Afrikaner women march to the union buildings in protest of SA's involvement in WW2

Updated: 22 Aug 2019

About 10 000 Afrikaner women, led by Mrs H.C. Steyn, wife of former President M.T. Steyn, marched to the Union Buildings to protest about the South African involvement in World War 2 on the side of Britain. Mrs H.E.C. Armstrong, one of the organisers, wrote a letter to Prime Minister J.C. Smuts, in which she set out the reasons for the protest. A further 3 968 women sent telegrams to Smuts, while 3 829 signed petitions, which were handed to him. They were all united in their request that South Africa should withdraw from the war. The first Afrikaner women march took place on 4 August 1915, to request the release of Gen. C.R. de Wet, an Anglo-Boer War 2 hero.

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South African History Online. (2019, August 22). Afrikaner women march to the union buildings in protest of SA's involvement in WW2. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0148882

South African History Online (2019) 'Afrikaner women march to the union buildings in protest of SA's involvement in WW2', South African History Online, 22 August. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0148882 (Accessed: 30 September 2026).

South African History Online, Afrikaner women march to the union buildings in protest of SA's involvement in WW2 [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0148882, (accessed 30 September 2026).

"Afrikaner women march to the union buildings in protest of SA's involvement in WW2." South African History Online, 22 Aug. 2019, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0148882. Accessed 30 Sept. 2026.

South African History Online. "Afrikaner women march to the union buildings in protest of SA's involvement in WW2." South African History Online. August 22, 2019. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0148882.