State President of South Africa

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This article is about the position of South African head of state from 1961 to
1994. For the position of South African head of state and head of government from
1994, see President of South Africa.
State President of South Africa
Staatspresident van Suid-Afrika
Flag of the President of South Africa (1984-1994).svg
Standard of the State President (1984–1994)
Jacobus Johannes Fouché 1968.jpg
Longest serving
Jim Fouché
10 April 1968 – 9 April 1975
Style The Honourable (until 1985)
Abbreviation SP
Residence Tuynhuys
Appointer Parliament of South Africa
Term length Seven years, nonrenewable (until 1984)
Duration of Parliament
(normally five years) (1984–94)
Precursor Monarch of South Africa
Formation 31 May 1961 (ceremonial)
3 September 1984 (executive)
First holder Charles Robberts Swart
Final holder Frederik Willem de Klerk
Abolished 10 May 1994
Succession President of South Africa
Deputy Vice State President of South Africa (1981–1984)

The Standard of the South African State President from 1961 to 1984.
The state president of the Republic of South Africa (Afrikaans: Staatspresident)
was the head of state of South Africa from 1961 to 1994. The office was established
when the country became a republic in 1961, and Queen Elizabeth II ceased to be
monarch of South Africa. The position of Governor-General of South Africa was
accordingly abolished. From 1961 to 1984, the post was largely ceremonial. After
constitutional reforms enacted in 1983 and taking effect in 1984, the State
President became an executive post, and its holder was both head of state and head
of government.

The office was abolished in 1994, with the end of Apartheid and the transition to
democratic majority rule. Since then, the head of state and head of government is
known simply as the President of South Africa.

Contents
1 Ceremonial post
2 Executive post
3 End of white minority rule
4 List of state presidents of South Africa
5 Timeline
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
Ceremonial post

De Tuynhuys, used as the office of the State President

Republicanism had long been a plank in the platform of the ruling National Party.
However, it was not until 1960, 12 years after it took power, that it was able to
hold a referendum on the issue. A narrow majority—52 percent— of the minority white
electorate voted in favour of abolishing the monarchy and declaring South Africa a
republic.

The Republic of South Africa was proclaimed on 21 May 1961. Charles Robberts Swart,
the last Governor-General, was sworn in as the first State President. The title
'State President' was originally used for the head of state of the Boer Republics,
[1] and like them, the holder of the office wore a sash with the Republic's coat of
arms. He was elected to a seven-year term by the Parliament of South Africa, and
was not eligible for re-election.

The National Party decided against having an executive presidency, instead adopting
a minimalist approach as a conciliatory gesture to English-speaking whites who were
opposed to a republic.[2] As such, the State President performed mostly ceremonial
duties, and was bound by convention to act on the advice of the Prime Minister and
the cabinet.

In practice, the post of State President was a sinecure for retired National Party
ministers, as the Governor-General's post had been since 1948. Consequently, all
State Presidents from 1961 to 1984 were white, Afrikaner, male, and over 60.

Executive post
Following constitutional reforms, in 1984, the office of State President became an
executive post, as in the United States. The Prime Minister's post was abolished,
and its powers were de facto merged with those of the State President. He was
elected by an electoral college of 88 members—50 Whites, 25 Coloureds, and 13
Indians–from among the members of the Tricameral Parliament. The members of the
electoral college were elected by the respective racial groups of the Tricameral
Parliament—the white House of Assembly, Coloured House of Representatives and
Indian House of Delegates. He held office for the Parliament's duration—in
practice, five years. The last Prime Minister, P. W. Botha, was elected as the
first executive State President.

The State President was vested with sweeping executive powers—in most respects,
even greater than those of comparative offices like the President of the United
States. He had sole jurisdiction over matters of "national" concern, such as
foreign policy and race relations. He was chairman of the President's Council,
which resolved disputes between the three chambers regarding "general affairs"
legislation. This body consisted of 60 members – 20 members appointed by the House
of Assembly, 10 by the House of Representatives, five by the House of Delegates and
25 directly by the State President.

Although the reforms were billed as a power-sharing arrangement, the composition of

the electoral college and President's Council made it all but impossible for the
white chamber to be outvoted on any substantive matter. Thus, the real power
remained in white hands—and in practice, in the hands of the National Party, which
had a large majority in the white chamber. As Botha was leader of the National
Party, the system placed nearly all governing power in his hands.

Botha resigned in 1989 and was succeeded by F. W. de Klerk, who oversaw the
transition to majority rule in 1994.

End of white minority rule

Under South Africa's first non-racial constitution, adopted in 1994, the head of
state (and of government) is known simply as the President. However, since the
declaration of the republic in 1961, most non-South African sources had referred to
the State President as simply the "President".[3][4] The leader of the African
National Congress, Nelson Mandela, was sworn in as President on 10 May 1994.
List of state presidents of South Africa
Political parties
National Party
Symbols
Denotes Acting President
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) Term of office Political party Elected
Took office Left office Time in office
State presidents as head of state (Ceremonial, 1961–1984)
1 CR Swart 1960.jpg Charles Robberts Swart
(1894–1982) 31 May 1961 31 May 1967 6 years National Party 1961
— Dönges cropped.jpg Theophilus Ebenhaezer Dönges
(1898–1968) Elected but did not take office because of illness National Party
1967
— Tom Naudé 1962.jpg Jozua François Naudé
(1889–1969)
Acting 1 June 1967 10 April 1968 314 days National Party —
2 JJ Fouche.jpg Jacobus Johannes Fouché
(1898–1980) 10 April 1968 9 April 1975 6 years, 364 days National Party
1968
— Jan de Klerk.jpg Johannes de Klerk
(1903–1979)
Acting 9 April 1975 19 April 1975 10 days National Party —
3 Nicolaas Diederichs.jpg Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs
(1903–1978) 19 April 1975 21 August 1978
(Died in office) 3 years, 124 days National Party 1975
— Marais Viljoen.jpg Marais Viljoen
(1915–2007)
Acting 21 August 1978 10 October 1978 50 days National Party —
4 John Vorster.jpg Balthazar Johannes Vorster
(1915–1983) 10 October 1978 4 June 1979
(Resigned) 237 days National Party 1978
5 Marais Viljoen.jpg Marais Viljoen
(1915–2007) 4 June 1979 19 June 1979 15 days National Party –
19 June 1979 3 September 1984 5 years, 91 days 1979
State presidents as head of state and government (Executive, 1984–1994)
1 PWBotha 1985.jpg Pieter Willem Botha
(1916–2006) 3 September 1984 14 September 1984 11 days National Party –
14 September 1984 15 August 1989
(Resigned) 4 years, 335 days 1984
– Jan Christiaan Heunis
(1927–2006)
Acting 19 January 1989 15 March 1989 27 days National Party –
2 Frederik Willem de Klerk, 1990.jpg Frederik Willem de Klerk
(1936–2021) 15 August 1989 20 September 1989 36 days National Party –
20 September 1989 10 May 1994 4 years, 232 days 1989
Timeline

See also
State President of the South African Republic
State President of the Orange Free State
Governor-General of the Union of South Africa
President of South Africa
Prime Minister of South Africa
Vice State President of South Africa
References
Sketch of the Orange Free State of South Africa, Orange Free State. Commission at
the International Exhibition, Philadelphia, 1876, pages 10-12
 The White Tribe of Africa, David Harrison, University of California Press, 1983,
page 161
South Africa: A War Won, TIME, June 9, 1961
John Vorster, former South African Prime Minister, Dies At 67, New York Times, 11
September 1983
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to State Presidents of South Africa.
List of Presidents
Lists of Heads of state with links to bios
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Heads of State of South Africa
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Heads of state and government of Africa
Categories: State Presidents of South AfricaPolitics of South AfricaLists of
political office-holders in South AfricaApartheid government1961 establishments in
South Africa1994 disestablishments in South Africa
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