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List of heads of state of South Africa

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This is a list of the heads of state of South Africa from the foundation of the Union of South Africa in 1910 to the present day.

From 1910 to 1961 the head of state under the South Africa Act 1909 was the Monarch, who was the same person as the Monarch of the United Kingdom and of the other Dominions/Commonwealth realms. The Monarch was represented in South Africa by a Governor-General. South Africa became a republic under the Constitution of 1961 and the Monarch and Governor-General were replaced by a ceremonial State President. In 1984, under the Tricameral Constitution, the State President gained executive powers, becoming head of both state and government. Since 1994, under the Interim Constitution and the current Constitution, the head of state and government has been called the President.

Monarchs (1910–1961)

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The succession to the throne of South Africa was the same as the succession to the British throne. During the Abdication Crisis the South African parliament passed its own act, "His Majesty King Edward the Eighth's Abdication Act, 1937", to ratify the abdication of Edward VIII.

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Reign Royal House Prime Minister
Reign start Reign end Duration
1 King George V
(1865–1936)
31 May 1910 20 January 1936 25 years, 234 days Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
(until 17 July 1917)
Windsor
(since 17 July 1917)
Botha
Smuts
Hertzog
2 King Edward VIII
(1894–1972)
20 January 1936 11 December 1936
(abdicated)
326 days Windsor Hertzog
3 King George VI
(1895–1952)
11 December 1936 6 February 1952 15 years, 57 days Windsor Hertzog
Smuts
Malan
4 Queen Elizabeth II
(1926–2022)
6 February 1952 31 May 1961 9 years, 114 days Windsor Malan
Strijdom
Verwoerd

Governor-General

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The Governor-General was the representative of the monarch in South Africa and exercised most of the powers of the monarch. The Governor-General was appointed for an indefinite term, serving at the pleasure of the monarch. After the passage of the Statute of Westminster 1931 and the Status of the Union Act, 1934, the Governor-General was appointed solely on the advice of the Cabinet of South Africa without the involvement of the British government. In the event of a vacancy the Chief Justice served as Officer Administering the Government.

Status
  Denotes Chief Justice acting as Officer Administering the Government
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Monarch Prime Minister
Took office Left office Time in office
1 The Rt. Hon. The Viscount Gladstone
(1854–1930)
31 May 1910 8 September 1914 4 years, 100 days George V Botha
2 The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Buxton
(1853–1934)
8 September 1914 17 November 1920 6 years, 70 days George V Botha
Smuts
3 HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught
(1883–1938)
17 November 1920 21 January 1924 3 years, 65 days George V Smuts
4 The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Athlone
(1874–1957)
21 January 1924 26 January 1931 7 years, 5 days George V Smuts
Hertzog
5 The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Clarendon
(1877–1955)
26 January 1931 5 April 1937 6 years, 69 days George V
Edward VIII
George VI
Hertzog
6 Sir Patrick Duncan
(1870–1943)
5 April 1937 17 July 1943
(died in office)
6 years, 103 days George VI Hertzog
Smuts
Nicolaas Jacobus de Wet
(1873–1960)
17 July 1943 1 January 1946 2 years, 168 days George VI Smuts
7 Gideon Brand van Zyl
(1873–1956)
1 January 1946 1 January 1951 5 years George VI Smuts
Malan
8 Ernest George Jansen
(1881–1959)
1 January 1951 25 November 1959
(died in office)
8 years, 328 days George VI
Elizabeth II
Malan
Strijdom
Verwoerd
Lucas Cornelius Steyn
(1903–1976)
25 November 1959 11 December 1959 16 days Elizabeth II Verwoerd
9 Charles Robberts Swart
(1894–1982)
11 December 1959 30 April 1961
(resigned)
1 year, 140 days Elizabeth II Verwoerd
Lucas Cornelius Steyn
(1903–1976)
30 April 1961 31 May 1961 31 days Elizabeth II Verwoerd

Ceremonial State President of South Africa (1961–1984)

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Under the 1961 Constitution, the first constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the State President replaced the Monarch as ceremonial head of state. The State President was elected by Parliament for a seven-year term. In the event of a vacancy the President of the Senate served as Acting State President.

Status
  Denotes President of the Senate acting as State President
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Elected Term of office Political party Prime Minister
Took office Left office Time in office
10 Charles Robberts Swart
(1894–1982)
1961 31 May 1961 1 June 1967
(resigned)
6 years, 1 day National Party Verwoerd
Vorster
Theophilus Ebenhaezer Dönges
(1898–1968)
1967 Did not take office because of illness National Party
Jozua François Naudé
(1889–1969)
1 June 1967 10 April 1968 314 days National Party Vorster
11 Jacobus Johannes Fouché
(1898–1980)
1968 10 April 1968 9 April 1975 6 years, 364 days National Party Vorster
Johannes de Klerk
(1903–1979)
9 April 1975 19 April 1975 10 days National Party Vorster
12 Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs
(1903–1978)
1975 19 April 1975 21 August 1978
(died in office)
3 years, 124 days National Party Vorster
Marais Viljoen
(1915–2007)
21 August 1978 10 October 1978 50 days National Party Vorster
Botha
13 Balthazar Johannes Vorster
(1915–1983)
1978 10 October 1978 4 June 1979
(resigned)
237 days National Party Botha
14 Marais Viljoen
(1915–2007)
4 June 1979 19 June 1979 15 days National Party Botha
1979 19 June 1979 3 September 1984 5 years, 76 days

Executive State President of South Africa (1984–1994)

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Under the 1983 Constitution the State President was head of both state and government. The State President was elected by an electoral college chosen by Parliament and served until the next general election, but was eligible for re-election. In the event of a vacancy the Cabinet would nominate a member to serve as Acting State President.

Status
  Denotes Acting State President
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Elected Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
15 Pieter Willem Botha
(1916–2006)
3 September 1984 14 September 1984 11 days National Party
1984 14 September 1984 14 August 1989
(resigned)
4 years, 334 days
Jan Christiaan Heunis
(1927–2006)
19 January 1989 15 March 1989 55 days National Party
16 Frederik Willem de Klerk
(1936–2021)
14 August 1989 20 September 1989 37 days National Party
1989 20 September 1989 10 May 1994 5 years, 56 days

President of South Africa (1994–present)

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Under the Interim Constitution and the current Constitution the president of South Africa is head of both state and government. The president is elected by the National Assembly and serves a term that expires at the next general election; a president may serve a maximum of two terms. In the event of a vacancy the deputy president serves as acting president.

  Denotes Acting President
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Elected Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
17 Nelson Mandela
(1918–2013)
1994 10 May 1994 14 June 1999 5 years, 35 days African National Congress
18 Thabo Mbeki
(born 1942)
1999
2004
14 June 1999 24 September 2008
(resigned)
9 years, 102 days African National Congress
Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri
(1937–2009)
25 September 2008[1] 14 hours African National Congress
19 Kgalema Motlanthe
(born 1949)
2008 25 September 2008 9 May 2009 226 days African National Congress
20 Jacob Zuma
(born 1942)
2009
2014
9 May 2009 14 February 2018
(resigned)
8 years, 281 days African National Congress
21 Cyril Ramaphosa
(born 1952)
14 February 2018 15 February 2018 1 day African National Congress
2018
2019
2024
15 February 2018 Incumbent 6 years, 317 days

Timeline since 1961

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Cyril RamaphosaJacob ZumaKgalema MotlantheIvy Matsepe-CasaburriThabo MbekiNelson MandelaF. W. de KlerkChris HeunisP. W. BothaJohn VorsterMarais ViljoenNico DiederichsJan de KlerkJim FouchéTom NaudéC. R. Swart

Standards

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References

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  1. ^ Chikane, Frank (28 April 2012). "Emotional farewell as Mbeki holds last cabinet meeting". Daily Nation. Retrieved 26 August 2016.