Top 15 Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd Quotes

Israel is not consistent in its new anti-apartheid attitude... They took Israel away from the Arabs after the Arabs lived there for a thousand years. In that, I agree with them. Israel, like South Africa, is an apartheid state.

In a radio address, in response to the ruling of 18 July 1966 where the World Court found in favour of South Africa concerning its mandate over South West Africa, which was challenged by Liberia and Ethiopia, as quoted by N. F. Hefer & G. C. Basson in Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd, Pictorial Biography 1901-1966, p. 132. Voortrekkerpers (1966)

Translated from Afrikaans: Waar hierdie uitspraak vir ons as 'n nasie klaarblyklike stof tot dankbaarheid bied, en deur baie as 'n antwoord op hul gebede aanvaar sal word, sal Suid-Afrikaners dit nie beskou as 'n aanleiding om oor teenstanders te kraai nie. Eerder wil ons daarin 'n aansporing sien om ons opnuut toe te wy aan die voogdyskap wat ons aanvaar het teenoor die minder ontwikkelde volkere van Suid- en Suidwes-Afrika.

While this ruling evidently imparts gratitude in us as a nation, and will be accepted by many as an answer to their prayers, South Africans will not consider it an inducement to gloat over our opponents. Rather, we would see in it an incentive to re-dedicate ourselves to the guardianship we have accepted towards the less developed peoples of South and South West Africa.

What they want of South Africa, it is not only , it is black overlordship. Pure and simple. One man, one vote would only be a means, the objective could be the ultimate destruction of any man, any vote in order to achieve black dictatorship, a one-party system as they call it, which they say, as Nkrumah has said, as has been said in Kenya and Tanganyika. A one-party system, which is the natural system of Africa, that would be their aim. No man, no vote!

Apartheid means: ‘something of your own’; the other word refers to something even greater, i.e. ‘development’, which implies ‘growth’. A human being should not regress if one undertakes a task. Through the work of one's hands something must come into being. This is creation; and development is growth by what one creates anew in a continuously flowing process. Therefore separate development means the kind of growth which one creates by means of own power and for the sake of yourself and your people.

We must have the courage of men and be strong. But the will to resistance of a volk/people is linked to the kind of leadership which he chooses for himself. If he has the will to resistance, he searches for strong leadership and not weak leadership. If you want to be victorious, you have to be prepared to follow leaders who are not prepared to cave in.

After half a century of co-operation – difficult, at times very difficult – a stage has been reached when both groups [i.e. Afrikaans and English-speaking whites] as never before are faced with a challenge to bury the past, to let it become the combined history of a unified volk/people. Today we are faced with threats for the future of our civilization, for our prosperity, for the contribution of the white man of Africa to the struggle of the white man of Europe and America to retain his hegemony in the world. Also to make Christianity victorious, sacrifices must be made, and nowhere is Christianity more threatened than in Africa. Sacrifices of sentiment is expected of everybody. There must not only be a union of provinces in South Africa. There must also be a union of hearts.

Joint declaration issued after meetings between Verwoerd, Eric Louw (minister of foreign affairs), Vittorio Carpio (chairman of UN special committee on South West Africa) and Martinez de Alva (his vice-chairman) in May 1962, as quoted by N. F. Hefer & G. C. Basson in Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd, Pictorial Biography 1901-1966, p. 102. Voortrekkerpers (1966)

Translated from Afrikaans: Daar bestaan geen getuienis om die bewerings te staaf dat daar 'n bedreiging vir wêreldvrede en -veiligheid in Suidwes is nie.

[No evidence exists to support the assertions that a threat to world peace or security exists in South West Africa.]

[True democracy] is not what the Communists practice. It is not even what the African states practice. But that is the pressure being exerted when demands are made upon our country. In other words, the process towards integration [would inexorably] lead to Bantu domination, a situation from which there would be no escape. … [Coloureds and Indians] must not think that the colour of their skins will protect them. The minority groups will all have to contend with an unrestricted domination by the Bantu if a multi-racial state comes into being. … the people of South Africa cannot accept the consequence of a multi-racial state unless the Whites, the Coloureds and the Indians are prepared to commit race suicide.

Translated from Afrikaans: Dit is 'n dag van groot gebeure. Ons kan hulde bring aan ons Staatspresident en aan ons Republiek.

This is a day of great events. We can pay tribute to our State President and to our Republic.

I appeal to the English-speaking people of South Africa not to allow themselves to be hurt, though I can feel their sadness. A framework has fallen away, but what is of greater importance is friendship and getting together as one nation – as white people who have to defend their future together. Now there is a chance of standing together – one free country standing together on a basis which is the desire of friendship with Great Britain.