Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom

South African statesman and prime minister (1954–8), born in Willowmore, S South Africa. He studied at Victoria College, Stellenbosch, and Pretoria University, and after a start in the civil service, took up law practice in the Transvaal. Elected MP for Waterberg in 1929, he became leader of the extremists in the National Party. His two main political ends were the setting up of an Afrikaner Republic outside the Commonwealth, and the policy of apartheid, which he helped introduce when he was premier by altering the balance of the Senate (1955) to ensure the necessary majority vote for his policies.

Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom (15 July 1893 - 24 August 1958) was Prime Minister of South Africa from 30 November 1954 to 24 August 1958.

On 30 November 1954, he was elected leader of the National Party and became Prime Minister of South Africa.

After a short term in office, he died on 24 August 1958 in Cape Town.

There are still various monuments dedicated to him in South Africa.