Hofmeyr, Jan Hendrik (1894–1948)

South African statesman and historian. In the coalition government of 1933 he was minister for the interior, education, and public health. But his sympathies for the Bantu people soon made him unpopular with many of the Afrikaners. In 1936 he strongly opposed the bill to destroy the Cape native franchise, and in 1938 he resigned. When the Second World War broke out Hofmeyr rejoined the government as minister of finance and in 1943 was appointed deputy prime minister. In the 1948 elections his liberal attitude towards the non-European races alienated many electors, but his party supported him and he remained in the forefront of the opposition to the Prime Minister Daniel Malan's policy of segregation.

He studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar and became principal of the University of Witwatersrand at the age of 25. In 1929 he entered parliament as member for Johannesburg and took a leading part in the movement for the reconciliation of leading South African politicians Jan Smuts and James Hertzog and the reunion of South Africans of British and Boer (Afrikaner) stock, from which the United party originated.

Hofmeyr, Jan Hendrik (1845–1909)

South African politician. In 1879 Hofmeyr entered parliament, where he remained for 16 years, becoming leader and spokesperson of the Dutch party in the colony. In 1887 he was one of the Cape delegates to the first colonial conference held in London, England. Until the Jameson Raid (see South African Wars) of 1895 he was a supporter of Cecil Rhodes.

Hofmeyr was born and educated in Cape Town, South Africa, where he became a journalist. He joined the staff of the Volksvriend, which he later bought and amalgamated with the Zuid Afrikaan, under the title of Ons Land.