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Title:An ageing anachronism: D.F. Malan as prime minister, 1948-1954
Author:Koorts, LindieISNI
Year:2010
Periodical:Kronos: Journal of Cape History (ISSN 0259-0190)
Issue:36
Pages:108-135
Language:English
Geographic term:South Africa
Subjects:Cabinet
apartheid
political history
National Party
politicians
1950-1959
About person:Daniel François Malan (1874-1959)ISNI
External link:http://www.scielo.org.za/pdf/kronos/v36n1/v36a05.pdf
Abstract:This article tells the behind-the-scenes tale of the first apartheid Cabinet under D.F. Malan. Using prominent Nationalists' private documents, it traces an ageing Malan's response to a changing international context, the challenge to his leadership by a younger generation of Afrikaner nationalists and the early, haphazard implementation of the apartheid policy. In order to safeguard South Africa against sanctions by an increasingly hostile United Nations, Malan sought America's friendship by participating in the Korean War and British protection in the Security Council by maintaining South Africa's Commonwealth membership. In the face of decolonization, Malan sought to uphold the Commonwealth as the preserve of White-ruled States. This not only caused an outcry in Britain, but it also brought about a backlash within his own party. The National Party's republican wing, led by J.G. Strijdom, was adamant that South Africa should be a republic outside the Commonwealth. This led to numerous clashes in the Cabinet and parliamentary caucus. Malan and his Cabinet's energies were consumed by these internecine battles. The systematization of the apartheid policy and the coordination of its implementation received little attention. Malan's disengaged leadership style implies that he knew little of the inner workings of the various government departments for which he, as Prime Minister, was ultimately responsible. The Cabinet's internal disputes about South Africa's constitutional status and the removal of the Coloured franchise ultimately served as lightning conductors for a larger issue: the battle for the party's leadership, which came to a head in 1954. Malan sought to secure the succession for his favourite, N.C. Havenga. However, he was outmanoeuvred by J.G. Strijdom and his allies. Malan's retirement marked the end of an era, while Strijdom's victory heralded a regional and generational shift in power. Notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]
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