September 6, 1966
South African Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd, architect of apartheid, is assassinated in Cape Town.
Cape Town, South Africa | South African Government
On September 6, 1966, Hendrik Verwoerd, the Prime Minister of South Africa and a principal architect of the apartheid system, was assassinated in Cape Town. This event marked a significant moment in South African history, as Verwoerd was a central figure in the establishment and enforcement of apartheid policies.
Hendrik Verwoerd, born on September 8, 1901, in the Netherlands, moved to South Africa with his family in 1903. He became a prominent academic and politician, joining the National Party and rising through its ranks. Verwoerd served as Minister of Native Affairs before becoming Prime Minister in 1958. His tenure was marked by the formalization and expansion of apartheid, a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination against non-white South Africans.
On the afternoon of September 6, 1966, Verwoerd was attending a parliamentary session in Cape Town. During a break, as he was seated in the House of Assembly, he was approached by Dimitri Tsafendas, a parliamentary messenger. Tsafendas, who had a history of mental illness, stabbed Verwoerd multiple times with a knife. Despite immediate medical attention, Verwoerd succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The assassination of Hendrik Verwoerd sent shockwaves through South Africa and the international community. Tsafendas was arrested and declared unfit to stand trial due to his mental state. He was detained indefinitely and spent the rest of his life in psychiatric institutions.
Verwoerd’s death did not lead to an immediate change in apartheid policies. He was succeeded by B.J. Vorster, who continued to enforce and expand apartheid. However, Verwoerd’s assassination highlighted the intense domestic and international opposition to apartheid, which would continue to grow in the following decades.
Hendrik Verwoerd’s assassination is a pivotal event in South African history, symbolizing the deep divisions and tensions within the country during the apartheid era. While his death did not alter the course of apartheid immediately, it underscored the volatile nature of South African politics and the increasing pressure for change. The apartheid system would eventually be dismantled in the early 1990s, leading to the establishment of a democratic South Africa.
Verwoerd’s legacy remains controversial, as he is remembered both as a key figure in the development of apartheid and as a symbol of the oppressive policies that defined South Africa for much of the 20th century.
Source: en.wikipedia.org