Kas van den Bergh (15 August 1925 Matlapein, Rustenburg district – 5 January 1997) [1] was a South African Afrikaans writer and columnist.[2]
His father was a Christelik-Nasionale Onderwys (C.N.O.) teacher [3][4] who farmed near Pilansberg and later settled in Pretoria. Kas' first schooling was at the Volkskool in Potchefstroom. In 1949 he was awarded an LL.B. degree by the University of Pretoria, after which he settled in Randfontein where he practised as attorney. He wrote regular columns for the Huisgenoot ('Saterdagaand tuis'), Rooi Rose[5] and other magazines and newspapers, also producing a great number of detective novels, short stories, serials and novels.
He married a fellow student, Nellie Schlimmer, and together they raised three daughters in Randfontein, Rena, Sonia and Kieta. Rena followed in her father's legal footsteps and became Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of South Africa. Kas' farming roots remained strong and he returned to the Rustenburg bushveld.
In April 1971 he married a fellow journalist from Die Transvaler, Karin Pretorius, who had interviewed him for an article for her paper. The marriage was dissolved after four years.[6]
