South Africa

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of South Africa

Constitution Bill of Rights Government Executive President Kgalema Motlanthe Deputy President Baleka Mbete Ministers Legislative Parliament Council of Provinces Chairperson M. J. Mahlangu National Assembly Speaker Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde Leader of the Opposition Helen Zille (national) Sandra Botha (parliamentary) Elections Judiciary Constitutional Court Supreme Court of Appeal High Court Magistrates Courts Provinces Districts (MMs, DMs) Municipalities (list) Political parties Foreign relations

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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.

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 27 April 1994. The first President to be elected under the new Constitution was Nelson Mandela, who was succeeded by Thabo Mbeki in 1999, followed by Kgalema Motlanthe in September 2008. In §5, section 88, the Constitution also limits the President's time in office to two terms.^[1] 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.

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)

      National Party       African National Congress

#	Name	Picture	Life span	Took office	Left office	Political Party
State Presidents as head of state (Ceremonial, 1961-1984)
1	Charles Robberts Swart		1894 — 1982	31 May 1961	31 May 1967	National Party
2	T. E. Dönges		1898 — 1968	31 May 1967	1 June 1967	National Party
—	Jozua François Naudé (Acting)		1889 — 1969	1 June 1967	10 April 1968	National Party
3	Jacobus Johannes Fouché		1898 — 1980	10 April 1968	9 April 1975	National Party
—	Johannes de Klerk (Acting)		1903 — 1979	9 April 1975	19 April 1975	National Party
4	Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs		1903 — 1978	19 April 1975	21 August 1978 (died in office)	National Party
—	Marais Viljoen (Acting)		1915 — 2007	21 August 1978	10 October 1978	National Party
5	Balthazar Johannes Vorster		1915 — 1983	10 October 1978	4 June 1979 (resigned)	National Party
6	Marais Viljoen (2nd time)		1915 — 2007	19 June 1979 Acting since 4 June 1979	3 September 1984	National Party
State Presidents as Head of State and Government (Executive, 1984-1994)
7	Pieter Willem Botha		1916 — 2006	14 September 1984 Acting since 14 September 1984	15 March 1989	National Party
—	Chris Heunis (Acting)		1927 — 2006	19 January 1989	15 March 1989	National Party
7	Pieter Willem Botha		1916 — 2006	15 March 1989	15 August 1989 (resigned)	National Party
8	Frederik Willem de Klerk		1936 —	15 August 1989 Acting since 15 August 1989	10 May 1994	National Party
Presidents of post-Apartheid South Africa (also with executive powers, since 1994)
9	Nelson Mandela		1918 —	10 May 1994	16 June 1999	African National Congress
10	Thabo Mbeki		1942 —	16 June 1999	25 September 2008 (resigned)	African National Congress
11	Kgalema Motlanthe		1949 —	25 September 2008[2]	Incumbent	African National Congress

See also

• List of State Presidents of South Africa
• List of Prime Ministers of South Africa
• Governor-General of the Union of South Africa
• Presidents of the South African Republic (1857-1902)
• Freedom Day

External links

• Office of the Presidency

References