Editing Hendrik Verwoerd (section)

== Prime Minister ==
Prime Minister Daniel Malan announced his retirement from politics following the National Party's success in the elections of 1953. In the succession debate that followed Malan's retirement in 1954, N. C. Havenga, and [[Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom]] were potential successors. The Young Turks of the Transvaal got the upper hand and thus J. G. Strijdom was elected as the new leader of the National Party, who succeeded Malan as Prime Minister.

Verwoerd gradually gained popularity with the Afrikaner electorate and continued to expand his political support. With his overwhelming constituency victory in the 1958 election and the death shortly thereafter of Prime Minister J. G. Strijdom, Verwoerd was nominated together with Eben Dönges and C. R. Swart from the Free State as candidates to head the party. Verwoerd got the most votes in the second round and thus succeeded Strijdom as Prime Minister.

Verwoerd both before and after becoming Prime Minister entrenched Apartheid ensuring that race and skin colour permeated every aspect of South African society. Under the Suppression of Communism Act, several anti-Apartheid parties such as the African National Congress (ANC) and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) were banned (the act defined Communism as any activity aimed at "aiming to change the political system" meaning that any political activity, even non-Communist, had the potential to be banned by the government). Security legislation was introduced allowing press censorship and detention without trial, effectively turning South Africa into a Police State with only the thin veneer of a Western Style Democracy.

During Apartheid the massive state security apparatus, which was initially aimed at enforcing racial segregation, was turned against all opponents of the regime regardless of skin color. This coupled with the gerrymandering of parliamentary constituencies (the drawing of constituencies on favor of rural areas in 1948 ensured the National Party won the most seats in Parliament despite the then ruling United Party actually winning more votes) had the effect of entrenching the National Party's power and eliminating any chance of any opposition party winning an election. Any dissent against the regime was crushed, often violently, as with the [[Sharpeville Massacre]] on 21 March 1960, when blacks protesting peacefully against the hated Pass Laws (requiring them to carry a large passbook at all times or face arrest and imprisonment) were massacred by police; most of the protesters were shot in the back while attempting to run away.

The creation of a republic was one of the National Party's long-term goals since originally coming to power in 1948. In January 1960, Verwoerd announced that a referendum would be called to determine the republican issue, the objective being a republic within the Commonwealth. Two weeks later, Harold Macmillan, then British Prime Minister, visited South Africa.

In an address to both Houses of Parliament, Macmillan gave his famous Winds of Change speech, which was interpreted as an end to British support for white rule. This speech, which implicitly criticized apartheid together with the worldwide criticism following the Sharpeville massacre, created a "siege mentality" in South Africa, which Verwoerd seized upon to booster his case for a republic, presenting Elizabeth II as the ruler of a hostile power.<ref>Brogan, Patrick (1989). ''The Fighting Never Stopped''Vintage Books. p. 88.</ref>

Verwoerd also ensured that South African media gave generous coverage of the breakdown of society in the Congo in the summer of 1960 following independence from Belgium as an example of the sort of "horrors" that allegedly would ensure in South Africa if apartheid was ended, which he then linked to the criticism of apartheid in Britain, arguing the Congolese "horrors" were what people in Britain were intent upon inflicting on white South Africans, fanning the flames of Anglophobia.<ref>Brogan, Patrick (1989). ''The Fighting Never Stopped'' Vintage Books. p.92</ref>

In order to bolster support for a republic, the voting age for whites was lowered from 21 to 18, benefiting younger Afrikaans speakers, who were more likely to favour a republic, and the franchise was extended to whites in South-West Africa, most of whom were German or Afrikaans speakers. This was done even though English South Africans were slightly outnumbered by Afrikaners. The vast majority of English-South Africans were against South Africa becoming a republic and were still loyal to the British Crown.

The 1960 South Africa referendum was accepted by Parliament. <ref>Osada, Masako (2002). ''Sanctions and honorary whites: diplomatic policies and economic realities in relations between Japan and South Africa.'' Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 54.</ref>In March 1961 at a conference of Commonwealth prime ministers in London, Verwoerd abandoned an attempt to rejoin the Commonwealth, which was necessary given the intention to declare a republic following a resolution jointly sponsored by Jawaharlal Nehru of India and John Diefenbaker of Canada declaring that racism was incompatible with Commonwealth membership.<ref>Brogan, Patrick (1989). ''The Fighting Never Stopped''Vintage Books. p. 88.</ref> Verwoerd abandoned the application to rejoin the Commonwealth after the Indo-Canadian resolution was accepted mostly by votes from non-white nations (Canada was the only majority white country to vote for the resolution), and stormed out of the conference.<ref>Brogan, Patrick (1989). ''The Fighting Never Stopped''Vintage Books. p. 88.</ref>

After South Africa became a republic, Verwoerd refused to accept black ambassadors from Commonwealth states.<ref>Anthony Sampson, "His Cherubic Smile Seemed To Say, 'It's All So Simple". ''Life International'', 3 October 1966</ref> Verwoerd's overt moves to block non-whites from representing South Africa in sports—starting with cricket—started the international movement to ostracise South Africa from international sporting competition. Their last Olympic Games—until the abolition of apartheid—was in 1960,and South Africa was expelled from FIFA in 1976.

In 1961, UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld visited South Africa where he could not reach an agreement with Prime Minister Verwoerd.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/1961/01/24/archives/un-chief-faces-apartheid-snag-hammarskjold-says-he-got-no-accord-on.html</ref> On 6 November 1962, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 1761, condemning South African apartheid policies. On 7 August 1963, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 181 calling for a voluntary arms embargo against South Africa, and in the same year, a Special Committee Against Apartheid was established to encourage and oversee plans of action against the authorities.<ref>International Labour Office (1985). ''Special report of the Director-General on the application of the Declaration concerning the policy of "apartheid" of the Republic of South Africa, Volumes 17–22.''International Labour Office.</ref> From 1964, the US and UK discontinued their arms trade with South Africa.<ref>Johnson, Shaun (1989). ''South Africa: no turning back.'' Indiana University Press. p. 323.</ref> Economic sanctions against South Africa were also frequently debated in the UN as an effective way of putting pressure on the apartheid government. In 1962, the UN General Assembly requested that its members sever political, fiscal and transportation ties with South Africa.<ref>https://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2007/issue3/0307p07.html</ref>

In 1964, the Rivonia Treason Trial concluded, with several Anti-Apartheid Activists (including future South African President Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki and Dennis Goldberg) were found guilty of sabotage for plotting to overthrow the Apartheid regime and were sentenced to Life Imprisonment.

Upon winning prime minister position again in the 1966 election, his government was continuing to develop vehicles and weapons (even nuclear and biological ones)<ref>Beinart, William (2001). ''Twentieth-century South Africa.'' Oxford University Press. p. 177. ISBN 978-0-19-289318-5.</ref>. On September 6<sup>th</sup>, 1966; shortly after 2:15 PM, Hendrik was stabbed 4 times in the neck and chest by parliament messenger Dmitri Tsafendas, and soon after died upon arrival at Groote Schuur Hospital. Though this ended his reign, his racist rules of apartheid would linger and not be abolished until 3 decades later during the early 1990's. Additionally, towns, roads and facilities once named after him were renamed to further diminish his once heavy influence on the Republic of South Africa.