President Charles Swart Preceded by Jozua François Naudé Succeeded by B. J. Vorster | Nationality South African | |
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President Charles Swart (1961–1967) Prime Minister Hendrik VerwoerdBalthazar Johannes Vorster Died 10 January 1968, Cape Town, South Africa | ||
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Theophilus Ebenhaezer ('Eben') Dönges (8 March 1898 – 10 January 1968) was a South African politician who was elected State President of South Africa, but died before he could take office, aged 69.
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Early life
Eben Donges was born on 8 March 1898 in the town of Klerksdorp. He attended Stellenbosch University and received a law degree from University of London. When he returned from London, he became active in the National Party and joined its mouthpiece Die Burger as a journalist. He left journalism in 1927 and practiced law.
Career
Running for parliament, he was unsuccessful in his first attempt in 1938 before obtaining a seat in 1941. He became a National Party cabinet member in 1948 serving as Minister of Post and Telegraphs. Dr Dönges was a senior member of the National Party which ruled South Africa from 1948 to 1994. As Minister of the Interior, from 1948 to 1961, he was one of the so-called "architects" of apartheid, introducing race-based population registration, and removing Coloured voters from the common voters' roll as a prelude to disenfranchising them altogether. During his tenure as Minister of the Interior, Dönges believed that apartheid would continue only for the next two generations. In November 1953, after DF Malan resigned as Cape Provincial leader, Dönges defeated Eric Louw to become the new provincial leader. He was Minister of Finance from 1958 to 1966. After the assassination of Prime Minister Verwoerd, Dönges became acting Prime Minister on 6 September 1966 until a National Party congress named B. J. Vorster to succeed to the Premiership.
Dönges was elected State President to succeed C.R. Swart on his retirement on 1 June 1967, but suffered a stroke and fell into a coma before he could take office. He died on10 January 1968 without regaining consciousness. His deputy Jozua Naudé acted for him until 6 December 1967 when he officially replaced Dönges.
Legacy
He received the posthumous honours granted to a former state president: a state funeral and his effigy on the following year's coins. There is a school in Cape Town named after him, Eben Dönges High School.