In 1936 Dr. Verwoerd was offered the founding editorship of ‘Die Transvaler’ publication, which he took up in 1937 with the added responsibility of helping to rebuild the National Party of South Africa in the Transvaal.
Die Transvaler was an Afrikaner nationalist publication supporting the aspirations of agricultural and labour rights in a combination of republicanism, populism and protectionism. The paper assisted in voicing the sentiments of most South Africans who believed in the essential need for socio-economic reform.
The Nationalist Party achieved power in the general election of the 26th of May, 1948.
Running on the platform of self-determination and apartheid as it was termed for the first time, Prime Minister Daniel Malan benefited from strong support in the rural electorates, defeating General Jan Smuts, who lost his own seat of Standerton.
Most party leaders agreed that the nationalist policies were responsible for the National Party’s victory.
Herenigde Nasionale Party leader Daniel Malan called for stricter enforcement of job reservation protecting the rights of the White working class as well as the rights of White workers to organise their own labour unions outside of company control.
Dr. Hendrik Verwoerd was elected to the Senate later in the year of 1948 and became Minister of Native Affairs under Prime Minister Malan in 1950, until his appointment as Prime Minister in 1958. Through his position in political office Dr. Verwoerd succeeded in implementing the National Party’s program.
Dr. Verwoerd gradually gained popularity with the Afrikaner electorate, expanding his political support with an overwhelming constituency victory in the 1958 elections. Due to the untimely death of Prime Minister J.G. Strijdom, Dr. Verwoerd was appointed by the Governor-General of the Union of South Africa to organize a Government as Prime Minister.
The National Party’s implementation of Apartheid according to Dr. Verwoerd envisioned a “policy of good neighbourliness”. Maintaining a peaceful coexistence with independent neighbouring states and aspiring future nation states.
Dr. Verwoerd realised that the political situation in South Africa, a result of recent British imperial rule over the nation, was untenable.
