Theophilus Ebenhaezer Dönges

Theophilus Ebenhaezer Dönges (8 March 1898 – 10 January 1968) was a South African politician who was elected the state president of South Africa, but died before he could take office, aged 69.

Early life

Eben Dönges was born on 8 March 1898 in the town of Klerksdorp, the youngest son of Theophilus C. Dönges, a minister of religion. He attended Stellenbosch University and received a law degree from the University of London. and withdrew without being called to the bar on 8 November 1928. When he returned from London, he became active in the National Party and joined its mouthpiece, Die Burger, as a journalist.

Running for parliament, he was unsuccessful in his first attempt in Hoopstad in 1938 before winning a by-election in Fauresmith in 1941.

In the 1958 National Party leadership election following the death of Prime Minister J. G. Strijdom, Dönges ran for the party leadership and lost to Hendrik Verwoerd in the final round of voting between the two candidates. Despite this, Verwoerd included Dönges in the new cabinet as Minister of Finance from 1958 to 1966.