Jaap Marais
Encyclopedia
Jaap Marais was an attorney, an Afrikaner
nationalist and the leader of the far-right South African political party, the Herstigte Nasionale Party
(HNP), from 1977.
The HNP was formed in 1969 by Dr. Albert Hertzog (son of former Prime Minister General JBM Hertzog) and Jaap Marais (then both cabinet ministers of the ruling National Party
, three years after the assassination of Dr. Hendrik Verwoerd, when his successor B.J. Vorster
authorised the presence of Maori players and spectators during the tour of New Zealand rugby union team in South Africa
in 1970.
Jaap Marais was thrown out of the Broederbond shortly after the HNP was formed, and later all other identified HNP members or sympathisers were also purged from the Broederbond.
Under Jaap Marais' leadership, the party challenged the negotiating policies of the National Party. He tried in vain to obtain the co-operation of the Conservative Party
under Andries Treurnicht
. He proposed a Volksfront, being a coalition of all the right wing organisations with one objective; to stop president FW De Klerk from handing over the reins of government to the African National Congress
. Instead, in 1991, a Volksfront was created from the ranks of the Conservative Party, and led by Constand Viljoen
. This organisation spoke at first for the Afrikaans right wing, but in the end it registered to participate in the multi-racial elections of 1994. Under Jaap Marais, the HNP campaigned vigorously to persuade whites to boycott these multi-racial elections.
The party does not recognise the new government in South Africa, and has not relinquished its claim to the entire South Africa. It continues to encourage its supporters not to vote, as part of its policy of resistance.
Jaap Marais died on Tuesday, August 8, 2000, and was succeeded as leader by Willie Marais
, who died in 2007.
Jaap Marais claimed that it was the British and not the National Party of 1948 who had invented apartheid. "Is it asking too much of English-speaking South Africans to acknowledge this evident truth?" the 77-year-old Marais, who up to his death held to Verwoerdian apartheid ideology, wrote in the "Sunday Independent."
Marais also demanded an apology from then UK prime minister Tony Blair
for Britain's conduct during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, when it had instituted concentration camps in which 27,000 Boer civilians perished (24,000 children + 3,000 women). Blair refused to do so.
Marais was a productive writer and translated William Shakespeare
's Julius Caeser
into Afrikaans
. He was an avid ornithologist and bred birds.
Afrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
nationalist and the leader of the far-right South African political party, the Herstigte Nasionale Party
Herstigte Nasionale Party
The Herstigte Nasionale Party van Suid-Afrika was formed as a right-wing splinter group of the South African National Party.-Formation:...
(HNP), from 1977.
The HNP was formed in 1969 by Dr. Albert Hertzog (son of former Prime Minister General JBM Hertzog) and Jaap Marais (then both cabinet ministers of the ruling National Party
National Party (South Africa)
The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a...
, three years after the assassination of Dr. Hendrik Verwoerd, when his successor B.J. Vorster
B.J. Vorster
Balthazar Johannes Vorster , better known as John Vorster, served as the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1966 to 1978 and as the fourth State President of South Africa from 1978 to 1979...
authorised the presence of Maori players and spectators during the tour of New Zealand rugby union team in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1970.
Jaap Marais was thrown out of the Broederbond shortly after the HNP was formed, and later all other identified HNP members or sympathisers were also purged from the Broederbond.
Under Jaap Marais' leadership, the party challenged the negotiating policies of the National Party. He tried in vain to obtain the co-operation of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (South Africa)
The Conservative Party of South Africa was a conservative party formed in 1982 as a breakaway from the ruling National Party...
under Andries Treurnicht
Andries Treurnicht
Andries Petrus Treurnicht was a South African politician, Minister of Education during the Soweto Riots and for a short time leader of the National Party in Transvaal...
. He proposed a Volksfront, being a coalition of all the right wing organisations with one objective; to stop president FW De Klerk from handing over the reins of government to the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
. Instead, in 1991, a Volksfront was created from the ranks of the Conservative Party, and led by Constand Viljoen
Constand Viljoen
General Constand Viljoen SSA SD SOE SM is a former South African military commander and politician. He is partly credited with preventing the outbreak of armed violence by disaffected Afrikaners prior to the 1994 elections.-Military service:Viljoen received a degree in military science in 1955...
. This organisation spoke at first for the Afrikaans right wing, but in the end it registered to participate in the multi-racial elections of 1994. Under Jaap Marais, the HNP campaigned vigorously to persuade whites to boycott these multi-racial elections.
The party does not recognise the new government in South Africa, and has not relinquished its claim to the entire South Africa. It continues to encourage its supporters not to vote, as part of its policy of resistance.
Jaap Marais died on Tuesday, August 8, 2000, and was succeeded as leader by Willie Marais
Willie Marais
Willie Marais was an Afrikaner nationalist and the leader of the far-right South African political party, the Herstigte Nasionale Party, from 2001 until his death....
, who died in 2007.
Jaap Marais claimed that it was the British and not the National Party of 1948 who had invented apartheid. "Is it asking too much of English-speaking South Africans to acknowledge this evident truth?" the 77-year-old Marais, who up to his death held to Verwoerdian apartheid ideology, wrote in the "Sunday Independent."
Marais also demanded an apology from then UK prime minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
for Britain's conduct during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, when it had instituted concentration camps in which 27,000 Boer civilians perished (24,000 children + 3,000 women). Blair refused to do so.
Marais was a productive writer and translated William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Julius Caeser
Julius Caesar (play)
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against...
into Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
. He was an avid ornithologist and bred birds.
External links
- Jaap Marais remembered as "one of Bittereinders" - Dispatch Online. Last visited 27 December 2007.
External links
- Jaap Marais remembered as "one of Bittereinders" - Dispatch Online. Last visited 27 December 2007.