Allan Hendrickse
Encyclopedia
Helenard Joe Hendrickse was a South Africa
n politician, Congregationalist minister, and teacher. He participated in an act of defiance by swimming at a South African beach reserved for whites only. He was born in Uitenhage
in the Eastern Cape
and died of a heart attack at Port Elizabeth's airport. He studied at Fort Hare University in the Eastern Cape where he met Nelson Mandela
, Walter Sisulu
, and Robert Mugabe
. He married in 1957 and was to have four children.
In 1969, he became one of the founders of the Labour Party
, which represented Coloured
people on the Coloured Peoples' Representative Council. He helped open "Coloured" schools to students of all races. After 1984, the Labour Party dominated the House of Representatives
, one of the houses in South Africa's Tricameral Parliament
, and Hendrickse served in P. W. Botha
's cabinet. Hendrickse and Labour drew the ire of the United Democratic Front
and African National Congress
for this collaboration with apartheid; Hendrickse defended himself on the grounds that he would oppose apartheid from within. His swim at a whites-only beach took place in 1987; on Botha's demand, Hendrickse later apologized for the swim.
Hendrickse lost control of the House of Representatives in 1992 after losing a confidence vote to Labour members who had crossed the floor
to the National Party
, led by Jac Rabie, and independents. Hendrickse led the remains of the Labour Party into the ANC in 1994. He served as an ANC MP from that year until his retirement in 1999.
He was awarded the Order of the Baobab
(Silver Class) in 2004. A letter signed by President
Thabo Mbeki
and read at Hendrickse's funeral saluted him as a "freedom fighter and architect of democracy".
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...
n politician, Congregationalist minister, and teacher. He participated in an act of defiance by swimming at a South African beach reserved for whites only. He was born in Uitenhage
Uitenhage
Uitenhage is a South African town with 275,185 inhabitants in the Eastern Cape Province. It is well known for the Volkswagen factory located there, which is the biggest car factory on the African continent. The town's name is pronounced by English speakers and in Afrikaans...
in the Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
and died of a heart attack at Port Elizabeth's airport. He studied at Fort Hare University in the Eastern Cape where he met Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, Walter Sisulu
Walter Sisulu
Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu was a South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress .-Family and Education:...
, and Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
. He married in 1957 and was to have four children.
In 1969, he became one of the founders of the Labour Party
Labour Party (Coloured)
The Labour Party was a South African political party founded in 1969 and led for many years by Revd Allan Hendrickse. Although avowedly opposed to apartheid, it participated in the Coloured Persons Representative Council. It opposed the guerrilla struggle of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the call for...
, which represented Coloured
Coloured
In the South African, Namibian, Zambian, Botswana and Zimbabwean context, the term Coloured refers to an heterogenous ethnic group who possess ancestry from Europe, various Khoisan and Bantu tribes of Southern Africa, West Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaya, India, Mozambique,...
people on the Coloured Peoples' Representative Council. He helped open "Coloured" schools to students of all races. After 1984, the Labour Party dominated the House of Representatives
Tricameral Parliament
The Tricameral Parliament was the name given to the South African parliament and its structure from 1984 to 1994, established by the South African Constitution of 1983...
, one of the houses in South Africa's Tricameral Parliament
Tricameral Parliament
The Tricameral Parliament was the name given to the South African parliament and its structure from 1984 to 1994, established by the South African Constitution of 1983...
, and Hendrickse served in P. W. Botha
Pieter Willem Botha
Pieter Willem Botha , commonly known as "P. W." and Die Groot Krokodil , was the prime minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and the first executive state president from 1984 to 1989.First elected to Parliament in 1948, Botha was for eleven years head of the Afrikaner National Party and the...
's cabinet. Hendrickse and Labour drew the ire of the United Democratic Front
United Democratic Front (South Africa)
The United Democratic Front was one of the most important anti-apartheid organisations of the 1980s. The non-racial coalition of about 400 civic, church, students', workers' and other organisations was formed in 1983, initially to fight the just-introduced idea of the Tricameral Parliament The...
and 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...
for this collaboration with apartheid; Hendrickse defended himself on the grounds that he would oppose apartheid from within. His swim at a whites-only beach took place in 1987; on Botha's demand, Hendrickse later apologized for the swim.
Hendrickse lost control of the House of Representatives in 1992 after losing a confidence vote to Labour members who had crossed the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
to the 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...
, led by Jac Rabie, and independents. Hendrickse led the remains of the Labour Party into the ANC in 1994. He served as an ANC MP from that year until his retirement in 1999.
He was awarded the Order of the Baobab
Order of the Baobab
The Order of the Baobab is a South African honour. It was instituted on 6 December 2002, and is granted by the president of South Africa for service to South Africa in the following fields: business and the economy, science, medicine and technological innovation, and community service...
(Silver Class) in 2004. A letter signed by President
President of South Africa
The President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africa's Constitution. From 1961 to 1994, the head of state was called the State President....
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a South African politician who served two terms as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He is also the brother of Moeletsi Mbeki...
and read at Hendrickse's funeral saluted him as a "freedom fighter and architect of democracy".