Treurnicht, Andries Petrus

▪ 1994

      South African politician (b. Feb. 19, 1921, Piketburg, South Africa—d. April 22, 1993, Cape Town, South Africa), was a staunch advocate of South African apartheid and, as founder (1982) of the hard-line Conservative Party, led the parliamentary opposition to antiapartheid reforms. Treurnicht studied theology and philosophy at the Stellenbosch Theological Seminary and the Universities of Stellenbosch (M.A.) and Cape Town (M.A. and Ph.D.). He was a practicing minister (1946-60) in the Dutch Reformed Church until he took over as editor of the church's weekly newspaper, Die Kerkbode. As editor (1967-71) of the right-wing Pretoria daily paper Hoofstad, he promoted the ruling National Party's pro-apartheid policies. He was elected to Parliament in 1971 and came to be called "Dr. No" for his firm stand against concessions to nonwhites. Treurnicht became provincial party leader in Transvaal (1978-82) and held several Cabinet posts. He drew world attention and triggered the Soweto uprising of 1976 when, as deputy minister of Bantu administration and education (1976-78), he insisted that black children be taught in Afrikaans. In 1982 he (with about 20 others) publicly resigned from the National Party and formed the Conservative Party in order to protest plans for separate elective chambers for Asians and Coloureds. He was reelected to Parliament as a Conservative in 1983, and after the 1989 general elections he led the official opposition. Although Treurnicht sought to preserve apartheid, he disliked violence and eventually came to support the idea of a separate white state.

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