DF Malan
In 1915 the newspaper ‘Die Burger' was founded and Malan became its first editor, using it as a springboard for entry into parliament. He was appointed Minister of the Interior in the Hertzog government of 1924. Malan strongly opposed moves to form a coalition between the National Party and Jan Smut's South African Party in 1933, and rejected the resulting ‘fusion' government formed in 1934. He was also a leader in the creation of the ‘Purified' National Party, which initially consisted of the few Afrikaner parliamentarians who refused to follow Hertzog or Smuts. Ten years later this new National Party had gained enough strength to defeat the Union Party in the 1948 elections.
As prime minister Malan put many principles into effect, which had led to Hertzog's break with Botha 35 years earlier. Notably those that had espoused institutionalised apartheid, or separate development. Malan was dour and unbending and retired from office in 1954 after achieving nearly all of the objectives that had originally drawn him away from the ministry and into national politics.
Malan did choose a completely Afrikaans cabinet, with radical Afrikaners such as Strijdom, Jansen and Swart. He also appointed EG Jansen as Governor General, the first Afrikaans speaker to hold this position. He took some steps towards preparing South Africa for republic status, such as the South African Citizenship Act of 1949. The Act said that there could be no dual citizenship and that British nationals would now have to wait for five years before they could become citizens, just like everybody else. Previously there was a special agreement that allowed British citizenship after only two years residence. In 1950 the right to appeal to the British Privy Council was removed, making the Appeal Court judgement final and the words ‘British’ were deleted from the Commonwealth. In 1953 Malan made Elizabeth II the Queen of South Africa rather than Queen of Britain and South Africa.
In 1949 it was observed that India became a Republic but remained part of the Commonwealth. This was seen as a model for a good compromise as it would satisfy both English and Afrikaans elements of the society. In the 1953 election the NP was able to increase their majority as a result of the SWA seats. They now held 94 seats against the UP's 57 seats.
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