Oswald Pirow
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Oswald Pirow QC |
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Oswald Pirow (left) with Dr Hendrik Muller
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| South African Minister for Justice | |
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In office 1929–1933 |
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| Prime Minister | J. B. M. Hertzog |
| Preceded by | Tielman Roos |
| Succeeded by | Jan Smuts |
| Minister of Defence (South Africa) | |
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In office 1933–1939 |
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| Preceded by | Frederic Creswell |
| Succeeded by | Jan Smuts |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
14 August 1890 Aberdeen, Eastern Cape |
| Died | 11 October 1959 (aged 69) Pretoria |
| Nationality | South African |
| Political party | National Party |
| Spouse(s) | Else Piel |
| Children | 2 sons, 2 daughters |
| Residence | Valhalla Farm, near Pilgrim's Rest |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Oswald Pirow, QC (Aberdeen, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 14 August 1890 – Pretoria, 11 October 1959) was a South African lawyer and far right politician, who held office as minister of Justice, thereafter minister of Defence.
The son of German immigrants, he was educated at Potchefstroom, Transvaal, before continuing his education in Germany and England. He was called to the bar by the Inner Temple in 1913, then practised law in Pretoria, becoming a King's Counsel in 1925. He married Else Piel in 1919, the marriage producing two sons and two daughters. During this time Pirow was a keen sportsman and was a champion at the javelin throw, whilst also excelling at boxing, wrestling, fencing, sprinting, swimming, horsemanship and big game hunting.
Pirow came to prominence in the early 1920s following a strike by white miners in the Witwatersrand, who were striking against the introduction of cheaper black labourers to the mines. The strike was put down when the government sent in troops but in the resulting court cases Pirow was noted for his defence of the strike leaders.
Pirow came under the influence of Tielman Roos, an important figure in Transvaal and became a member of James Barry Munnik Hertzog's National Party being elected to parliament for Zoutpansberg in 1924. He was eliminated in 1929 however after running against Jan Smuts in Standerton. However, despite this he was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Justice in place of Roos, who stood down, initially as a nominated senator. He won a by-election in October 1929 in Gezina however to confirm things and continued to represent the seat until 1943.
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