Nicolaas Christiaan Havenga (born 1882 in Fauresmith

Fauresmith

Fauresmith is located 130 km south west of Bloemfontein. The town, named after Rev Phillip Faure and Sir Harry Smith, is the second oldest town in the Free State....

, Oranje Free State, died 1957 in Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

, South Africa

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...

) was a South African

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...

 politician who served as Finance Minister

Finance minister

The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government.A minister of finance has many different jobs in a government. He or she helps form the government budget, stimulate the economy, and control finances...

 in the governments of J. B. M. Hertzog and Daniel François Malan

Daniel François Malan

Daniel François Malan , more commonly known as D.F. Malan, was the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1948 to 1954. He is seen as a champion of Afrikaner nationalism. His National Party government came to power on the program of apartheid and began its comprehensive implementation.- Biography...

.

Havenga was a leading member of Hertzog's government and indeed with Oswald Pirow

Oswald Pirow

Oswald Pirow was a South African lawyer and far right politician, who held office as minister of Justice and Defence.-Early life:...

 he formed the basis of Hertzog's 'inner cabinet' which controlled decision making. As Finance Minister he was responsible for the decision to take South Africa off gold, one that led to a significant economic upturn.

A loyal supporter of Hertzog, he defected from the United Party

United Party

United Party is a term used various political parties:* United Party of Canada* United Party * United States United Party* United Party of National Development, Zambia* United Party * United Party * United Party...

 government following its formation and later led the pro-Hertzog Afrikaner Party

Afrikaner Party

The Afrikaner Party was a South African political party from 1941 to 1951.-Origins:The roots of the party can be traced back September 1939, when South Africa declared war on Germany at the start of World War II. General J.B.M...

. Before long however he was back working with Malan in an Afrikaner Party-Herenigde Nasionale Party

Herenigde Nasionale Party

The Herenigde Nasionale Party was a political party in South Africa during the 1940s. It was the product of the reunion of Daniel François Malan's Gesuiwerde Nasionale Party and J.B.M. Hertzog's breakaway Afrikaner nationalist faction of the United Party in 1940.In 1934, J.B.M...

 coalition, which succeeded in ousting Smuts in 1948. Havenga was appointed Minister of Finance yet again, serving under Malan as Prime Minister. Following the latter's retirement in 1954 he indicated that Havenga was his preferred choice of successor. Despite this endorsement Havenga lost out to Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom

Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom

Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom, commonly called JG Strydom or Hans Strydom , nicknamed the Lion of the North, was Prime Minister of South Africa from 30 November 1954 to 24 August 1958...

and spent his final years in retirement, although he did emerge to criticize Strijdom's reforms in 1955.