A few days after deciding to establish a Dutch newspaper in South Africa, the name De Burger is chosen

On 24 May 1915, soon after it had been decided to establish a Dutch newspaper, the name of the newspaper, De Burger ("The Citizen"), was decided on. With considerable financial support from local philanthropists Jannie and Christiaan Marais, the newspaper was first published soon after the founding of de Nasionale Pers ("the National Press", now Naspers). Dr. D.F. Malan was elected to be first the editor of this daily paper, and the first issue was published on 26 July 1915. Die Burger was originally published in Dutch, but later in 1916, the first Afrikaans-language articles were published. In 1921, the newspaper's Dutch title (De Burger) was translated into Afrikaans (Die Burger). Die Burger was a newspaper which, at first, supported the nationalist cause and apartheid, and was the mouthpiece of the National Party of South Africa. This changed in the 1950's, when then Editor Piet Cilliers clashed with Prime Minister HF Verwoerd. In 1990, the National Party was officially informed by then Editor Ebbe Dommisse that it would no longer serve as a political mouthpiece. This disaffiliation continued in 1999 with the appointment of a more progressive editor, Arrie Rossouw. In 2006, Henry Jeffreys became the first Black editor of the paper.