Louis le Grange (16 August 1928 – 25 October 1991) was a lawyer, a South African politician and a member of the National Party.

Louis le Grange
Cabinet Minister of South Africa
In office
1978–1986
PresidentMarais Viljoen
Prime Minister
Speaker of the House of Assembly of South Africa
In office
1987–1991
PresidentF.W. de Klerk
Preceded byJohan Greeff
Succeeded byGene Louw
Personal details
Born(1928-08-16)16 August 1928
Ladybrand, Orange Free State, Union of South Africa
Died25 October 1991(1991-10-25) (aged 63)
Potchefstroom, Orange Free State (province), South Africa
CitizenshipSouth African citizenship
Political partyNational Party
Spouse
Jessie Ortlepp-Marais
(m. 1952)
Alma materPotchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education

Early life

edit

Le Grange was born to Elizabeth Raats and Johannes Jacobus Le Grange in Ladybrand in the Orange Free State of South Africa.[1]: 135  He attended primary school in Fochville and Potchefstroom and matriculated Potchefstroom Hoer Volkskool in 1946.[1]: 135  After matriculating, he joined the Department of Interior and Justice in 1947 as clerk while studying for a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Africa, obtaining it in 1953.[1]: 135  He left to become an attorney in partnership, obtaining his Attorneys' Admission Diploma in 1955 and an LL.B. in 1956.[1]: 135  He received a BA Honours in Political Science in 1964 from the University of Potchefstroom.[1]: 135 

Political career

edit

He came from a politically active family, his mother a secretary of the National Party's Kimberley branch in 1915, while his father had stood as an independent in Losberg in 1938.[1]: 136  He was a member of the National Party, Member of Parliament for the constituency of Potchefstroom (1966-1991), Deputy Minister of Information (1975-1978), Interior (1975-1978), Immigration (1978), and Public Works (1978), in governments of John Vorster.[1]: 136 

He then served as Minister of Tourism and Public Works (1978-1979), Prisons (1979-1980), Police (1979-1982) and Law and Order (1982-1986) in the cabinets of P.W. Botha,[1]: 136  before he became the 13th Speaker of the House of Assembly of South Africa (1987-1991).

Marriage

edit

He married Jessie Ortlepp-Marais in May 1952, and had two sons and two daughters.[1]: 137 

Death

edit

He died of a heart attack in Potchefstroom, aged 63.

References

edit
  • "Louis le Grange het gesterf soos hy geleef het tussen vriende" [Louis le Grange died the way he lived – among friends]. Beeld (in Afrikaans). 28 October 1991. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Gastrow, Shelagh (1985). Who's who in South African politics. Internet Archive. Johannesburg : Ravan Press. ISBN 978-0-86975-280-7.