Eben Dönges

Theophilus Ebenhaezer Dönges
T.E. Dönges in 1948
Prime Minister of South Africa Acting as Senior Cabinet Minister
In office 6 September 1966 – 13 September 1966
President	Charles Swart
Preceded by	Hendrik Verwoerd
Succeeded by	Balthazar Johannes Vorster
13th Minister of Finance
In office 20 October 1958 – 24 February 1967
Monarch	Elizabeth II (1958–1961)
President	Charles Swart (1961–1967)
Prime Minister	Hendrik Verwoerd Balthazar Johannes Vorster
Preceded by	Jozua François Naudé
Succeeded by	Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs
12th Minister of the Interior
In office 4 June 1948 – 20 October 1958
Monarchs	George VI Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Daniel Malan Johannes Strijdom Hendrik Verwoerd
Preceded by	Harry Gordon Lawrence
Succeeded by	Jozua François Naudé
Member of the House of Assembly for Worcester
In office 1941 – 28 February 1967
Personal details
Born	8 March 1898 Klerksdorp South African Republic
Died	10 January 1968(1968-01-10) (aged 69) Cape Town, Cape Province South Africa
Political party	National Party
Spouse	Johanna Schoeman (1904-1993)
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Stellenbosch
Occupation	Politician
Cabinet	1948–1967

Theophilus Ebenhaezer ('Eben') Dönges (8 March 1898 – 10 January 1968) was a South African politician who was elected State President of South Africa, but died before he could take office, aged 69.

Early life

Eben Donges was born on 8 March 1898 in the town of Klerksdorp. He attended Stellenbosch University and received a law degree from University of London. When he returned from London, he became active in the National Party and joined its mouthpiece Die Burger as a journalist. He left journalism in 1927 and practiced law.

Career

Running for parliament, he was unsuccessful in his first attempt in 1938 before obtaining a seat in 1941. He became a National Party cabinet member in 1948 serving as Minister of Post and Telegraphs. Dr Dönges was a senior member of the National Party which ruled South Africa from 1948 to 1994. As Minister of the Interior, from 1948 to 1961, he was one of the so-called "architects" of apartheid, introducing race-based population registration, and removing Coloured voters from the common voters' roll as a prelude to disenfranchising them altogether. During his tenure as Minister of the Interior, Dönges believed that apartheid would continue only for the next two generations. In November 1953, after DF Malan resigned as Cape Provincial leader, Dönges defeated Eric Louw to become the new provincial leader. He was Minister of Finance from 1958 to 1966. After the assassination of Prime Minister Verwoerd, Dönges became acting Prime Minister on 6 September 1966 until a National Party congress named B. J. Vorster to succeed to the Premiership.

The state funeral of Dr. T. E. Dönges. Cape Town, January 1968

Dönges was elected State President to succeed C.R. Swart on his retirement on 1 June 1967, but suffered a stroke and fell into a coma before he could take office. He died on10 January 1968 without regaining consciousness. His deputy Jozua Naudé acted for him until 6 December 1967 when he officially replaced Dönges.

Legacy

He received the posthumous honours granted to a former state president: a state funeral and his effigy on the following year's coins. There is a school in Cape Town named after him, Eben Dönges High School.