A. Beeid Die Transvaler Die Vaderland Eikestadnuus Hansard

Yearbooks of the Union and of the Republic of South Africa The Cape Argus The Cape Times The Rand Daily Mail The Star The Sunday Express The Sunday Times

'75

P HO T O G R A P H S: A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S The author 2nd publishers wish to express their particular gratitude to Mrs. Lucis Cluete of Bloemfontein, sister oi' Dr. Verwoerd, and tn

Central Prcac photos Ltd,, London, 72,

Mr. H. F. Verwoerd of Stclicrlbosch, his son, fnr their cu-operation in providing photographs for this book.

Andries Cornclius, Johannesburg. t, 2, 4.

75, Oo.

Mcs. Lucie Cloete, Bln« 36> 63) 64) 67) 73> 84,

85, 89, g4, g5, g6, g8, lnA, Iog, »0, Coloar Pfarosc D r. an d M r s . V e r woerd: M a t ter a n d Weich, Cape 'I'vwn.

A visit to his fnrmer leader: Len Koppier,

Caledon. An orator who captivated his audience: Lcn Koppier, Caledon, Time to relax at Stokkiesdraai: Pieter Smit, Pretoria. His last cabinet: Department of Information, Pretoria. 'I'he Anal tribute to a g rani hfonoehromepie r (:«pc Town. 37, 30, 40, 44 45 5 1 > 52) 53> 55) 70) 90 92> 112> 1 13, 120, t62, 187, I go, 202 2 0 3 Q04> 208, 221, 222, 223, 224> 225, 228.

176

115, 125, tQg, 137, 155, 156, 16g, 182> IA3 ) 188> 193, Qog, 216» QI7> Q i 226> 232.

James de Villi 13G> 168>

184) 205, Qau.

Lew Stryclnm, Worcester, 140.

The South African Broadcasting Corporation, Johannesburg, 57, 58, 5g, Go, 126. The Sunday Express, Joh«nncsburg, 15t. The Sunday Times,Juhannesburg. I 24, 15o, r52, 166, r70, 172, rgt, Ig6, 227) 233» 234

H. v«n der Eecken, Pretoria. 144, 145, 146, 147, 140, 149.

The publishers wish tn apvlugise for omiss