John Wiley (politician): Difference between revisions

John Walter Edington Wiley
John Walter Edington Wiley
Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Fisheries
	In office; 1982–1984
Prime Minister	P. W. Botha
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
	In office; 1984–1986
President	P. W. Botha
Environmental Affairs and Water Affairs
	In office; 1986–1987
President	P. W. Botha
Member of the House of Assembly; for Simonstown
	In office; 30 March 1966 – 29 March 1987
Personal details
Born	7 February 1927; St James, Cape Province, South Africa
Died	29 March 1987 (aged 60); Noordhoek, Cape Province, South Africa
Political party	National Party
Other political; affiliations	United Party; South African Party
Alma mater	University of Cape Town; University of Oxford
Occupation	Lawyer, politician
Personal information
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium
Relations	William Wiley (brother)
Domestic team information
1947/48	Western Province
1949–1951	Oxford University
Career statistics
Matches	12
Runs scored	410
Batting average	18.63
100s/50s	–/2
Top score	70
Catches/stumpings	8/–
	Source: John Wiley at ESPNcricinfo

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John Walter Edington Wiley (7 February 1927 – 29 March 1987) was a South African first-class cricketer and politician who served as the only white English-speaker in P. W. Botha's majority Afrikaans cabinet.

Education and cricket

The son of James Byron Wiley, he was born in Cape Town suburb of St James in February 1927. He was educated at the Diocesan College, before enrolling at the University of Cape Town to study law.^[1] While studying at Cape Town, Wiley played first-class cricket, making two appearances for Western Province against Rhodesia and Orange Free State in the 1947–48 Currie Cup, in addition to making a single appearance for a South African Universities cricket team against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club in the same season.^[2] He scored two of what were to be his only first-class half centuries in these matches, with half century scores of 70 runs for Western Province and 50 runs for South African Universities.^[3] After graduating from Cape Town, Wiley went to England to study for his master's degree at Lincoln College at the University of Oxford.^[4] While studying at Oxford, he appeared in first-class cricket for Oxford University in 1949–1951, making nine appearances.^[2] Wiley scored 232 runs for Oxford at an average of 13.64 and a high score of 30.^[3]

Political career

Wiley was first elected a Member of Parliament for Simonstown in the 1966 South African general election for the United Party.^[5] He was expelled from the United Party following a liberal takeover led by Harry Schwarz, with Wiley founding his own party, the South African Party in 1977, alongside five other expelled United Party MPs.^[6] He disbanded the party in 1980, joining the ruling National Party led by P. W. Botha.^[7] Upon his joining of the National Party, Wiley triggered a by-election in his Simonstown constituency and notably defended it, defeating the former cricketer Eddie Barlow of the Progressive Federal Party and obtaining a breakthrough for the majority Afrikaans National Party in a predominantly English–speaking constituency.^[8]^[7]

He later served in Botha's cabinet as its only English-speaking member and held the office of Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism from 1984 to 1986 and Minister of Environmental Affairs and Water Affairs from 1986 to 1987, having previously held the post of Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Fisheries from 1982 to 1984.^[6]^[5] Politically, Wiley was considered to have been a staunch anti-communist and critical of liberalism, a critic of the Soviet Union and softening stance of the west toward it in the 1980s, in addition to supporting the white-minority government of Ian Smith in Rhodesia.^[7]

Death

With his Simonstown seat under threat in the 1987 South African general election, Wiley committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in the bedroom of his home on 29 March 1987.^[9] The exact motive behind his suicide has remained a matter of speculation, ranging from financial,^[6] to a media campaign questioning his probity and speculating about his sexuality, to Wiley being a member of an elite pedophile ring headed by Magnus Malan. The 2018 book The Lost Boys of Bird Island, links his death to that of Dave Allen, another alleged member of the ring. Two weeks after the book's publication, the book's co-author Mark Minnie was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head.^[10]

References

^ Who's Who in South African Politics. Ravan Press. 1985. p. 320. ISBN 9780869752807.
^ ^a ^b "First-Class Matches played by John Wiley". CricketArchive. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
^ ^a ^b "First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by John Wiley". CricketArchive. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
^ Oxford University Calendar. University of Oxford. 1950. p. 530.
^ ^a ^b "WILEY, John Walter Edington". www.ufs.ac.za. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c Parks, Michael (30 March 1987). "S. African Cabinet Member Found Dead: Apparent Suicide Poses Election Problems for Botha and Party". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c Tyler, Humphrey (5 September 1980). "S. African premier rubs hands over election victory". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
^ Tyler, Humphrey (8 July 1980). "South African by-election will pose test for English-speaking whites". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
^ Firth, David (2011). Silence Of The Heart: Cricket Suicides. Random House. p. 43. ISBN 978-1780573939.
^ Chothia, Farouk (5 August 2018). "South Africa's 'paedophile' minister and a mysterious death". BBC News. Retrieved 13 July 2020.

External links

John Wiley at ESPNcricinfo

[1] Who's Who in South African Politics. Ravan Press. 1985. p. 320. ISBN 9780869752807.

[FCM-2] "First-Class Matches played by John Wiley". CricketArchive. Retrieved 13 July 2020.

[FCB-3] "First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by John Wiley". CricketArchive. Retrieved 13 July 2020.

[4] Oxford University Calendar. University of Oxford. 1950. p. 530.

[ARC-5] "WILEY, John Walter Edington". www.ufs.ac.za. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.

[NEWS-6] Parks, Michael (30 March 1987). "S. African Cabinet Member Found Dead: Apparent Suicide Poses Election Problems for Botha and Party". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 July 2020.

[SIM-7] Tyler, Humphrey (5 September 1980). "S. African premier rubs hands over election victory". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 13 July 2020.

[8] Tyler, Humphrey (8 July 1980). "South African by-election will pose test for English-speaking whites". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 13 July 2020.

[BOOK-9] Firth, David (2011). Silence Of The Heart: Cricket Suicides. Random House. p. 43. ISBN 978-1780573939.

[10] Chothia, Farouk (5 August 2018). "South Africa's 'paedophile' minister and a mysterious death". BBC News. Retrieved 13 July 2020.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{short description|South African cricketer and politician}}
+{{for|the New York politician|John M. Wiley}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
 {{Infobox officeholder
 |name               = John Walter Edington Wiley
-|office             = Deputy Minister of Envronmental Affairs and Fisheries
+|office             = Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Fisheries
 |term_start         = 1982
 |term_end           = 1984
@@ Line 17: / Line 18: @@
 |term_end3          = 1987
 |president3         = P. W. Botha
+|order4             =
+|office4            = Member of the [[House of Assembly (South Africa)|House of Assembly]]<br>for [[Simonstown (House of Assembly of South Africa constituency)|Simonstown]]
+|term_start4        = 30 March 1966
+|term_end4          = 29 March 1987
 |birth_date         = 7 February 1927
 |birth_place        = [[St James, Cape Town|St James]], [[Cape Province]], [[Union of South Africa|South Africa]]
@@ Line 47: / Line 52: @@
 }}
-'''John Walter Edington Wiley''' (7 February 1927 – 29 March 1987) was a [[Demographics of South Africa|South African]] first-class [[cricket]]er and politician who served as the only white English-speaker in [[P. W. Botha]] majority [[Afrikaan]] cabinet.
+'''John Walter Edington Wiley''' (7 February 1927 – 29 March 1987) was a [[Demographics of South Africa|South African]] first-class [[cricket]]er and politician who served as the only white English-speaker in [[P. W. Botha]]'s majority [[Afrikaans]] cabinet.
 ==Education and cricket==
-The son of James Byron Wiley, he was born in [[Cape Town]] suburb of [[St James, Cape Town|St James]] in February 1927. He was educated at the [[Diocesan College]], before going up to the [[University of Cape Town]] to study law.<ref>{{cite book |title=Who's Who in South African Politics |date=1985 |publisher=Ravan Press |pages=320 |url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vHYhAAAAMAAJ |language=en}}</ref> While studying at Cape Town, Wiley played [[first-class cricket]], making two appearances for [[Western Province cricket team (South Africa)|Western Province]] against [[Rhodesia cricket team|Rhodesia]] and [[Free State (cricket team)|Orange Free State]] in the [[1947–48 Currie Cup]], in addition to making a single appearance for a [[South African Universities cricket team]] against the touring [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] in the same season.<ref name="FCM">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/14/14903/First-Class_Matches.html |title=First-Class Matches played by John Wiley |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2020-07-13 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> He scored two of what were to be his only first-class half centuries in these matches, with half century scores of 70 runs for Western Province and 50 runs for South African Universities.<ref name="FCB">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/14/14903/f_Batting_by_Team.html |title=First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by John Wiley |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2020-07-13 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> After graduating from Cape Town, Wiley went to England to study for his [[Master of Philosophy|masters degree]] at [[Lincoln College, Oxford|Lincoln College]] at the [[University of Oxford]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Oxford University Calendar |date=1950 |publisher=University of Oxford |pages=530 |url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=rfV5_8DbwSMC |language=en}}</ref> While studying at Oxford, he appeared in first-class cricket for [[Oxford University Cricket Club|Oxford University]] in 1949–51, making nine appearances.<ref name="FCM"/> Wiley scored 232 runs for Oxford at an [[batting average (cricket)|average]] of 13.64 and a high score of 30.<ref name="FCB"/>
+The son of James Byron Wiley, he was born in [[Cape Town]] suburb of [[St James, Cape Town|St James]] in February 1927. He was educated at the [[Diocesan College]], before enrolling at the [[University of Cape Town]] to study law.<ref>{{cite book |title=Who's Who in South African Politics |date=1985 |publisher=Ravan Press |pages=320 |isbn=9780869752807 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vHYhAAAAMAAJ |language=en}}</ref> While studying at Cape Town, Wiley played [[first-class cricket]], making two appearances for [[Western Province cricket team (South Africa)|Western Province]] against [[Rhodesia cricket team|Rhodesia]] and [[Free State (cricket team)|Orange Free State]] in the [[1947–48 Currie Cup]], in addition to making a single appearance for a [[South African Universities cricket team]] against the touring [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] in the same season.<ref name="FCM">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/14/14903/First-Class_Matches.html |title=First-Class Matches played by John Wiley |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=2020-07-13 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> He scored two of what were to be his only first-class half centuries in these matches, with half century scores of 70 runs for Western Province and 50 runs for South African Universities.<ref name="FCB">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/14/14903/f_Batting_by_Team.html |title=First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by John Wiley |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=2020-07-13 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> After graduating from Cape Town, Wiley went to England to study for his [[Master of Philosophy|master's degree]] at [[Lincoln College, Oxford|Lincoln College]] at the [[University of Oxford]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Oxford University Calendar |date=1950 |publisher=University of Oxford |pages=530 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rfV5_8DbwSMC |language=en}}</ref> While studying at Oxford, he appeared in first-class cricket for [[Oxford University Cricket Club|Oxford University]] in 1949–1951, making nine appearances.<ref name="FCM"/> Wiley scored 232 runs for Oxford at an [[batting average (cricket)|average]] of 13.64 and a high score of 30.<ref name="FCB"/>
-==Political career and suicide==
+==Political career==
-Wiley was first elected a [[Member_of_parliament#South_Africa|Member of Parliament]] for [[Simonstown]] in the [[1966 South African general election]] for the [[United Party (South Africa)|United Party]].<ref name="ARC">{{cite web|url=https://www.ufs.ac.za/supportservices/departments/archive-for-contemporary-affairs-home/collections/political-collection |title=WILEY, John Walter Edington |publisher=www.ufs.ac.za |accessdate=2020-07-13}}</ref> He was expelled from the United Party following a [[liberialism|liberal]] takeover led by [[Harry Schwarz]], with Wiley founding his own party, the [[South African Party (Republic of South Africa)|South African Party]] in 1977, alongside five other expelled United Party MPs.<ref name="NEWS">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-03-30-mn-598-story.html |title=S. African Cabinet Member Found Dead: Apparent Suicide Poses Election Problems for Botha and Party |first=Michael |last=Parks |date=1987-03-30 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |accessdate=2020-07-13}}</ref> He disbanded the party in 1980, joining the ruling [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] led by [[P. W. Botha]].<ref name="SIM">{{cite news|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0905/090546.html |title=S. African premier rubs hands over election victory |first=Humphrey |last=Tyler |date=1980-09-05 |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |accessdate=2020-07-13}}</ref> Upon his joining of the National Party, Wiley triggered a by-election in Simonstown constituency and notably defended it, defeating the former cricketer [[Eddie Barlow]] of the [[Progressive Federal Party]] and obtaining a breakthrough for the majority [[Afrikaans]] National Party in a predominantly English–speaking constituency.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0708/070838.html |title=South African by-election will pose test for English-speaking whites |first=Humphrey |last=Tyler |date=1980-07-08 |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |accessdate=2020-07-13}}</ref><ref name="SIM"/>
+Wiley was first elected a [[Member of parliament#South Africa|Member of Parliament]] for [[Simonstown (House of Assembly of South Africa constituency)|Simonstown]] in the [[1966 South African general election]] for the [[United Party (South Africa)|United Party]].<ref name="ARC">{{cite web |url=https://www.ufs.ac.za/supportservices/departments/archive-for-contemporary-affairs-home/collections/political-collection |title=WILEY, John Walter Edington |publisher=www.ufs.ac.za |access-date=2020-07-13 |archive-date=13 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713220206/https://www.ufs.ac.za/supportservices/departments/archive-for-contemporary-affairs-home/collections/political-collection |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was expelled from the United Party following a [[liberialism|liberal]] takeover led by [[Harry Schwarz]], with Wiley founding his own party, the [[South African Party (Republic of South Africa)|South African Party]] in 1977, alongside five other expelled United Party MPs.<ref name="NEWS">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-03-30-mn-598-story.html |title=S. African Cabinet Member Found Dead: Apparent Suicide Poses Election Problems for Botha and Party |first=Michael |last=Parks |date=1987-03-30 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=2020-07-13}}</ref> He disbanded the party in 1980, joining the ruling [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] led by [[P. W. Botha]].<ref name="SIM">{{cite news|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0905/090546.html |title=S. African premier rubs hands over election victory |first=Humphrey |last=Tyler |date=1980-09-05 |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |access-date=2020-07-13}}</ref> Upon his joining of the National Party, Wiley triggered a by-election in his Simonstown constituency and notably defended it, defeating the former cricketer [[Eddie Barlow]] of the [[Progressive Federal Party]] and obtaining a breakthrough for the majority [[Afrikaans]] National Party in a predominantly English–speaking constituency.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0708/070838.html |title=South African by-election will pose test for English-speaking whites |first=Humphrey |last=Tyler |date=1980-07-08 |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |access-date=2020-07-13}}</ref><ref name="SIM"/>
-He later served in Botha's cabinet as its only English-speaking member and held the office of Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism from 1984–1986 and Minister of Environmental Affairs and Water Affairs from 1986–87, having previously held the post of Deputy Minister of Envronmental Affairs and Fisheries from 1982–84.<ref name="NEWS"/><ref name="ARC"/> Politically, Wiley was considered to have been a staunch [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] and a critical of liberalism, a critic of the [[Soviet Union]] and softening stance of the west toward it in the 1980s, in addition to supporting the white-minority government of [[Ian Smith]] in [[Southern Rhodesia|Rhodesia]].<ref name="SIM"/> With his Simonstown seat under threat in the [[1987 South African general election]], Wiley committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in the bedroom of his home on 29 March 1987.<ref name="BOOK">{{cite book |title=Silence Of The Heart: Cricket Suicides |last1=Firth |first1=David |date=2011 |publisher=Random House |page=43 |isbn=1780573936 |url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=i251ewfs_U0C |language=en}}</ref> The exact motive behind his suicide has remained a matter of speculation, ranging from financial,<ref name="NEWS"/> to a media campaign questioning his probity and speculating about his sexuality, to Wiley being a member of an elite pedophile ring headed by [[Magnus Malan]]. The 2018 book ''[[The Lost Boys of Bird Island]]'', links his death to that of Dave Allen, another alleged member of the ring. Two weeks after the books publication, the books co-author Mark Minnie was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in an apparent suicide.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-45195756 |title=South Africa's 'paedophile' minister and a mysterious death |first=Farouk |last=Chothia |date=2018-08-05 |work=[[BBC News]] |accessdate=2020-07-13}}</ref>
+He later served in Botha's cabinet as its only English-speaking member and held the office of Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism from 1984 to 1986 and Minister of Environmental Affairs and Water Affairs from 1986 to 1987, having previously held the post of Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Fisheries from 1982 to 1984.<ref name="NEWS"/><ref name="ARC"/> Politically, Wiley was considered to have been a staunch [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] and critical of liberalism, a critic of the [[Soviet Union]] and softening stance of the west toward it in the 1980s, in addition to supporting the white-minority government of [[Ian Smith]] in [[Southern Rhodesia|Rhodesia]].<ref name="SIM"/>
+==Death==
+With his Simonstown seat under threat in the [[1987 South African general election]], Wiley committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in the bedroom of his home on 29 March 1987.<ref name="BOOK">{{cite book |title=Silence Of The Heart: Cricket Suicides |last1=Firth |first1=David |date=2011 |publisher=Random House |page=43 |isbn=978-1780573939 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i251ewfs_U0C |language=en}}</ref> The exact motive behind his suicide has remained a matter of speculation, ranging from financial,<ref name="NEWS"/> to a media campaign questioning his probity and speculating about his sexuality, to Wiley being a member of an elite pedophile ring headed by [[Magnus Malan]]. The 2018 book ''[[The Lost Boys of Bird Island]]'', links his death to that of Dave Allen, another alleged member of the ring. Two weeks after the book's publication, the book's co-author Mark Minnie was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-45195756 |title=South Africa's 'paedophile' minister and a mysterious death |first=Farouk |last=Chothia |date=2018-08-05 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=2020-07-13}}</ref>
 ==References==
@@ Line 65: / Line 73: @@
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Wiley, John}}
 [[Category:1927 births]]
+[[Category:1987 suicides]]
 [[Category:1987 deaths]]
-[[Category:People from Cape Town]]
+[[Category:Cricketers from Cape Town]]
+[[Category:Politicians from Cape Town]]
 [[Category:South African people of English descent]]
 [[Category:Alumni of Diocesan College, Cape Town]]
@@ Line 74: / Line 84: @@
 [[Category:Alumni of Lincoln College, Oxford]]
 [[Category:Oxford University cricketers]]
-[[Category:South African lawyers]]
+[[Category:20th-century South African lawyers]]
-[[Category:Members of the House of Assembly of South Africa]]
+[[Category:Members of the House of Assembly (South Africa)]]
 [[Category:United Party (South Africa) politicians]]
 [[Category:South African Party (Union of South Africa) politicians]]
 [[Category:National Party (South Africa) politicians]]
-[[Category:South African white nationalists]]
-[[Category:Cricketers who committed suicide]]
 [[Category:Suicides by firearm in South Africa]]