Louis le Grange (16 August 1928 – 25 October 1991) was a lawyer, a South African politician and a member of the National Party.
Early life
Le Grange was born to Elizabeth Raats and Johannes Jacobus Le Grange in Ladybrand in the Orange Free State of South Africa.[1]: 135 He attended primary school in Fochville and Potchefstroom and matriculated Potchefstroom Hoer Volkskool in 1946.[1]: 135 After matriculating, he joined the Department of Interior and Justice in 1947 as clerk while studying for a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Africa, obtaining it in 1953.[1]: 135 He left to become an attorney in partnership, obtaining his Attorneys' Admission Diploma in 1955 and an LL.B. in 1956.[1]: 135 He received a BA Honours in Political Science in 1964 from the University of Potchefstroom.[1]: 135
Political career
He came from a politically active family, his mother a secretary of the National Party's Kimberley branch in 1915, while his father had stood as an independent in Losberg in 1938.[1]: 136 He was a member of the National Party, Member of Parliament for the constituency of Potchefstroom (1966-1991), Deputy Minister of Information (1975-1978), Interior (1975-1978), Immigration (1978), and Public Works (1978), in governments of John Vorster.[1]: 136
He then served as Minister of Tourism and Public Works (1978-1979), Prisons (1979-1980), Police (1979-1982) and Law and Order (1982-1986) in the cabinets of P.W. Botha,[1]: 136 before he became the 13th Speaker of the House of Assembly of South Africa (1987-1991).
Marriage
He married Jessie Ortlepp-Marais in May 1952, and had two sons and two daughters.[1]: 137
