Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd

Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd (8 September 1901 – 6 September 1966) was Prime Minister of South Africa from 1958 until his assassination in 1966. Unlike his predecessors, Verwoerd was not born in South Africa, but immigrated at age two with his parents from the Netherlands. A polarizing figure, he is widely considered the architect of apartheid, and was prime minister during the Sharpeville Massacre, the banning of the African National Congress and Pan Africanist Congress, and the treason trial of Nelson Mandela and others. He also presided over the establishment of a republic through the use of questionable electoral practises in a whites-only referendum. However, in a controversial 2004 poll by the South African Broadcasting Corporation, asking South Africans to name the top 100 South Africans of all time, he was voted 19th.

A republic

During Verwoerd's term in office, South Africa ceased to be a Commonwealth realm under Queen Elizabeth II known as the Union of South Africa, instead becoming a republic in 1961, known as the Republic of South Africa. The creation of a republic was one of the National Party's long-term goals since originally coming to power in 1948; and Verwoerd's antipathy towards the British Crown was long standing; as editor of the newspaper Die Transvaler, he ignored the British Royal Family's tour of South Africa in 1947, with one news item only referring in passing to 'some visitors from overseas'.

Related Topics:
Commonwealth realm - Queen Elizabeth II - Union of South Africa - Republic - 1961 - Republic of South Africa - National Party - 1948 - British Royal Family - 1947

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The opposition United Party and many English-speaking whites of British descent were opposed to a republic, but once again, Verwoerd changed the law to his advantage: He lowered the voting age for whites to 18, and allowed whites in South West Africa to vote. On 5 October 1960 a referendum was held in which white voters were asked "Do you support a republic for the Union?" — 52 percent voted 'Yes'.

Related Topics:
United Party - British - South West Africa - 5 October - 1960 - Referendum

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However, this brought into question South Africa's status within the Commmonwealth, which included many of South Africa's main trading partners, such as the United Kingdom. Since India had become a republic in 1950, republic status was no longer incompatible with membership, but the Commonwealth now had new Asian and African members who saw the apartheid regime's membership as an affront to the organization's democratic principles. Consequently, South Africa left the Commonwealth on becoming a republic, although many in the National Party welcomed this as a clean break with the colonial past.

Related Topics:
Commmonwealth - United Kingdom - India - 1950 - Asia - Africa - Democratic - South Africa - Colonial

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