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President of South Africa

South Africa

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Politics and government of
South Africa

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The President of South Africa, in full, the President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africa's Constitution. From 1961 to 1994, the head of state was called the State President, or Staatspresident in Afrikaans.

The President is elected by members of the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, usually being the leader of the largest party, which has been the African National Congress since the first non-racial elections were held on April 27, 1994. The first President to be elected under the new Constitution was Nelson Mandela, who was succeeded by Thabo Mbeki in 1999. In §5, section 88, the Constitution also limits the President's time in office to two terms. Presidents are elected after each parliamentary election, giving presidents a term of office of between five and ten years. Under the interim Constitution (valid from 1994 to 1996), there was a Government of National Unity, in which an MP from the largest opposition party was entitled to a position as Deputy President. Along with Mbeki, the last State President, F.W. De Klerk also served as Deputy President, in his capacity as the leader of the National Party which was the second-largest party in the new Parliament. But De Klerk later resigned and went into opposition with his party. A voluntary coalition government continues to exist under the new constitution (adopted in 1996), although there have been no appointments of opposition politicians to the post of deputy president.

Contents

Presidential powers and jurisdiction

  • Head of the State and Government of the Republic of South Africa
  • Leader of the Cabinet
  • Appoints ministers and members to the Cabinet
  • Awards and confers the National Orders of the State
  • Commander-in-Chief of the South African National Defence Force
  • Appoints the Chief Justices of the State
  • Must approve all bills, amendments and legislation
  • May declare war or peace

The President is referred to as: "Your Excellency", "Mr/Madam President" or "The Honourable (name)".

The official seat of the President is the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

List of Presidents of South Africa (1961-present)

State Presidents as head of state (Ceremonial, 1961-1984)

Name Born-Died Term start Term end Political Party Charles Robberts Swart1894- 198231 May19611 June1967National PartyJozua François Naudé(acting) 1889- 19691 June196710 April1968National PartyJacobus Johannes Fouché1898- 198010 April19689 April1975National PartyJohannes de Klerk (acting) 1903- 19799 April197519 April1975National PartyNicolaas Johannes Diederichs1903- 197819 April197521 August1978(died in office) National PartyMarais Viljoen(1st time, acting) 1915- 200721 August197810 October1978National PartyBalthazar Johannes Vorster1915- 198310 October19784 June1979(resigned) National PartyMarais Viljoen(2nd time) 1915- 20074 June1979(acting to 19 June1979) 3 September1984National Party

State Presidents as Head of State and Government (Executive, 1984-1994)

Name Born-Died Term Start Term end Political Party Pieter Willem Botha1916- 20063 September1984(acting to 14 September1984) 15 August1989(resigned) National PartyChris Heunis (acting for Botha) 1927- 200619 January198915 March1989National PartyFrederik Willem de Klerk1936- 15 August1989(acting to 20 September1989) 10 May1994National Party

Presidents of post-Apartheid South Africa (also with executive powers, 1994-Present)

Name Born-Died Term start Term end Political Party Nelson Mandela1918- 10 May199416 June1999African National CongressThabo Mbeki1942- 16 June1999Present African National Congress

See also

External links

Categories: Lists of presidents | Presidents of South Africa | Politics of South Africa

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