Colin Fraser Steyn (27 November 1887 – 23 April 1959) was a lawyer and a politician of Southern Africa, Member of the House of Assembly, Senator, and Cabinet Minister in the government of

Jan Smuts Field Marshal Jan Christian Smuts, (24 May 1870 11 September 1950) was a South African statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various military and cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of South Africa, prime m ...

Early life

He was born on 27 November 1887 in

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legislative capital Cape ...

in the

Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...

, the son of Marthinus Theunis Steyn, who was the President of the Orange Free State from 1896 till 1902. He was named for his grandfather on his mother's side, Reverend Colin Fraser. He attended Greys College, but his studies were interrupted by the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

when he accompanied his father to the Natal battle fronts. After the war, he attended school in Switzerland during his parent's tour to Europe. On his return to Bloemfontein, he resumed his schooling and attended Grey University College. He left for Leiden University in 1907 and returned to South Africa in 1912, with a doctorate in law. He practiced as a lawyer in Pretoria and then in Bloemfontein.

Politics

He joined the National Party and after the 1915 South African general election, represented the seat of Vredefort. He was elected as deputy leader of the National Party. He served in the capacity as Deputy Minister of Justice from 1915 to 1928, under Tielman Roos. He resigned this mandate in 1928, and left the political life for a short period, before joining United Party in 1936 and was once again re-elected to the

Parliament of South Africa The Parliament of the Republic of South Africa is South Africa's legislature; under the present Constitution of South Africa, the bicameral Parliament comprises a National Assembly and a National Council of Provinces. The current twenty-s ...

in 1938. He was appointed as the

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a Ministry (government department), ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of ju ...

from 1939 till 1945, and then served as Minister of Employment from 1946 till 1948, in the

South African Party nl, Zuidafrikaanse Partij , leader1_title = Leader (s) , leader1_name = Louis Botha,Jan Smuts,Barry Hertzog , foundation = , dissolution = , merger = Het Volk South African Party Afrikaner Bond Orangia Unie , merged ...

government of Prime Minister

. In 1953, he left the House of Assembly for the Senate, where he was served as Senator for the United Party in Natal until 1956. He resigned from Parliament in 1955, due to health problems.

Marriage

He married Rae Eksteen in 1919 and had two sons.

Death

He died on 23 April 1959.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steyn, Colin Fraser 1887 births 1959 deaths Afrikaner people South African people of Dutch descent 20th-century South African lawyers National Party (South Africa) politicians United Party (South Africa) politicians South African Party (Union of South Africa) politicians Members of the House of Assembly (South Africa) Members of the Senate of South Africa Justice ministers of South Africa