Smuts

Article summary

Smuts is an Afrikaans surname most commonly associated with Jan Smuts (1870–1950), a South African statesman, military leader and prime minister of the Union of South Africa. Other notable people with the surname include: *Barbara Smuts (born 1950), American anthropologist *Dave Smuts (David, flor. 1980–2023..), Namibian Supreme Court judge *Dene Smuts (1949–2016), South African politician *JJ Smuts (Jon-Jon Trevor, born 1988), South African cricketer *J. J. L. Smuts (Johannes Joachim Lodewyk, 1785–1869), South African public official *John Christopher Smuts (1910–1979), known as Christopher Smuts, South African-born British politician *Kelly Smuts (born 1990), South African cricketer *Lulama Smuts Ngonyama (born 1952), known as Smuts Ngonyama, South African politician *Neil Smuts (1898–?), South African aviator *Olive Smuts-Kennedy (1925–2013), New Zealand politician *Tobias Smuts (1861–1916), Boer war Boer general

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1950 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of birth: 1988 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of birth: 1990 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1950". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of birth is "1988". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of birth is "1990". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
6. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1283151707