Thirteen Formative Years, 195

Thirteen Formative Years

APARTHEID – The origins of my interest in politics: This South African postage stamp was issued in 1960, when I was 16 years old. It features all six people who had been Prime Minister of South Africa during the half-century following the formal formation of the Union of South Africa. At the time, fifty years seemed like an eon to me (it doesn’t anymore!), and I was intrigued by the fact that just six men had been Prime Minister during that time. From left to right, the six PMs were Louis Botha (1910-19), Jan Smuts (1919-24; 1939-48), Barry Hertzog (1924-39), Daniel Malan (1948-54), Johannes Strydom (1954-58), and Hendrik Verwoerd (1958-66). Some people were also appalled that the stamp displayed the image of a living Prime Minister, and a joke about the stamp soon circulated around the country: Dr Verwoerd was keenly interested to know how the stamp with his handsome visage on it was selling. “Extremely well … ,” responded the official he’d quizzed on the matter, before hesitating and then adding, “… the problem is, they’re spitting on the wrong side.”