H.F. Verwoerd’s student years - cradle of his political career and thought

Abstract

This article briefly describes student life in Stellenbosch during the period 1919-1924 when the young H.F. Verwoerd was immersed in a general Christian ethos and atmosphere of Afrikaner nationalism which he articulated with fervour. In view thereof, the notion put forward by Miller (1993), viz. that South Africa’s sixth prime minister changed his political beliefs substantially when he became the editor of Die Transvaler in 1937 is rejected. It is found that the basic views Verwoerd held as a student were generally consistent with those he held in later life. It is accepted, though, that some of his views were adapted and inconsistencies could possibly be identified in some of his views. Unlike Miller’s analysis and conclusions, Venter’s (1999) analysis of Verwoerd's political thought is found to be remarkably consistent with the views and activities of Verwoerd the student activist. Consequently, this article argues that the context and nature of the political views he held as a student at Stellenbosch help significantly to explain Verwoerd’s later positions as lecturer, editor and politician, even if he did not personally subscribe to every view expressed by the Students' Representative Council he was part of and chaired.