In 1917, the family moved back to South Africa since the congregation in Bulawayo had appointed a second minister of religion. His father took up a position in the church in Brandfort, Orange Free State. Due to the worldwide Spanish flu epidemic, the younger Verwoerd only sat for his matriculation exams in February 1919, achieving first position in the Orange Free State and fifth in country.Beyers, C. J. (1981). Dictionary of South African Biography, Vol. 4, Durban: Butterworth, pp. 730–740; P. W. Grobbelaar, Man van die Volk, 13–15 (1966).
