Hendrik Verwoerd

HENDRIK VERWOERD d1966. South African politician, a scholar of applied psychology and sociology and chief editor of Die Transvaler newspaper. He is commonly regarded as the architect of Apartheid. He played a significant role in socially engineering apartheid, the country's system of institutionalized racial segregation and white supremacy and implementing its policies as Minister of Native Affairs (1950–1958) and then as Prime Minister (1958–1966). Furthermore, he played a vital role in helping the far-right National Party come to power in 1948 (serving as their political strategist and propagandist) becoming party leader upon his premiership. He was the Union of South Africa's last Prime Minister (from 1958 to 1961) when he proclaimed the founding of the Republic of South Africa, remaining its prime minister until his assassination in Cape Town aged 64 on September 6th 1966