13 Facts About Nicolaas Havenga

Nicolaas Havenga was elected to the national parliament in the 1915 election and, after a period as a defence spokesman, soon became recognised for his financial expertise.

Nicolaas Havenga was a leading member of Hertzog's government and indeed with Oswald Pirow he formed the basis of Hertzog's 'inner cabinet' which controlled decision making.

Nicolaas Havenga had formerly been a harsh critic of this move, reflecting populist opinions that gold-producing South Africa should refuse to follow the United Kingdom off the gold standard, supposedly as a piece of nationalist posturing against the British.

Nicolaas Havenga led the party in the 1943 election but all of its candidates, including Nicolaas Havenga himself, were defeated.

Nicolaas Havenga initially suggested an alliance with Malan but his opponent reasoned, correctly as it proved, that he did not need Afrikaner Party support to win the election and so rejected the offer.

Nicolaas Havenga was not a member of the House of Assembly at the time of the election as, like Hertzog, he had resigned his seat in the body when Hertzog was rejected as leader.

Nicolaas Havenga's party gained nine seats after the HNP gave them a free run in a handful of constituencies.

Nicolaas Havenga was elected as member for Ladybrand with a comfortable majority.

Nicolaas Havenga was appointed Minister of Finance yet again, serving under Malan as Prime Minister.

Nicolaas Havenga was however not comfortable working with the HNP, especially after Malan began to suggest changing elements of the non-white franchise.

Smuts was reluctant to work with Nicolaas Havenga, accusing him of fascism and the notion finally broke down when Malherbe suggested that the arrangement might involve Nicolaas Havenga as Prime Minister with Smuts playing more of a background role.

However in spite of this endorsement, the extremists in the party indicated that they intended to challenge the succession, feeling that Nicolaas Havenga had become too moderate.

Nicolaas Havenga lost out to Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom and spent his final years in retirement, although he did emerge to criticise Strijdom's reforms in 1955.