State President of the Republic of South Africa ( African: Staatspresident van Suid-Afrika ) - the highest public office in South Africa from 1961 to 1994 . The post was created after the proclamation of the Union of South Africa , and the Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II ceased to be the monarch of South Africa , and the post of governor-general was abolished. In turn, the post of state president was canceled after the destruction of the apartheid regime, the first democratic multi-racial parliamentary elections and the approval of a new post - the president of South Africa , which became Nelson Mandela .
| State President of the Republic of South Africa | |
|---|---|
| africa. Staatspresident van suid-afrika | |
 Coat of arms of South Africa from 1961 to 2000 | |
| Appeal form | Hon. (Before 1985) |
| Assigned | Parliament of South Africa |
| Term of office | 7 years old (before 1984) 5 years old (1984-1994) |
| Post has appeared | May 31, 1961 (ceremonial) August 15, 1984 (executive) |
| First in office | Charles Roberts Swart |
| Last in office | Frederick Willem de Clerk |
| Position abolished | May 10, 1994 |
History
Ceremonial fasting
Republicanism has long been included in the program of the National Party . However, only in 1960, 12 years after winning the parliamentary elections , she was able to hold a referendum on this issue . However, only 52% of those who came to the polls voted to abolish the monarchy and declare the Republic of South Africa Union .
The Republic of South Africa was proclaimed on May 31, 1961 . The last Governor General of the Union , Charles Roberts Swart , not counting and. about. Lucas Cornelius Swart , was sworn in as the country's first president. The title "State President" was originally used for the heads of the Boer republics [1] . Swart was elected by the South African Parliament for seven years without the right to re-election.
The National Party decided not to make the presidency executive, adopting a minimalist approach as a conciliatory gesture against English-speaking whites who opposed the republic. Thus, the State President carried out mainly ceremonial duties similar to those of the Governor General, and was obliged to act on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers .
Executive Post
After the adoption of the new Constitution of 1983 , the post of state president became executive, as in the United States . The post of prime minister was abolished, and his powers were de facto combined with the presidential. The State President was elected for five years by an electoral college of 88 members - 50 white, 25 color and 13 Indians - elected from the respective racial groups of the Three-Chamber Parliament - the House of Assembly , the House of Representatives and the House of Delegates . The last prime minister, Peter Willem Botha , was elected the first state president.
The State President was vested with broad executive powers, in most respects, even greater than that of the US President . He had the exclusive right to intervene in matters of “national” issues, such as foreign policy and interracial relations. He was chairman of the Presidential Council, which resolved disputes between the three houses of parliament regarding the law of “common affairs”. This body consisted of 60 members - 20 were appointed by the House of Assembly, 10 - representatives, five - delegate, and 25 - directly by the state president.
Although the reforms were announced by agreements on the division of powers, in practice the real power remained in the hands of the whites - the National Party, which had a large majority in the white houses. Since Botha was the leader of the National Party, he concentrated all power in his hands.
After Botha resigned, in 1989 Frederik de Klerk took over as president and almost immediately began the process of reconciliation and transition to the rule of the majority.
Abolition
In accordance with the first non-racial Constitution of South Africa , adopted in 1994, simply the president became the head of state and government. After the general parliamentary election , on May 11, 1994, the chairman of the African National Congress, Nelson Mandela , was sworn in as president.
List of South African Presidents (1961–1994)
- The consignment
National party
| No. | Name (Years of life) | Portrait | Start | the end | Selected parliament | The consignment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Presidents (ceremonial post from 1961 to 1984) | ||||||
| one | Charles Roberts Swart (1894-1982) | May 31, 1961 | May 31, 1967 | - | National party | |
| - | Theophilus Ebengaser Donges (1898–1968) | Elected, but died before taking office | - | National party | ||
| - | Joshua Francois Naude (1889–1969) ( entered ) | June 1, 1967 | April 10, 1968 | - | National party | |
| 2 | Jacobus Johannes Foucher (1898-1980) | April 10, 1968 | April 9, 1975 | - | National party | |
| - | Johannes de Clerk (1903–1979) ( entered ) | April 9, 1975 | April 19, 1975 | - | National party | |
| 3 | Nikolaas Johannes Diderichs (1903-1978) | April 19, 1975 | August 21, 1978 (died at the post) | - | National party | |
| - | Mare Filyun (1915–2007) ( entered ) | August 21, 1978 | October 10, 1978 | - | National party | |
| four | Balthazar Johannes Forster (1915-1983) | October 10, 1978 | June 4, 1979 (resigned) | - | National party | |
| five | Mare Filyun (1915–2007) | June 19, 1979 entered June 4, 1979 | September 3, 1984 | - | National party | |
| State Presidents (executive post from 1984 to 1994) | ||||||
| one (6) | Peter Willem Botha (1916–2006) | September 14, 1984 Entered September 3, 1984 | August 15, 1989 [2] (resigned) | 1987 ( 20 ) | National party | |
| 2 (7) | Frederick Willem de Clerk (1936–) | September 20, 1989 Entered August 15, 1989 | May 10, 1994 | 1989 ( 21 ) | National party | |
Notes
- ↑ Blazes Along a Diplomatic Trail: A Memoir of Four Posts in the Canadian Foreign Service (p. 58) . Trafford Publishing (January 1, 2000). Date of treatment July 12, 2014.
- ↑ Hoinis , as acting from January 19, 1989 to March 15, 1989
See also
- Vice President of the Republic of South Africa