Die lewe van goewerneur-generaal Gideon Brand van Zyl, 1873-1956

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Gideon Brand van Zyl, the first South African born Governor-General, was born in CapeTown on 3 June 1873. His name suggests an earlier alliance between the Van Zyl family in the Cape Province and the Brand family in the Orange Free State.Gideon's father, Casper van Zyl, who brought his son up as a single parent had a strong influence on his son's life and career. As a young boy, Gideon came to know the horsecarts,trams and dirt roads of metropolitan Cape Town very well. He had an innate love of nature and thus spent most of his free time outdoors on the Cape Flats, in the mountains ornear the sea.His school career commenced in Sea Point. He completed his Matriculation Examination at the Normal College in Cape Town in 1890. He was a student at the South African Collegefrom 1891 - 1894 where he shone, particularly on the sports field.Gideon married Marie Elizabeth Caroline Frazer of Bloemfontein on 11 December 1900. In 1898 he became an attorney and in 1918 a senior partner in his father's law practice.During the First World War he served in Cape Town as Deputy Director of Recruiting and in Pretoria as Deputy Commissioner for Returned Soldiers.He entered the political arena with his election as a member of the Executive Committee of the Unionist Party in 1910. In 1915 he was elected to the Cape Provincial Council and in1918 he became a member of Parliament for the constituency of Cape Town Harbour. The underlying principle of his political philosophy was unity amongst South Africans and allowance for a strong British involvement.Gideon was Deputy Chairman of Committees of the House of Assembly during 1921 -1924, and Chairman of Committees and Deputy Speaker from 1934 - 1942. He held important positions in both the South African Party and the United Party. Gideon was a staunch supporter of Smuts. In his constituency, Sea Point, he made his mark with his valuable contribution to the conservation of the Grand Parade in Cape Town and the Sea Point Beach Front.Gideon was appointed to the position of Administrator of the Cape Province on 14 October 1942. In this capacity he made lasting contributions to the teaching, health and libraryservices in the province.His appointment as seventh Governor-General of the Union in 1945 came as a surprise. As the British Monarch's representative in the Union he held a position which was highly respected, but in reality had very little political influence. A highlight during his official term of office was the visit of King George VI to South Africa in 1947.After his retirement in 1951, 'Gideon spent most of his last years in seclusion. He died in 1956. Since childhood his life was epitomized by a strong set of religious principles, goodinterpersonal relationships and an extraordinary motivation and desire to be involved in the growth around him. Consequently he not only had a dynamic involvement in politics but he was also extremely active on all social levels.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University