Eben Dönges

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Theophilus Ebenhaezer Dönges
Worcester
In office
1941 – 28 February 1967
Personal details
Born8 March 1898
University of Stellenbosch
OccupationPolitician
Cabinet1948–1967

Theophilus Ebenhaezer Dönges (8 March 1898 – 10 January 1968) was a South African politician who was elected the

state president of South Africa
, but died before he could take office, aged 69.

Early life

Eben Donges was born on 8 March 1898 in the town of

called to the bar on 8 November 1928. When he returned from London, he became active in the National Party and joined its mouthpiece, Die Burger, as a journalist.[2]: 698  He left journalism in 1927 and practised law.[2]
: 698 

Career

Running for parliament, he was unsuccessful in his first attempt in 1938 before obtaining a seat in 1941.

Coloured voters from the common voters' roll as a prelude to disenfranchising them altogether.[2]: 698  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.[4]

In the 1958 National Party leadership election following the death of Prime Minister

B. J. Vorster to succeed to the premiership.[2]
: 698 

The state funeral of Dr. T. E. Dönges. Cape Town, January 1968

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.[2]: 698  He died on 10 January 1968 without regaining consciousness.[2]: 698  His deputy Tom 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 obverses of the 1969 silver 1 Rand coins. There is a school in Cape Town named after him,

References

  1. ^ "Keesing's World News Archive". www.keesings.com. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  2. ^ .
  3. ^ Sturgess, H.A.C. (1949). Register of Admissions to the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. Butterworth & Co. (Publishers) Ltd.: Temple Bar. Vol. 3, p.864.
  4. .
  5. .
  6. ^ Eben Dönges HS Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, home, retrieved August 2014

External links

Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Finance of South Africa
1958–1967
Succeeded by
Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs
Preceded by
Harry Gordon Lawrence
Minister of the Interior of South Africa
1948–1958
Succeeded by