Treurnicht, Andries (Petrus)

(born Feb. 19, 1921, Piketburg, S.Af.—died April 22, 1993, Cape Town) South African politician. A preacher in the Dutch Reformed Church (1946–60), he later achieved high office in the National Party as a strong supporter of apartheid. In 1976 his insistence that black children be taught Afrikaans lead to the Soweto uprising. In 1982 he left the National Party to form the Conservative Party, which opposed F.W. de Klerk's decision to end apartheid. He came to support the idea of a separate white homeland within South Africa.

Find more information on Treurnicht, Andries (Petrus). Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Treurnicht, Andries (Petrus).