“If you had been a man you would have gone a very long way…”: the public and private politics of Emeline du Toit, 1898 – c. 1948 by Cailin McRae Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Dr Anton Ehlers March 2020 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Plagiaatverklaring / Plagiarism Declaration 1 Plagiaat is die oorneem en gebruik van die idees, materiaal en ander intellektuele eiendom van ander persone asof dit jou eie werk is. Plagiarism is the use of ideas, material and other intellectual property of another’s work and to present is as my own. 2 Ek erken dat die pleeg van plagiaat 'n strafbare oortreding is aangesien dit ‘n vorm van diefstal is. I agree that plagiarism is a punishable offence because it constitutes theft. 3 Ek verstaan ook dat direkte vertalings plagiaat is. I also understand that direct translations are plagiarism. 4 Dienooreenkomstig is alle aanhalings en bydraes vanuit enige bron (ingesluit die internet) volledig verwys (erken). Ek erken dat die woordelikse aanhaal van teks sonder aanhalingstekens (selfs al word die bron volledig erken) plagiaat is. Accordingly, all quotations and contributions from any source whatsoever (including the internet) have been cited fully. I understand that the reproduction of text without quotation marks (even when the source is cited) is plagiarism. 5 Ek verklaar dat die werk in hierdie skryfstuk vervat, behalwe waar anders aangedui, my eie oorspronklike werk is en dat ek dit nie vantevore in die geheel of gedeeltelik ingehandig het vir bepunting in hierdie module/werkstuk of ‘n ander module/werkstuk nie. I declare that the work contained in this assignment, except otherwise stated, is my original work and that I have not previously (in its entirety or in part) submitted it for grading in this module/assignment or another module/assignment. Copyright © 2020 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Abstract Born as the youngest child of two of the most prominent Afrikaners of the 19th and 20th centuries, Emeline du Toit lived an explicitly political life, embodying her beliefs through her actions during some of the most important periods of Afrikaner nationalist development. With an innate ability to marry the public and private aspects of her life, Emmie used her personal connections to her benefit while working in the uppermost rungs of the National Party in the 1930s and 40s as one of a handful of women who were part and parcel of the decision-making processes. She would later join the right-wing, fascist group, the Ossewabrandwag, when she felt that the party was being weighed down by personal politics as opposed to working toward a notion of volkseenheid [unity of the nation/people] and the republican ideal she held on to with particular fervour. This work contributes to the broader body of the nationalist Afrikaner historiography and while illustrating the life of an outspoken and politically driven Afrikaner woman, who may otherwise have been known only by the footnotes marking the pages of biographies of the men she regarded as her friends and colleagues. Keywords: Afrikaner nationalism; Afrikaner women; Ossewabrandwag; fascism in South Africa; women in South African politics Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Abstrak1 Emeline du Toit is gebore as die jongste kind in een van die prominentste Afrikaner huishoudings van die 19de en 20ste eeu. Sy het haar oortuigings uitgeleef deur aktiewe politieke deelname tydens een van die belangrikste tydperke in die ontwikkeling van Afrikaner nasionalisme. Emmie se ingebore vermoë om haar private en openbare lewe te integreer, het haar in staat gestel om voordeel te trek uit persoonlike verhoudings, terwyl sy saam met etlike ander vroue in die hoogste kringe van die Nasionale Party se besluitnemingsprosesse betrokke was. Sy het later by die regse, fascistiese groep, die Ossewabrandwag betrokke geraak, aangesien sy van mening was dat die Nasionale Party verval het in persoonlike politiek en nie werklik meer die ideologie van volkseenheid (die eenheid van die volk) en die republikeinse ideaal wat sy nagestreef het, bevorder het nie. Hierdie tesis dra nie net by tot die breër historiografie oor Afrikaner nasionalisme nie, maar poog ook om die lewe van ’n uitgesproke, politiek-gedrewe Afrikanervrou uit te beeld, wat andersins slegs as ’n voetnota genoem in die biografieë van manne wat sy as haar vriende en kollegas beskou het, geken sou wees. Sleutelterme/ Terme: Afrikaner nasionalisme; Afrikaner vroue; Ossewabrandwag; fascisme in Suid-Afrika; vroue in Suid-Afrikaanse politiek 1 Kindly translated by Ilse Brookes Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Acknowledgements The last two years of work and research would not have been possible without the support and care from a great number of people who helped to guide and reassure me along the way. A simple page of acknowledgments cannot truly convey just how grateful I am to you all. To my supervisor, Dr Anton Ehlers, a great debt is owed for the endless effort put into each of your students and your willingness to go above and beyond for our benefit. Thank you for listening to my ramblings on Emmie and for setting me on her path in the first place. Your endless patience and guidance has made this project what it is. The Stellenbosch History Department would not function without Leschelle and Melvyn who spend countless hours running around after students and helping us get where we need to be. A special thanks to Leschelle who has always been a sounding board and a willing listener. I would not have been able to start this journey without the support, both academically and financially, of Prof. Johan Fourie and the Biography of an Uncharted People group. I consider myself incredibly lucky to be a part of the first cohort of a project as significant as this. Thank you to the whole team for your comments and critiques along the way as well as for opening my eyes to the histories that have yet to be written. More specifically, to Laura, for being the kindest person during this process. I am so grateful to have met you and your infinite historical wisdom that will always astound me. I would not have had many of the words and ideas that I did without your suggestions and comments. Thank you. The work of archivists and researchers is sorely underappreciated despite the efforts and devotion of those who work in these crucial spaces. I had the privilege of working with some of the most knowledgeable and helpful individuals and teams who made this project infinitely easier. To Erika, Thembile and Maxine at the Cape Archives who welcomed me into their space nearly every day for six months. To the incredible Carlien and Freddy at the Archive for Contemporary Affairs at UFS who went above and beyond to help with the research, even long after I left their homely archive. To Marieta Buys at Stellenbosch University Library Special Collections who in turn, put me in contact with the incredibly helpful Evert Kleynhans at the Ossewabrandwag Archive in Potchefstroom, both of whom saved me time and money by kindly sending incredibly important documents right to my inbox. Thank you for all that you do for students of history and the public at large. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za A special thank you goes to Pieter de Vos, Emmie’s grandson for the wonderful anecdotes, recollections and sheer generosity in sharing the memories of your grandmother and for opening your private collection to me. Hearing about this remarkable woman from your perspective towards the end of the journey helped to create an even better image of her than what I had imagined. Thank you also goes to the Steyn family in Bloemfontein who allowed me to visit the homestead of Onze Rust to see the home in which Emmie spent some of her earliest years. Thank you also to Ruhan for your hospitality during that stay. To my wonderful friends Jess, Nicole and Masi who did not abandon me and also had to listen to my complaints at any given time of the day. Thank you for always taking an interest in my work and for checking in on me when it was needed most. Thank you also to my grandparents for fostering a love of history and for your love and kind words along the way. Most importantly, to my parents and sister who have been nothing short of amazing in their unwavering support over this period. Thank you for tolerating my terrible moods, listening to my ramblings and providing insights and feedback on my work. Most of all, thank you for always being around and for never allowing me to forget how fortunate I am to have a family that wholly supports everything I do, all with just the right balance of cynicism and love to boot. Mom, Dad and Bren, you are everything to me. Thank you. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Table of Contents Introduction 1 Chapter One: The earliest years, 1898-1919 17 Chapter Two: The mother of all hosts, 1920-1930 48 Chapter Three: The party and its politics – 1931-1937 79 Chapter Four: Geagte Generale – 1938-1948 105 Concluding remarks 135 Sources 140 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za List of figures Figure 1: Tibbie Steyn with her sister Emeline Fraser, Hannah, Emmie, Tibbie and Gladys while interred as prisoners-of-war in Bloemfontein. 24 Figure 2: Emmie and Tibbie in London. 28 Figure 3: The group that travelled Europe for close to three years consisting of Cornelis du Preez, Gordon Fraser, Colin Steyn, Hannah, Miss Hannie, Steyn, Tibbie, Gladys, Tibbie and Emmie 35 Figure 4: Emmie & Jacques on their wedding day.