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All South African Presidents

Published

6 years ago

1:02 am

Delvin

South African Presidents have been 11 since the time of independence. We will get to discuss each one of them here, from Cyril Ramaphosa to Charles Robberts Swart.

Here you will find a list of all the South African Presidents from the year 1961.

Cyril Ramaphosa
(2018-

Born on 17 November 1952 is Cyril Ramaphosa who is the current president of South Africa and came to power by his involvement in a liberation struggle for democratic South Africa. Ramaphosa grew up in the slums of Soweto and first got involved with politics in 1982.

Ramaphosa is said to be one of the richest people in South Africa with a net worth of about $550 million. The president has many properties throughout the country, including farmhouses and a luxury house in Cape Town.

Did you Know? Ramaphosa is the man who has been credited with bringing McDonald’s to South Africa, which at one time has more than 145 fast food stores.

Ramaphosa is a member of the International Advisory Board of the Coca-Cola Company.

Jacob Zuma
(2009-2018)

Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma served for exactly 10 years after then he announced his resignation on 14 February of 2018, and was succeeded by Ramaphosa exactly the next day. Zuma was born on 12 April 1942 in Nkandla, South Africa.

He began work as a child to support his family and therefore could not pursue formal schooling after losing his father early in life. He joined the National Party of Africa and its military wing during his adolescence. His conspiracy to overthrow the South-African apartheid government earned him a sentence of ten years in jail. His father died in the World War II.

Did you know? He has married six times and he is a polygamist. He has four wives at present and is known as the father of 20 children, born of his wives, friends and other women.

Kgalema Motlanthe
(2008-2009)

Kgalema Petrus Motlanthe served as president between 25 September 2008 and 9 May 2009 this was exactly after the resignation of Thabo Mbeki.

He did not want any government position in the 2009 elections. He said that his goal was to “ensure the proper opening of the new President.” President Jacob Zuma chose him to hold a post until 2014 as Deputy President.

Thabo Mbeki
(1999-2008)

Thabo Mbeki was born on 18 June 1942 and served as South African President from 16 June 1999 to 24 September 2008 after Nelson Mandela.

He earned a Masters of Economics degree from Sussex University in Britain and received military training in the Soviet Union, which really helped in the ANC’s armed campaign against apartheid.

In 2004 Mbeki was re-elected as president approved by the constitution of South Africa for the second term. Yet he lost an ANC leadership contest at the end of 2007 to rival Jacob Zuma, who was now set as President of South Africa in next year.

Did you Know? Thabo Mbekis’ father was in the same jail with Nelson Mandela.

Nelson Mandela
(1994-1999)

Born on 18 July 1918 was Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela who went ahead to become the first black head of state in South Africa.

Nelson was prisoned for life in 1962 for trying to overthrow the apartheid government of South Africa. He had secret talks during his time in prison with F. W. de Klerk, President of South Africa and was able to be released as a result of the talks. He was in prison for more than 27 years.

In 1993, Mandela and F.W. de Klerk received a Nobel peace prize for fighting the apartheid government system.

He then became president in 1994 elected by a democratic system.

He died on 5 December 2013.

Frederik Willem de Klerk
(1989-1994)

De Klerk was born on 18 March 1936 in Johannesburg and later became the President of South Africa in 1989. After finishing his degree in Bachelor of Law in 1958 he went ahead and became the Legal Counsel to the National Party until 1972. He won the Nobel Peace Price in 1993 and went ahead retiring from politic in 1997.

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Chris Heunis
(1989-1989)

Chris Heunis was only ‘president’ for a little over 2 months this was because when the current President Pieter Botha suffered cerebral congestion. He was one of the candidates for the 1987 elections but was beaten in the second round of elections.

Heunis later retired from politics and did not take part in the 1989 elections.

He died on January 2006

P. W. Botha
(1984-1989)

Pieter Willem Botha was born in South Africa on 12th January 1916 to a father that was a commando and a mother that was held in a British concentration camp during the war.

He was studying Law but later dropped it to pursue his political career.

In 1983, Botha presented a new constitution, but it could only be voted on by white people.

It is widely acknowledged that thousands of individuals have been imprisoned, detained and tortured and killed, under the leadership of Pieter Willem Botha. Botha refused to apologize for apartheid because he believed that he had done his country the right thing.

He died on 31 October 2006.

Marais Viljoen
(1979-1984)

Born on 22 July 1903

Jan de Klerk
(1975-1975)

He was the father to Frederik Willem de Klerk.

Charles Robberts Swart
(1961-1967)

The First White President of South Africa was Charles Robberts Swart born on 1894.