State President of South Africa
title of the head of state of South Africa from May 1961 to May 1994
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 created when the country became a republic in 1961. The office was abolished in 1994 when Nelson Mandela was democratically elected as the first President of South Africa.
| State President of South Africa
Staatspresident van Suid-Afrika | |
|---|---|
.svg) Standard of the State President (1984–1994) | |
| Style | The Honourable (until 1985) |
| Appointer | Parliament of South Africa |
| Term length | Seven years, nonrenewable (until 1984) Duration of Parliament (normally five years) (1984–94) |
| Precursor | Governor-General of the Union 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) |
List
change- Parties
| 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 | 
|
Charles Robberts Swart (1894–1982) |
31 May 1961 | 31 May 1967 | 6 years | National Party | 1961 |
| — | 
|
Theophilus Ebenhaezer Dönges (1898–1968) |
Elected but did not take office because of illness | National Party | 1967 | ||
| 2 | 
|
Jacobus Johannes Fouché (1898–1980) |
10 April 1968 | 9 April 1975 | 6 years, 364 days | National Party | 1968 |
| 3 | 
|
Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs (1903–1978) |
19 April 1975 | 21 August 1978 (Died in office) |
3 years, 124 days | National Party | 1975 |
| 4 | 
|
Balthazar Johannes Vorster (1915–1983) |
10 October 1978 | 4 June 1979 (Resigned) |
237 days | National Party | 1978 |
| 5 | 
|
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 | 
|
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 | ||||
| 2 | 
|
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 | ||||
Other websites
change
