Theophilus Ebenhaezer Dönges Politician
Theophilus Ebenhaezer ('Eben') Dönges (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. 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. He was Minister of Finance from 1958 to 1967. After the assassination of Prime Minister Verwoerd Dönges became acting Prime Minister before a National Party congress named B. J. Vorster to succeed to the Premiership. 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 in 1968 without regaining consciousness. His deputy Jozua Naudé acted for him until 6 December 1967 when he officially replaced Dönges. He received the posthumous honours granted to a former state president: a state funeral and his effigy on the following year's coins.
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Office holder
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| office | 1948–1967 |
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